Tips & Advice · 6 min read · Updated 7 Sep 2026

What's happening with the EU's Entry Exit Scheme?

EES is now fully live across all Schengen borders, and as of 7 September the temporary flexibility that let border staff pause biometric checks during congestion has expired. There's no nationality-based exemption anywhere, including Greece, and queues are already climbing again at several airports.

Update, 7 September: The EU-wide flexibility mechanism that let border staff temporarily pause biometric checks when a crossing became severely congested expired on 6 September, 330 days after EES went live, despite a joint request from nine countries to extend it. Border officers no longer have that discretion anywhere in the Schengen Area. Early reports since the deadline passed show queues lengthening again: Prague has recorded waits of up to 150 minutes and Paris Charles de Gaulle around 41 minutes, against a same-day average elsewhere of roughly 13 minutes. Spain, France, Italy and Portugal are expected to see the sharpest increases as autumn travel picks up. We've updated the airport statuses and advice below to reflect this.

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

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. Greece tried exempting British travellers in April 2026 but was made to reverse this by the European Commission by the end of May: there is no nationality-based exemption anywhere, and Brits go through exactly the same checks as everyone else. Until 6 September, member states could temporarily pause biometric collection at a specific border point if it became too congested to cope, regardless of nationality. That flexibility mechanism has now expired, despite nine countries, including Italy, Portugal and Greece, formally asking the Commission to extend it. Border staff no longer have that discretion, and early reporting since the deadline passed shows queues climbing again at several airports, with Prague and Paris Charles de Gaulle among the worst affected so far and Spain, France, Italy and Portugal expected to see the sharpest increases. 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. ETIAS, the separate advance travel authorisation UK visitors will eventually need, was targeted for Q4 2026 but is now widely expected to slip into 2027, so there's nothing to act on yet.

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 completed its mandatory full implementation on 10 April 2026, meaning every Schengen border point is required to register all non-EU travellers biometrically. And, as of this week, they all are, with no exceptions.

The one significant piece of wiggle-room, a flexibility mechanism that let member states temporarily pause biometric collection at specific, congested border points, expired on 6 September. Several countries pushed Brussels to extend that deadline further into the autumn; the Commission declined. Here's where things stand now that it's gone.

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's designed to eventually replace manual passport stamping altogether, and as of 6 September there's no longer a fallback: the congestion-pause option that let staff revert to a manual stamp at busy border points has expired.

The EU began introducing EES on 12 October 2025 and completed the phased rollout on 10 April 2026. From that date, all 29 Schengen countries have had to register every non-EU national at every border crossing, with a temporary exception for congestion-triggered flexibility that several member states were using. That exception is now gone.

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, without exception, at all borders: All 29 Schengen area countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland must operate EES at every crossing point, and as of 7 September none of them retain the discretion to pause it locally. Ireland and Cyprus remain outside the Schengen Area and are not affected.

• 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

6 places to go to avoid EES

EES is now live everywhere in the Schengen Area, with no local pauses left anywhere. If you'd rather sidestep the biometric checks entirely, here are 6 brilliant destinations unaffected by EES.

In Tips & Advice Updated August 2026

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, and it matters more now than it did a week ago. 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 now that border staff can no longer pause checks to relieve a busy queue, that time adds up fast when several flights land together.

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 live and enforcing in full, though the smoothness of the process still 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 autumn?

Short answer: it's already starting to, yes. Industry bodies ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe had jointly warned the European Commission that passengers could face significant waits once the flexibility mechanism lapsed, and on 7 July nine countries, including Italy, Portugal and Greece, formally asked Brussels to extend the congestion-pause window beyond its 6 September expiry. The Commission held firm, and the mechanism expired on schedule. Border staff across the Schengen Area no longer have any discretion to pause biometric checks, however long a queue gets.

The early evidence is exactly what the industry warned about: Prague has recorded waits of up to 150 minutes since the deadline passed, and Paris Charles de Gaulle around 41 minutes, against a same-day average elsewhere of roughly 13 minutes. Passport checks that used to take around 20 seconds now take roughly 90 seconds per person under full biometric enforcement, so the arithmetic gets worse quickly whenever several flights land in the same window. Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, the countries that leant most heavily on the now-expired flexibility, are expected to see the sharpest increases as autumn travel continues.

One small piece of good news: technical problems with the fingerprinting kiosks at Eurotunnel, the Port of Dover and Eurostar's London St Pancras terminal mean those routes aren't yet enforcing the tightened rules in practice, though that's unlikely to last and shouldn't be relied on.

The safest assumption from here 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 was originally due later in 2026 but now looks set to slip.

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 was targeted for the last quarter of 2026, but Financial Times reporting in July 2026 says the EU agency building it, eu-LISA, has concluded a 2026 launch isn't feasible and a slip into 2027 now looks likely, with the chaotic EES rollout cited as a factor. The Commission has yet to update the official timeline and says it will confirm 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, though they'll still need to apply. 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 now been delayed from its original 2021 target six times, most recently pushed back because its prerequisite, EES, has had such a difficult rollout of its own.

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?

There's no nationality-based shortcut for anyone, UK travellers included: Greece tried exempting Brits from biometric checks in April 2026 and was made to reverse it within weeks. If you want to sidestep EES altogether, the reliable option is to 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.

Until 6 September, Italy and Portugal had both been pausing biometric checks at specific airports whenever queues ran too long, which occasionally meant a quicker passage than expected. That option has now expired everywhere, so it's no longer something to factor into a booking, and any trip into the Schengen zone should be planned on the assumption that full biometric checks will apply, however long the queue gets on the day.

Tips to avoid EES delays

• Allow at least 60 to 90 minutes extra at passport control on top of your usual wait, on both arrival and departure, now that there's no local flexibility to fall back on if a crossing gets busy.
• 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, though note that kiosk technical issues mean full enforcement hasn't yet reached these routes.
• Consider travel insurance that covers missed connections caused by border delays.
• Don't count on a local congestion pause bailing you out: the EU-wide mechanism that allowed this expired on 6 September, so a busy queue is now a busy queue everywhere.
• Prague, Paris CDG, Lisbon, Rome/Milan and Spain's major hubs are the ones reporting the sharpest queue increases since the deadline passed, factor that into destination or routing choices for autumn trips.