Europe Faces Long Entry Delays as New Border Control System Struggles During Peak Tourism

Europe's new European Entry/Exit System (EES), launched fully on April 10, 2026, is causing significant delays and long queues at airports across the Schengen Area amid the peak summer tourism season. The system, designed to streamline border control by collecting biometric data such as fingerprints and photos from non-Schengen visitors, has encountered technical glitches and staffing shortages, leading to wait times of several hours in busy airports like Rome, Lisbon, and Amsterdam. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the EU to suspend the system during summer to avoid disruptions, but the European Commission rejected the request, citing potential problems with exit controls if the system were paused.

The EES aims to enhance security by monitoring entries and exits to prevent illegal immigration and terrorism threats, storing biometric data for three years to facilitate faster processing on subsequent visits. However, the initial registration process is causing bottlenecks as tens of millions of travelers must register upon arrival. Some airports do not separate registered travelers from first-time users, forcing all to queue together. In extreme cases, Italian airports have temporarily suspended the system and reverted to manual passport stamping for up to six hours to manage overcrowding.

Only Ireland and Cyprus, EU members outside Schengen, do not use the EES, while Sweden and Portugal offer partial pre-registration via apps. Due to ongoing issues, the EU has postponed the launch of ETIAS, a pre-travel visa authorization system similar to those in the US and UK, until at least next year. Despite the challenges, the European Commission emphasizes that the system protects EU citizens and minimizes impact on legitimate travelers. By early July, the EES had recorded 110 million entries and exits and denied entry to 45,000 travelers for irregularities.

Israeli tourists in Europe have reported mixed experiences, reflecting the system's inconsistent performance. Airlines like Ryanair have warned of tripled waiting times, especially affecting British travelers now requiring visas post-Brexit. The EU describes the current difficulties as "growing pains" and hopes for resolution soon.