EES Delays in Europe May Last Up to Two Years: What Travelers Should Know

The new European Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps with digital registration of entries and exits, has already become one of the main risks of the summer season for trips to the Schengen area. After the full launch of EES on April 10, 2026, passengers from third countries must undergo biometric registration, and tourism industry representatives warn: at certain borders, delays may remain a problem not only this summer.

A fresh reason for attention to the topic appeared after a speech by the Deputy Executive Director of Frontex, Uku Särekanno, at the ABTA Travel Matters event on June 9. According to reports from The Guardian, Euronews Travel, Travel Tomorrow and other specialized publications, he stated that the full stabilization of EES operations may take from one to two years. The most difficult stage is named as the first registration of the traveler, when the system must collect a facial photo, fingerprints, and passport data.

This does not mean that every trip to Europe will now automatically turn into hours of waiting. But for passengers flying to large hubs, traveling by ferry, crossing the external border of Schengen in peak hours, or planning a short layover, EES becomes a factor that must be taken into account as seriously as time for security, baggage, and the way to the airport.

What is EES and Why It Affects Queues

The Entry/Exit System is an automated EU system for registering citizens of countries that are not part of the EU or the Schengen area when they travel for short-term stays. The European Commission explains that EES records the traveler's name, travel document data, biometric data, date and place of entry or exit, and refusals of entry. The system operates in 29 European countries that apply this control regime at external borders.

The main change for the passenger is simple: the physical stamp in the passport gradually ceases to be the primary evidence of border crossing. Instead, border guards use a digital record. In theory, this should help to more quickly detect overstays, attempts to use forged documents, and cases where one person travels under different identities.

In practice, the most time-consuming part is the first entry of a person into the system. It is necessary to read the passport, take a facial photo, collect fingerprints, and ask standard questions about the purpose and conditions of the stay. If a passenger has already been registered, subsequent border crossings should be faster, but in the first months of the full launch, many airports, ports, and land border crossing points simultaneously handle a large flow of people undergoing primary registration.

Who is Affected by the New Checks

EES applies to short-term trips to Schengen area countries and related states for citizens of third countries. These may be tourist trips, business trips, visiting relatives, or short transit routes, if they involve crossing the external border. The basic rule for short stays remains familiar: up to 90 days within any 180-day period, unless a specific category of traveler has separate rules.

For EU citizens, citizens of Schengen area countries, and some residents, the procedure differs or does not apply. That is why before a trip, it is important to check not only the destination country but also your passport, residency status, type of visa, or visa-free regime. For families, it is also important to consider that children undergo checks, although requirements for fingerprints may differ for younger children.

A particular risk zone is routes with very tight layovers. If a traveler arrives in Schengen from outside its borders and then flies an internal European flight, passport control is usually passed at the first point of entry. Therefore, 50-60 minutes between flights, which previously seemed acceptable, may become too optimistic, especially during peak hours, strikes, technical failures, or seasonal tourist influxes.

Why the Frontex Warning is Important Right Now

The system itself is not news of a single day: its gradual launch began as early as October 12, 2025, and the full operational phase started on April 10, 2026. However, the June warning is important because it coincided with the start of the summer peak, when the load on border infrastructure increases sharply. For the tourism market, this is a moment when even a small increase in time for formalities can affect transfer schedules, connections, baggage processes, and customer satisfaction.

According to British and European media, some countries have already used temporary flexibility to prevent uncontrolled queues during the most stressful periods. Situations with additional checks for passengers in ports and at popular tourist destinations were mentioned. But such flexibility is not a long-term replacement for the system: EES remains in effect, and countries must gradually bring processes to stable operation.

For tourists, this means that the new reality is not limited to one weekend or one airport. The problem may manifest unevenly: in one hub, the process will be almost imperceptible, in another, it will create an additional hour of waiting, and at a land or sea border on a peak day, the situation may be more complex. It is this unevenness that makes planning harder.

Which Airports Should Be Planned Especially Carefully

The most attention should be paid to large international gateways through which flows of passengers from outside Schengen pass. If the route goes through Paris, it is useful to check the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) page in advance and verify the flight status via the CDG online board before departure. For flights through the Netherlands, a practical guide will be Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), and for travel through Germany, Frankfurt Airport (FRA).

Such links do not replace official border explanations and airline notifications, but they help the passenger quickly orient themselves in flights, terminals, and possible changes on the day of travel. For Italy and Spain, where summer tourist demand is traditionally high, it is also worth allowing extra time on routes through Rome-Fiumicino (FCO), Madrid-Barajas (MAD), or Barcelona-El Prat (BCN).

Passengers who fly with luggage, travel with children, have separate tickets for connecting flights, or plan a train, cruise, excursion, or bus transfer immediately after arrival must be especially careful. If the airline does not sell the route as a single booking, the responsibility for a missed connection often falls on the traveler themselves.

What to Do Before the Trip

The first piece of advice is to stop planning European entry based on the old logic, where passport control was a predictable short formality. For the first trip after the launch of EES, it is better to add an additional reserve to the schedule. This does not always mean arriving at the airport half a day early, but for international flights, morning peaks, and popular resort destinations, the time reserve should be real, not symbolic.

• Check if EES applies specifically to your passport, residency status, and type of trip.
• Allow more time for the first entry into the Schengen area after the system launch.
• Do not plan critically short layovers if you need to pass the external border.
• Follow notifications from the airline, airport, and official border services.
• Ensure that the passport is valid, the data in the booking matches the document, and the purpose of the trip is confirmed by bookings or an itinerary.
• For family trips, prepare children for the fact that a photo and additional time at the control booth may be required at the border.

It is no less important not to confuse EES with ETIAS. The Entry/Exit System already operates as a digital border record. ETIAS is a separate future authorization system for visa-free travelers, and according to ABTA, its launch date at the time of the last update had not yet been finally confirmed. That is, the delays currently discussed by tourism associations are primarily related to biometric control of EES, not the need to obtain a new permit before the trip.

What This Means for the Tourism Market

For airlines, tour operators, and receiving companies, EES creates a new operational risk. If passengers take longer to pass the border, the likelihood of missed transfers, complaints, queues at information desks, and requests for booking changes increases. Resort destinations that depend on the fast turnover of group transfers may feel this no less than large aviation hubs.

At the same time, the system has a long-term logic. The EU expects that digital records will help better control allowed lengths of stay, reduce dependence on manual stamps, and make part of the procedures automated. If EES begins to operate stably, repeat trips may become faster for those whose data is already in the system. But the transition period is almost always the most painful, and it is exactly this that now coincides with the high tourist season.

For Ukraine, this topic is also practical. Ukrainian travelers using the visa-free regime for short trips to the Schengen area must carefully monitor the 90/180 days rule and be ready for digital recording of crossings. EES does not cancel visa-free travel and is not a tourist ban, but it makes the record of stay more accurate. Therefore, it is no longer worth hoping for the stamps' inaccuracy or human error.

Conclusion

The warning about the possible stabilization of EES over one to two years does not mean that travel to Europe has become unpredictable or dangerous. It means something else: digital border control has ceased to be a future reform and has become part of the real itinerary. The best strategy for a traveler is to check the rules for their passport, avoid too short connections, allow additional time for the first entry, and follow operational notifications from the airport and carrier.

The summer season of 2026 will be the first major stress test for EES after its full launch. Those planning travel through large European hubs should treat passport control as a variable part of the itinerary. This is not a reason to give up the trip, but a strong reason to plan it more carefully.