Why are there holiday delay warnings over the EU's new border system?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Why are there holiday delay warnings over the EU's new border system? Image source, Tolga Akmen / EPAImage caption, The new system applies to non-EU citizens entering and leaving the Schengen AreaByKaty Austin Transport correspondent Published5 September 2025Updated 22 minutes agoThere have been warnings of queues at airports in Europe this summer because of the EU's new digital border control system. It is the first summer peak period since the Entry/Exit System, or "EES", came in.

It requires UK travellers to register fingerprints and a photo alongside a passport scan. What is EES and what do people have to do? EES will replace the manual stamping of passports.

The Details

It tracks who enters and leaves the Schengen free movement zone, which covers 29 European countries , external. "Third country" nationals - including UK citizens - must provide fingerprints and a photo at passport control. Brits flying out to a number of popular holiday destinations including France, Spain, Portugal and Italy will be required to do this at automated kiosks after they land.

The information is verified when they leave. Some passengers, including children under 12, have their passport checked by border staff instead. How is the EES system affecting flight passengers?

EES started to be rolled out in October last year and is now fully up and running. The time it takes to register biometric information means people have been told to prepare for a wait at border controls. During the introductory period, queues started to flare up at certain airports at busy times.

What Experts Say

Since then, the system has been working well in some airports, while waits of several hours have been reported at others. A representative of airline trade body IATA has warned queues in some places could be as long as six hours. Travel experts and industry figures have blamed problems with the technology and border staffing levels.

There have also been reports of people having to register their biometric information more than once. The UK boss of Wizz Air told the passengers should be prepared for a wait, and turn up three hours before their flight home. Some passengers have missed flights home because the wait for EES checks meant they could not reach their gate in time.

Whether airlines will hold flights for passengers who get held up is a mixed picture. Some say they will wait wherever possible, while Ryanair is an example of a carrier which has said it will not. Warning of long airport queues under new EU border control system Published5 FebruaryEasyjet leaves 100 behind in border check queues Published12 AprilArrive three hours before flight home, airline boss tells UK holidaymakers Published30 MayThe summer holidays will provide a major test of the new system.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.