Implemented on October 12 last year, the system requires British visitors to the Schengen area to register biometric details, including fingerprints and a facial photograph, upon arrival. These details are checked when passengers depart. The process is carried out either through standalone kiosks or, in some cases, by border officers – for example for children under 12 – and has been gradually phased in since October 2025.
Some airports across Europe have reported queues stretching for hours, with passengers even missing flights home. Ryanair said the rollout had caused “unnecessary delays and long queues” and warned UK passengers to “allow extra time for their journey and be prepared for extended waits at passport control.”
Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer at Rome Fiumicino airport, said: "Large numbers of passengers are using the €12 million (£10.2 million) self-service kiosks. The average time has extended from seven to 20 minutes. We are not at the point where you have the same quality of the process [as] before the EES. I think that we need to fix urgently certain aspects of the system." He added that waiting times of up to one to two hours were “absolutely not okay” for the airport.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has previously issued guidance for travellers, noting: "EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border."
Officials advise travellers to check requirements before flying, keep documents accessible, and build extra time into their schedules to avoid disruption. The combination of longer queues and unfamiliar kiosks has created a perfect storm for summer holidaymakers heading to popular European destinations, particularly those with onward connections or short layovers.
With border control now taking significantly longer, experts recommend arriving early at airports and treating the first day of travel as a buffer, ensuring that the rest of the trip is not affected by the delays.
