Tips & Advice · 5 min read · Updated 20 Apr 2026

Beat the EES queues this summer: 7 things to know before you fly

Europe's new biometric border system is causing queues at Schengen airports — but with a bit of planning, you can stay well ahead of them. One tip: consider Greece.

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

EES has been fully live since 10 April 2026 and some airports are already seeing queues of two to four hours. The headline news: Greece has just exempted British passport holders from biometric registration entirely — the only Schengen country currently doing this. For everywhere else, the tips that make the biggest practical difference are: travel carry-on only and sit near the front of the plane; time your flight to avoid peak landing windows; download the pre-registration app; and go straight to passport control once you're through security — duty-free and coffee can wait. Critically: fast-track security lanes do not speed up passport control. Also worth knowing — if a queue looks like it might make you miss your flight, photograph it with a clock visible and ask airport staff about priority lanes for imminent departures.

EES went fully live across all 29 Schengen countries on 10 April 2026 — and the summer rush is coming. UK holidaymakers now have to submit fingerprints and a facial scan when entering the Schengen area for the first time. It's a one-time registration, so future trips are faster, but right now millions of people are still waiting to go through that first registration. At some airports that's already meaning two-to-four-hour waits. Flights have departed with passengers still in the queue.

The good news is that with a bit of preparation, most of the pain is avoidable. Here's what you need to know.

1. The smartest move? Go to Greece

This is the biggest travel story of the EES roll-out: Greece has broken ranks with every other Schengen country and officially exempted British passport holders from EES biometric checks at all Greek airports and seaports, with immediate effect. No fingerprints, no facial scan — just a traditional passport stamp. The Greek Embassy in London confirmed it directly; major airlines including Jet2, easyJet and TUI have already updated their customer guidance to reflect the change.

The decision was straightforward tourism economics: nearly five million British visitors came to Greece in 2025, up almost 8% on the year before, and Greece wasn't willing to risk that for the sake of summer queue management. For 2026, the islands, the mainland and the cities are all accessible without the EES process that every other Schengen entry point now involves.

The important caveat: the exemption is described as being in place "until further notice." There's no fixed end date, and it's a temporary operational measure rather than a permanent change to Schengen rules. Check the latest advice before you book — but right now, for a sun holiday in Europe without the border hassle, Greece is the standout option for UK travellers.

2. Or leave Schengen behind altogether

If Greece doesn't fit your plans, the simplest fix is to choose a destination outside the Schengen area entirely. Within about four hours from a UK airport: Ireland (EU membership, permanent Schengen opt-out), Cyprus (Mediterranean sun, outside Schengen for now), Turkey (similar coastlines to Greece, zero EU bureaucracy), and Albania (the Adriatic's most underrated destination). Further afield, Dubai, Egypt, Cabo Verde and Azerbaijan are all completely unaffected.

It might sound like a compromise. For most of these destinations, it really isn't.

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3. Give yourself more time than feels necessary

The two-hour rule is no longer reliable at most Schengen airports. EES biometric registration is a first-time-only process, but it does take meaningfully longer than a passport stamp — and when a bank of flights arrives at the same time and most passengers need first-time registration, processing times can extend sharply. For busy hubs in Spain, France and Portugal, four hours before departure is now the sensible buffer. It sounds like a lot. Having it means a longer-than-expected queue is an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

Timing your flight to avoid peak landing windows helps too. Early morning arrivals consistently see shorter queues at most Spanish and Portuguese airports than mid-afternoon, when multiple services from the UK tend to land in quick succession. A quick check of what else lands around the same time as your flight at your destination can point you towards a quieter slot.

One thing that many people don't realise: airlines can't hold flights for passengers still in the immigration queue. Flight crews operate under strict legal duty-hour limits, which means that if a queue runs long enough, a flight may depart without everyone on board — not a policy choice, a legal requirement. It has already happened. Build your buffer accordingly.

4. Fast-track will help you - kind of

Paid fast-track options at airports (priority security, fast-pass lanes) speed up the security screening process. They do not cover passport control. Once you're through security, everyone joins the same immigration queue.

So: Fast-track will get you to the other side of security faster, and means you don't have to spend as long at the airport. But it won't speed up the EES / passport queue itself. Once you're through security, don't stop for coffee, don't browse duty-free, don't linger at the gate. All of that can wait until you're on the other side of the border. Every minute between clearing security and joining the passport queue is a minute the queue is growing ahead of you.

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5. Travel light and get off the plane first

This combination is more effective than it sounds. Travelling with carry-on luggage only removes the check-in queue, the baggage drop and the baggage reclaim. You walk off the plane and head straight to passport control. Add a seat near the front of the cabin and you could be at the border booth five to ten minutes ahead of the majority of your fellow passengers — before the queue builds properly.

Not always practical for longer trips or larger families, but for a long weekend or a city break it's genuinely one of the best moves available to you right now.

Also worth having ready at the booth: your accommodation address and return flight details, easily accessible on your phone. Border officers can ask where you're staying and how long you're visiting. Anything that keeps your interaction moving quickly helps — for you and for everyone behind you.

6. Pre-load your details before you fly

The EU's Frontex-backed app — search "Travel to Europe" on iOS or Android — lets you enter your passport details and, at some airports, upload a facial image before you arrive at the border. It doesn't let you skip the queue, but it reduces the time you spend at the kiosk once you're in it.

Uptake has been low so far, which is actually useful: the people who have pre-registered move through faster than those who haven't. Ten minutes at home could save half an hour at the airport. Check the official government website of your destination 48 hours before you travel — some countries have their own version of this tool in addition to the EU app.

7. If your flight looks at risk while you're in the queue

If you can see the queue is running dangerously long relative to your departure time, there are a few things worth doing immediately. Take a photograph of the queue with an airport clock or departure board visible in the background — this creates a timestamped record you may need later for an insurance or compensation claim. Ask an airport staff member whether a priority lane exists for passengers with imminent departures; some airports have introduced these during the rollout. Keep every receipt for anything you spend as a result of the delay — food, water, emergency accommodation — as these may be claimable.

EES applies on departure from the Schengen area too, not just arrival. Build the same time buffer for your return journey, and don't book flights that leave no margin if the queue runs long on the way home.

The last thing worth keeping in mind: EES registration is supposed to be a one-time process. Once your biometric data is in the system, future Schengen trips will be noticeably quicker. The queues are worst right now because millions of people are going through that first registration simultaneously. This summer may be the hard part — but it's entirely manageable if you go in prepared.