The introduction of the new EES system (Entry/Exit System) has created congestion at all border crossings with European Union countries.
Although the second phase of implementation has begun, during which the EES system “operates” for more hours per day, the situation at border crossings remains critical, and some have taken suspension measures, such as Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, where biometric checks were temporarily abolished after passengers faced seven-hour delays at the border.
A similar move was made in the United Kingdom, where as early as November, at the request of the French authorities, the introduction of EES was suspended for car passengers at the port of Dover.
The new system for recording passenger entry and exit began in mid-October, initially for only a few hours a day and only at major border crossings. The application was then extended to more hours per day and included smaller crossings, and according to initial information, from 10 April it should be active at full capacity at all border crossings, both road and air.
“Reduce delays to a minimum”
ABTA, the trade association of British travel agencies, also commented on the seriousness of the situation. They called on border authorities to “do everything they can” to prevent further delays.
“We call on border authorities to do everything they can to minimise delays. They have contingency measures at their disposal, such as suspending the system or limiting checks, and we want these to be used to help travellers,” said Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA, in a statement last month.
Spanish airports, including those at popular tourist destinations, are also facing serious problems and multi-hour delays. As a result, speculation about a possible postponement of the full implementation of the EES system has become increasingly frequent.
The European Union has nevertheless confirmed that the full application of the new system may be temporarily postponed or partially suspended during the summer season. Member states have the right to a flexible suspension lasting 90 days, with the possibility of an extension of a further 60 days, which effectively covers the entire summer season. This means that at many border crossings, traditional passport control with manual stamping will continue to be applied instead of mandatory biometric registration. The deadline for full implementation of the European system would thus be postponed from April to September.
As reported by the website The Local, at a press conference, the European Commission spokesperson Markus Lamert said that the EES had been “successfully launched in member states”, but also acknowledged that the introduction of “such a large system” is a complex and demanding task.
“As we know, the gradual rollout runs until April, but since we hear that many are concerned about the upcoming summer, there is room for flexibility, so member states, if necessary, can always extend the gradual rollout period until September,” Lamert said, as reported by The Local.
In recent weeks, several tourism organisations have called for a review of the timeline, and in December many airport representatives called for an urgent review of the system due to “growing operational problems” and long passenger processing times at some locations.
Challenges of the system
The system, officially launched in phases on 12 October last year, is designed to modernise the external borders of the Schengen Area. By replacing manual passport stamps with a digital record of fingerprints and facial scans, the system aims to enhance security and track “those who overstay the 90-day limit in Schengen countries”. As the registration threshold increased from 10 per cent at the end of 2025 to 35 per cent at the beginning of January 2026, increasingly serious problems within the system itself began to emerge.
The main problems in implementation so far relate to significant delays in passenger processing, with time spent at border control at some locations increasing by up to 70 per cent. Such slowdowns led to the creation of enormous queues, especially during the Christmas holidays, when passengers at airports in France, Spain and Portugal faced waiting times ranging from three to as much as seven hours.
An additional problem was technical failures and occasional system outages, which placed a heavy burden on the busiest terminals. As a result, some airports were forced to temporarily abandon biometric checks and return to manual passenger processing in order to reduce bottlenecks and normalise traffic flow.
One such example is Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon. The airport issued a statement saying that the EU entry and exit system was being temporarily suspended following severe congestion and flight delays caused by chaotic conditions at the immigration line and passport control. The suspension will apply from January to March, during which fewer crowds are expected. Portuguese authorities stressed that the suspension applies exclusively to Lisbon airport and does not in any way call into question the country’s commitment to the full implementation of the EES system at the level of the European Union.
The Director General of ACI Europe (Airports Council International Europe), Olivier Jankovec, warned at the beginning of last month that if operational issues are not resolved in the coming weeks, they will “inevitably lead to much greater congestion and systemic disruptions at airports”.
“We fully understand and support the importance of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) and remain committed to its implementation, but EES cannot be chaos for travellers. If operational problems cannot be resolved, we will need swift action from the European Commission and Schengen member states to allow additional flexibility in its rollout,” Jankovec warned.
ETIAS system from 2027
Europe is also preparing for the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). ETIAS is an electronic travel authorisation for entry into the Schengen Area and several associated European states, and it will be required for a total of 30 countries.
Citizens of more than 60 countries, including Serbian nationals, will be required to apply for authorisation to enter Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The authorisation will also be required for travel to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, as well as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican.
With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, entry into these European countries will be permitted an unlimited number of times for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. However, ETIAS does not guarantee entry. Upon arrival, a border police officer will request a passport and other documents and check whether you meet the conditions for entry. Before travelling, passengers will have to complete an online application, provide basic personal details and pay a fee of 20 euros. It was initially announced that the application would cost seven euros, but this amount was changed at the proposal of the European Commission.
After the implementation of ETIAS, a six-month transitional period will follow, during which travellers may enter participating countries without authorisation. The system is expected to begin operating in the last quarter of 2026, meaning that ETIAS will not be a mandatory requirement until April 2027, according to media reports.
“ETIAS will start operating in the last quarter of 2026. The European Union will officially announce the exact start date of ETIAS several months before its launch,” the official statement says.
The pre-travel screening system will become mandatory for nationals who can travel to the Schengen Area without a visa for short stays. The travel authorisation will be digitally linked to travellers’ passports and will be valid for up to three years or until the expiry of their passport.
(NIN, 05.02.2026)
https://www.nin.rs/drustvo/vesti/103125/ees-sistem-2026-guzve-na-granicama-i-odlaganje-primene