If you're planning a summer trip to Europe, brace yourself. The continent's shiny new Entry/Exit System, or EES, is fully operational across 29 Schengen countries, and the early results are messy.
The EES launched in October 2025 after years of delays and went fully live this April. The goal was straightforward: replace old-school passport stamping with biometric data collection, making borders faster and smarter. Non-EU visitors get their facial image, fingerprints, and passport info scanned once, then pass through subsequent border crossings in seconds. No more repeating the same process at every entry point. Theoretically brilliant. Practically? Airports are already warning of epic summer delays.
What You Actually Need to Do
Here's the practical bit. When you arrive at any of the 29 participating countries (Austria, Denmark, Greece, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and 19 others), you'll be funneled through an EES kiosk or checkpoint. The system will collect your data and register your arrival and planned departure. For first-timers, this takes real time. You're not just swiping a passport anymore. You're providing biometric information. Staff at some major hubs have been overwhelmed, creating lines that stretched for hours even during the system's test phase, when only a fraction of arrivals went through the process.
One piece of good news: an app is coming that lets you pre-register up to 72 hours before arrival in Portugal and Sweden. You can generate a QR code and speed through the self-service kiosks. It's not flawless yet (Portugal only lets you upload the questionnaire, while Sweden handles more of the process), but it's a start. Airlines like Lufthansa and Eurowings are now reminding non-EU passengers to use it.
Why the Delays Are Happening Right Now
Airport operators didn't mince words about summer risks. FMG flagged that if just 10 percent of EES kiosks malfunction during peak travel season, queues could hit 90 minutes. During the gradual rollout period, authorities had flexibility to pause EES processing if things broke down. Now? It's mandatory for everyone. And summer is coming.
The Port of Dover solved part of this by creating separate lanes for EES processing. Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport brought in National Republican Guard and Public Security Police reinforcements. These lessons need to spread across all 29 countries, fast. The European Commission is allowing flexibility until September 2026 to help airports smooth out operational bottlenecks, but there's no guarantee that will be enough.
The Upside You Should Know About
Six months in, the EES has processed 52 million crossings. It identified nearly 700 people flagged as security concerns and refused entry to over 27,000 travelers. From a border security standpoint, it's working. The data can be downloaded and analyzed, which helps multinational companies track how many days employees spent in Schengen countries.
Once you're registered, the system remembers you. Return visits should be faster because your biometric data is already on file and can be verified at automated kiosks. The vision is solid: one registration, seamless re-entry for the next 90 days within any 180-day window. Get it right, and you'll barely notice the border.
How to Travel Smarter Right Now
Plan for extra time at European airports. Don't book connecting flights with tight margins. Download the EES app for Portugal or Sweden if you're heading there first. Have your passport biometric information ready, and know your planned exit date before you arrive.
Some travelers are asking if this will scare people away from European travel entirely. The system adds friction to entry, and friction costs money and time. But the EU betting that once the teething problems fade, the speed and security benefits will outweigh the summer chaos.
For now, assume longer border times. Pack patience along with your passport. And maybe grab a coffee before you queue up.
