The new Entry Exit System (EES) is now being rolled out across 29 European countries for Brits travelling for short stays. The system, which will eventually replace passport stamping with electronic data, was launched on Sunday, October 12 and travellers have already faced lengthy airport delays.
Lana Logar, 36, was flying from London to Amsterdam for work on Monday afternoon (October 13). However, after touching down in Amsterdam, she faced lengthy delays at passport control. According to Lana, some of the gates were not working, and the biometric scanners kept freezing.
“It took me almost two hours to get through passport control at Amsterdam,” she explained. “The queues were massive and weren’t moving at all at some points.”
Lana added: “The new system was causing the delays as some gates weren’t working and the scanners kept freezing. People were starting to get frustrated and the staff seemed overwhelmed.
“No one seemed to know exactly what to do. The staff tried to help and did answer our questions but they just couldn’t do more than they did.”
Despite eventually passing through and entering Amsterdam, Lana has issued a warning to people ahead abroad soon. She told travellers to keep the new system in mind and “be prepared” for delays.
The new system sees holidaymakers travelling into and out of the Schengen Area give their fingerprint and have their photo taken. They may also need to answer the Schengen Border Code questions, which will see them automatically registered every time they cross an EU external border.
Laura Evans-Fisk, head of digital & engagement at eurochange, told the Express: “The new Entry/Exit system, known as EES, will mean most non-EU citizens will have to register their biometric information at the border – including fingerprints and a photo. Eventually, the manual stamping of passports will be scrapped. This will automate the process of registering travellers’ entries and exits.
“Border registration machines are being installed in airports across the ‘Schengen’ area – which comprises the European Union, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The machines will record biometrics to collect this data from travellers before passport control.
“As the new system is introduced, it’s likely that wait times at border control will be longer. However, once the system is fully introduced, the intention is that border checks should eventually become quicker, as travellers will already be electronically registered.”
She added that the new system has been introduced to “ultimately make border crossing faster and more efficient”. It is also a way of “tracking who is coming in and out.”
However, the expert has warned that holidaymakers face delays while the system is roled out. Certain airports, including Amsterdam, are expected to be the busiest.
Laura explained: “It’s likely airports with high volumes on non-Schengen flights will experience the most delays during the roll-out period, especially during peak travel times.
“This includes airports that are popular amongst UK tourists, and those that are often used as lay-overs for long-haul flights such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Athens, Milan Malpensa and popular holiday destinations such as Faro, Palma de Mallorca and Heraklion.
“This is the start of a phased introduction of the system, which is expected to be fully in place by 10th April 2026 – so hopefully any delays will be minimal by that point.”
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said: “We recognise that EES checks will be a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible.
“The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
