Holidaymakers returning home to the UK are being warned to arrive at European airports three hours early to avoid missing fights because of long queues from Entry-Exit System (EES) checks.
The EU’s post-Brexit EES biometrics system has caused delays at airports across Europe, with passengers marooned in long lines as they wait to have their fingerprints and faces scanned.
EES checks to replace manual passport stamping are carried out on non-EU citizens, including British nationals, arriving at and departing Schengen area countries, but there are fears the increased processing times will spark chaos this summer as millions of tourists pour into Europe.
Passengers have reported missing flights and being stuck for hours as they wait to be processed, with Europe’s main trade body for airports warning “the situation is deteriorating”.
This week, The i Paper visited Dover, where residents spoke of their fears of more local traffic misery after EES was suspended by French authorities at the port last Saturday – leaving ferry passengers stuck in bank holiday jams of more than five hours.
Wizzair said its travellers were faced with longer processing times at passport control and called for authorities to be “flexible” during peak summer travel periods as it warned passengers departing Europe, who have already undergone the checks on arrival, should also brace for long queues.
A spokesperson for Wizzair told The i Paper: “We encourage our UK customers travelling home from Europe to arrive at the airport three hours ahead of their departure time and to ensure they are prepared for border control procedures before travelling as this can help reduce the risk of missing their flights.
“While improvements have been made following the initial implementation period, the busy summer travel season will be an important test of the system as passenger volumes increase. “
Passengers travelling with the budget carrier were also advised to carry a portable phone charger and water bottles.
Wizzair’s warning comes after Ryanair today wrote to governments in 29 European countries, including Italy, Spain, France and Portugal urging them to suspend EES until September.
Passengers arriving at and departing from European airports have reported being stranded for hours due to EES checks (Photo: Jamie Kay)The checks, which have been phased in since October, became fully operational on 10 April 2026, but their implementation at borders has varied.
ACI Europe, which represents more than 600 airports in 55 countries, has said a survey of members found queues were up to three and a half hours from EES, up from two to three hour delays reported in April.
“Airports which previously did not report excessive waiting times are now doing so despite the extensive use of partial suspension of EES,” a spokesperson for the organisation told Travel Weekly.
The findings from the survey of 45 airports in 20 EU states earlier this week are the latest data set from the trade body highlighting the problems EEs is causing.
The European Commission has insisted EES is producing “very good results”, with around 80 million entries and exits registered and that it is working well at almost all border posts.
But ACI Europe said “the situation is deteriorating” and warned of a “particularly difficult summer” for travellers because of EES, raising concerns over staff shortages and technical problems.
In a statement to Portuguese news agency Lusa, ACI Europe highlighted technical and operational glitches at self-service kiosks and the “persistent inability to effectively use automatic border control gates”.
It also pointed to limited uptake from EU member states of an EES mobile app that allows passengers to save time by registering details before travelling.
Greece says it has suspended EES checks for British nationals, while airports in Portugal, Italy and France have also stopped the system to help ease congestion.
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