Several European countries, including France, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, are postponing the complete rollout of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) to accommodate the introduction of biometric checks at high-traffic airports and border crossings. The EES, which mandates non-EU travelers entering the Schengen area to undergo fingerprint and facial image collection, was officially launched last October but has encountered multiple delays due to technical and operational hurdles.
Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium have also requested more time to fully implement the system. Meanwhile, Spain has successfully navigated initial challenges and proceeded with full implementation. EU authorities report that the system has managed approximately 200 million registrations, preventing around 70,000 individuals from entering the Schengen area for reasons such as lacking necessary visas, overstaying, or using forged documents.
Implementation remains inconsistent across countries seeking extensions, with some locations, such as the Eurostar terminals in Brussels and the port of Antwerp, already conducting biometric checks. Major airports like Frankfurt and Schiphol are operational with the system, yet smaller airports continue to face infrastructure and capacity issues.
The International Air Transport Association has previously expressed concerns about potential delays caused by the system, while airlines warn of possible extended queues during peak travel seasons. To streamline the process, a pre-travel application called Travel to Europe is being introduced, allowing travelers to submit passport and facial image data before arriving at the border. This application is already in use in Sweden and Portugal and is expected to expand to additional locations in the near future.