What's happening with the EU's Entry Exit Scheme?
EES is now fully live across all Schengen borders — and summer 2026 could be very disruptive for UK travellers.
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) is now fully live. All 29 Schengen countries must register every non-EU traveller — including UK nationals — with biometrics at every border crossing. The rollout has already caused serious disruption: Lisbon suspended EES for three months after seven-hour queues; Paris CDG's e-gates couldn't handle UK passports until late March 2026; Spanish airports saw processing times up 70% at peak periods. Industry bodies are warning of lengthy queues this summer unless suspension measures are widely used — and airlines are already warning passengers they risk missing flights if they don't budget extra time at passport control. Member states can pause EES for up to 90 days during peak travel. ETIAS — the separate advance travel authorisation UK visitors will eventually need — is targeted for Q4 2026, but you don't need to act on that yet.
What you'll find in this article:
If you're heading to Europe this year, EES is now a firm part of the journey. The phased rollout that began on 12 October 2025 should have completed its mandatory full implementation on 10 April 2026 — meaning every Schengen border point is now required to register all non-EU travellers biometrically. And some are.
Because even this final deadline for "fully operational" has left considerable wiggle-room, particularly at the French border where the system simply isn't ready, and Brussels continues to encourage member states to exercise discretion and leeway all the way up to September. Here's where things stand.
What is EES?
EES is a new digital border system for non-EU travellers (including UK citizens). On your first encounter you provide biometrics (fingerprints and a facial image); on later trips, the system matches your passport to that record automatically. It replaces manual passport stamping entirely now that the rollout is complete.
The EU began introducing EES on 12 October 2025 and in theory completed the phased rollout on 10 April 2026. From that date, all 29 Schengen countries must register every non-EU national at every border crossing — unless a member state invokes the specific flexibility provisions built into the legislation, which many are necessarily doing.
There's no pre-registration or fee for EES itself, and if you get a new passport you'll need to enrol again because your biometrics are linked to that document. A "Travel to Europe" mobile app (iOS/Android) lets you pre-enter passport details and, at some airports, upload a facial image before arrival — worth downloading before you fly.
What countries are affected?
Now mandatory at all borders: All 29 Schengen area countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland must now operate EES at every crossing point. Ireland and Cyprus remain outside the Schengen Area and are not affected.
Most disrupted during rollout: Lisbon (seven-hour queues in December 2025, system suspended for three months), Paris CDG/Orly (e-gates incompatible with UK passports until late March 2026), and Spain's major airports (processing times up 70% at peak periods). But at least one of Spain's most popular airports - Palma de Majorca - has responded by creating special UK-only queues to make sure we can get through to enjoy our holidays. Where delays have popped up, solutions have generally been found.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Where is EES operating — and what's the current status?
With full mandatory implementation now in force, every major Schengen airport used by UK holidaymakers is live. Some experienced disruptions serious enough to trigger temporary suspensions during the phased rollout — the picture below reflects what happened and what to expect as summer approaches. We'll keep this updated as the season develops — if you've been through an airport with news to share, head to our Facebook and let us know!
What do I need to do?
Build in extra time at passport control — that's the single most important practical action for any EU trip this year. There's nothing to apply for in advance and there's no charge for EES. But first-time biometric registration takes a few minutes per person, and at busy airports in summer that can mean substantial queues.
Unless you're travelling by Eurostar from St Pancras, the Port of Dover (coaches and freight), or the Eurotunnel in Folkestone — where the checks happen at the UK end — what you experience will depend on your destination airport. All airports are now supposed to be live, though the smoothness of the process varies considerably by location.
If you've already been through EES since October 2025, your biometrics are registered. Future crossings should be quicker — though some airports have been asking previously enrolled travellers to repeat the process if their systems aren't yet fully synced.
The EES data is linked to your passport, so if you get a new passport you'll need to provide your biometric data again. And every traveller — including children — now needs their own individual passport. Group or collective passports for school trips are no longer accepted under EES.
One practical heads-up specifically for departure queues: airlines including easyJet have issued formal warnings that the EES queue on the way out of Europe can also be lengthy — and the gate will not wait. Head to passport control well before your gate is announced, not after.
Is it going to disrupt travel to the EU this summer?
Short answer: quite possibly, yes. Industry bodies ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe have jointly warned the European Commission that passengers could face significant waits at peak summer border points. During the winter rollout phase, processing times already increased by up to 70% at some airports, with waits of up to three hours at peak periods — and that was before full mandatory enforcement kicked in.
The most severe case was Lisbon, where waiting times reached seven hours in December 2025, forcing a full three-month suspension and the deployment of 80 additional border officers. In France, CDG and Orly's Parafe e-gates remained incompatible with UK and US passports until late March 2026. In Spain, airports including Málaga and Alicante saw passengers miss flights due to queue lengths.
The good news is that the legislation includes a built-in pressure valve: member states can partially suspend EES checks for up to 90 days after the April 10 deadline (with a possible 60-day extension) to manage peak congestion. ABTA has written to the European Commission urging it to actively encourage member states to use these provisions this summer. What this means in practice is likely a patchwork: one airport in July might be fully enforcing EES while another invokes suspension measures during a surge. We'll keep this page updated as the summer situation becomes clearer.
The safest assumption for summer 2026 is to plan for delays and be pleasantly surprised if they don't materialise.
Can I complete the biometric checks before I travel?
There's no formal pre-registration in most countries, but the official "Travel to Europe" mobile app (iOS/Android) lets you pre-enter passport details and, at some locations, upload a facial image ahead of arrival — worth downloading before you go. Some departure airports also have pre-enrolment kiosks; check with your specific airport before travelling.
What if I don't want my biometric data stored by the EU?
Then you won't be admitted. Many countries (like the USA) already require biometrics for visitors — EES brings a similar approach to Schengen borders. Data is stored for up to three years (longer for overstays or security issues) and then automatically deleted. The system complies with EU GDPR standards.
What's it actually for?
People who don't live in the EU, which includes UK nationals, can visit for 90 days in any 180-day period. EES creates an electronic record of entries and exits so authorities can enforce that rule and reduce fraud. Once fully bedded in, it should speed up repeat trips — the first registration is the slow part.
This also paves the way for ETIAS, which is due later in 2026.
What's ETIAS?
It's a visa-waiver-style travel authorisation that non-EU, visa-exempt visitors (including UK travellers) will need before they go. It's currently targeted for October 2026, though given the problems with the EES roll-out that seems unlikely now. The Commission says it will announce the specific launch date several months in advance. The fee is confirmed at €20 (roughly £17); under-18s and over-70s are exempt from paying. Authorisation lasts for up to three years or until your passport expires — whichever comes first.
Unlike EES, you apply for ETIAS in advance online. EES enrolment happens at the border the first time you encounter it. ETIAS has been delayed from its original 2021 target five times — the main blocker, EES, is now fully in place, so there is genuine momentum behind the Q4 2026 timeline.
Fraud warning: unofficial websites are already charging for "ETIAS registration" that doesn't exist yet. Only ever use the official EU portal at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias when applications open.
How do I avoid the whole thing?
You've still got options if you want to sidestep the queues or don't want to provide biometrics right now.
Pick a destination outside the Schengen Area entirely. Within four hours from a UK airport you can fly to Ireland, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Morocco or Tunisia. Or go further afield — everywhere outside Europe from Canada to Bali is unaffected.
There are a few places outside the EU affected indirectly — such as the Vatican, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino — because reaching them usually means passing through an EES country.
We've also put together some tips to help you avoid as much hassle as possible if you are heading into the Schengen zone.
Tips to avoid EES delays
- Allow at least 60–90 minutes extra at passport control during peak summer travel, on top of your usual wait — on both arrival and departure.
- Download the "Travel to Europe" app and pre-enter your passport details before you fly.
- Head straight to passport control as soon as you've cleared check-in and security — don't leave it until your gate is called.
- Have your accommodation address ready — EES means border officials are more likely to ask Schengen Border Code questions about where you're staying.
- Every child needs their own individual passport — collective school trip passports are no longer valid.
- Check your passport validity — a new passport means a fresh EES enrolment and longer first-time processing.
- At Dover, Eurotunnel or Eurostar, EES checks happen before you leave the UK — arrive earlier than usual.
- Consider travel insurance that covers missed connections caused by border delays.
- Monitor the news close to your travel date — countries can invoke summer suspension measures at relatively short notice, which could actually work in your favour.
- Prague has been running more smoothly since its rocky start; Lisbon, Málaga and Paris CDG were the biggest stress points over winter — factor that into destination or routing choices.
