EU’s Entry/Exit System Strains Airports, Prompting Temporary Suspensions for UK Travelers

Since Entry-Exit System (EES) became fully operational on 10 April, airports across the Schengen zone have seen queues of three to four hours. Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain have informally relaxed or suspended checks for non-EU travelers, especially British passport holders, during peak periods.

iNewsEU Entry-Exit System under pressure as more countries consider suspending checks for UK tourists

EES records fingerprints and facial images of non-EU arrivals, flagging stays over 90 days. Launched 10 April, it was halted in Portugal for three months after six-hour queues in January; Greece announced in early April that British passports would not be checked; a 6 May report noted further informal relaxations.

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Border police cite a registration time of 70 seconds, yet passengers report delays up to three hours in Spain, four in Italy, and similar backlogs in France and Belgium. The system affects about 12 million UK residents who holiday in the EU, adding 30–60 minutes to journeys where checks remain.

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A Brussels spokesperson said EES “has been working very well” in the “overwhelming majority” of states, while Spain’s interior ministry called the rollout “positive” with “no relevant incidents.” The Dutch Royal Marechaussee noted full suspension is limited to “exceptional circumstances.” Commission reminded members that the built-in 90-day suspension can be used until September.

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Spain’s Popular Party tourism spokesperson David Morales condemned images of “British tourists… crammed into the halls of our airports.” Italy’s SAP union warned of a “risk of system collapse.” Ryanair and Advantage Travel Partnership have asked 29 Schengen members to shelve EES until after holidays, citing “hours-long passport queues.”

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Travelers at Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino reported queues spilling outside terminals. A border officer said UK passengers were processed in lanes without biometric checks, while a UK traveller noted passport control took “twice as long as my flight.”

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Sources vary on queue length—some cite three-hour delays, others four-hour or longer. Greece claims an exemption for British travellers, yet EU rules allow only postponements. French kiosk failures remain unresolved, and no contingency plan (“no plan B”) is identified for post-September enforcement.

EU Entry-Exit System under pressure as more countries consider suspending checks for UK tourists

• “major concerns are now a reality” — ACI Europe

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• “British tourists, our main source market, crammed into the halls of our airports and even queuing in the sun” — David Morales, PP tourism spokesperson, Spain

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• “I passed through four airports [in Greece] last week and UK passengers were moving through dedicated queues without biometric checks and without delay.” — Chris Wright, managing director, Sunvil Group

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• “no plan B” — Nicolas Paulissen, general delegate, Union des Aéroports Français (UAF)

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Member states may keep informal relaxations through the summer, while airlines and travel groups press the European Commission to delay EES until after the holidays. Unresolved technical issues and the upcoming ETIAS rollout could trigger a review of biometric border timelines before the September grace period ends.

EU Entry-Exit System under pressure as more countries consider suspending checks for UK tourists