Going to Europe this summer? You may want to hold on to your patience as some travelers report hours-long lines trying to enter the EU under the new screening process.
The EU fully implemented the biometric entry/exit system (EES) at all border crossings in the Schengen area on April 10, following a gradual rollout starting October 12, 2025, according to the EU website, with facial and fingerprint scans replacing manual passport stamps. The digital system aims to streamline and better secure border transit for non-EU citizens on short stays.
However, the change reportedly led to longer waits at airport customs lines in the EU and even missed some connections. British travelers have been warned of wait times of up to six hours at popular European destinations such as Italy, Portugal and Spain, according to the Independent. A traveler at Brussels airport told Newsweek that biometric kiosks were not yet working or were out of service, and there was a lack of communication to passengers.
USA TODAY contacted the European Commission for comment.
EES faces ‘teething problems’
According to new research from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), these delays could put travelers away from European trips.
“As with any major change, there will inevitably be teething problems,” WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said in a news release. “The challenge now is not whether the EES should go ahead, but how governments, border authorities and the travel and tourism sector work together to make implementation as smooth as possible.”
WTTC surveyed more than 2,500 travelers from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, finding that “If travelers faced routine border waits of three to four hours when entering the Schengen Area, approximately one third would be much less likely to travel to Schengen or would choose not to travel at all.”
“This amounts to a loss of 41 million visitor arrivals and $45.4 billion in visitor spending,” the travel organization said, “should significant delays become a persistent feature of the traveler experience.”
While 65% of respondents were in favor of modernization of border crossings, almost half said they did not know what was expected of them under the new system.
“The good news is that solutions already exist,” Guevara said. “By making greater use of digital pre-registration tools, improving passenger communications and ensuring operational readiness at border crossing points, Europe can reduce friction and provide the seamless experience passengers expect.”
