Introduction of European Entry-Exit Scheme (EES)

[ClivePage]

We flew from London to Corfu Airport last Sunday: passport booths had fingerprint machines and cameras all marked "not in use" (in English). Passport were checked manually but not stamped. This was fairly efficient: we had been seated on the aircraft in the worst position so near the end of the queue, but were through in about 15 minutes. Leaving Corfu yesterday it was much worse. Machines still not in use, just one passport checker for much of the time. Long queue, we got there very early, but it took us over 30 minutes to get through. Again passports were not stamped. I wonder if they will ever get their machines to work?

 

[The exile]

We flew from London to Corfu Airport last Sunday: passport booths had fingerprint machines and cameras all marked "not in use" (in English). Passport were checked manually but not stamped. This was fairly efficient: we had been seated on the aircraft in the worst position so near the end of the queue, but were through in about 15 minutes. Leaving Corfu yesterday it was much worse. Machines still not in use, just one passport checker for much of the time. Long queue, we got there very early, but it took us over 30 minutes to get through. Again passports were not stamped. I wonder if they will ever get their machines to work?

It’s interesting that it seems to be leaving Schengen that is causing the problems- or is that merely because queues on arrival are usually just a nuisance (and for some just mean less time waiting in baggage reclaim) whereas on departure there’s the (now real) danger of missing your flight, so those delays are getting the attention?

 

[olddriver]

Our experience of Rome Fiumicino this week was 30 minutes in the queue at arrivals and 30 seconds (no, really) in the queue at departures.

We used the machines and got a stamp on arrival. We used only the machines (no stamp) on departure.

 

[ClivePage]

I agree that having worse exit delays may be the case, and it's odd. I expect people saw the news story a few days ago of an EasyJet flight that left Milan with about two-thirds of the passengers still on the ground because of the security delays. So that is indeed a real danger. It seems that airport security managers still have some discretion about whether to insist upon fingerprint and photo identification or not, despite the official EU line that all ports of entry/exit should now be using them, and that some airports are taking a more common-sense approach than others.

I still cannot see how the system can possibly be so slow: when entering the US I have several times had to record my fingerprints and have a photo taken and at the more efficient booths it takes no more than a minute or so. The actual registration of the information in the central Schengen database should take a matter of milliseconds only.

 

[FinsburyPark]

It’s interesting that it seems to be leaving Schengen that is causing the problems- or is that merely because queues on arrival are usually just a nuisance (and for some just mean less time waiting in baggage reclaim) whereas on departure there’s the (now real) danger of missing your flight, so those delays are getting the attention?

There is a simple fix to this.

Just have the fingerprints and photos for persons arriving in the EU*, and have a simple passport check on exit.

*only exception: people who were already there before EES full roll out. Also people who have lost thier passport while inside the Schengen area and have been issued a new one. This now needs to be registered from brand new in the system.

While on one level, I can't complain myself as I have a Romanian passport and have never had to do EES, from a continous improvements perspective, this seems the obvious choice.

The only thing that appears to be the blocker is that the EU has spent countless Euro on these machines, and all the other aparatus and will wish to see it used.

I love the EU and am a member citizen so its not my intention to 'bash' the EU. That said at my previous workplace, continous improvement was a value shared in that workplace, from that lens it makes no practical sense to do the whole lot on exit as well. A simple passport check and a notice in the system that you've left should ideally be sufficient.


In all fairness I am aware that my continous improvement lens is not something that is often shared by governments and border control. On that level I am likely barking up the wrong tree, probably by a country mile as well.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Belperpete]

I still cannot see how the system can possibly be so slow: when entering the US I have several times had to record my fingerprints and have a photo taken and at the more efficient booths it takes no more than a minute or so.

But that extra minute or so is probably doubling the time to process each passenger. If they haven't doubled the number of manned booths, the queue is going to keep on doubling.

 

[D6130]

My wife and I had lunch today with a couple of friends from Ireland - in their mid-70s - who have a house in Tuscany very close to ours. They had a horrendous experience arriving at Pisa Airport last Monday on a flight from Cork. Unfortunately their arrival coincided with two flights from UK airports. The husband has a UK passport and the wife an Irish one....but that made no difference whatsoever as none of the automatic passport scanners were working and every passenger - EU passport or UK - had to be manually-checked and stamped where appropriate. They had to queue for more than three hours to get out of the airport - with nowhere to sit except on their luggage - and eventually they were handed small bottles of water after about two hours. Next they had to wait nearly half an hour for a shuttle bus to the car hire area, before facing the prospect of a three hour drive in torrential rain, with the last hour over twisting mountain roads in the gathering darkness. I sincerely hope, for their sakes, that this isn't going to be the 'new normal'.

 

[Mojo]

We flew from London to Corfu Airport last Sunday: passport booths had fingerprint machines and cameras all marked "not in use" (in English). Passport were checked manually but not stamped. This was fairly efficient: we had been seated on the aircraft in the worst position so near the end of the queue, but were through in about 15 minutes. Leaving Corfu yesterday it was much worse. Machines still not in use, just one passport checker for much of the time. Long queue, we got there very early, but it took us over 30 minutes to get through. Again passports were not stamped. I wonder if they will ever get their machines to work?

FWIW, the Greek Embassy website states that UK passport holders are excluded from biometric requirements at Greek Entry points.

https://www.mfa.gr/uk/en/?

We would like to inform you that within the framework of the implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (ESS) as of April 10th 2026, British passport holders are excluded from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.

 

[Oxfordblues]

That is good news for me. I fly to JTR Thira (Santorini) on 2 June and have a tight ferry connection to Ios. I used to call JTR "just too ridiculous" but it's not so bad these days!

 

[route101]

Seems to be random as to whether they will stamp your passport.

 

[jfollows]

FWIW, the Greek Embassy website states that UK passport holders are excluded from biometric requirements at Greek Entry points.

https://www.mfa.gr/uk/en/?

Clearly not the case in Rhodes on arrival on April 6, but may have changed by the time of my departure on April 15 when I had no passport exit stamp or anything to do with fingerprints.
EDIT from https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/greece-exempts-britons-from-biometric-registration-under-ees-scheme

British passport holders will not be required to go through biometric registration on arrival in Greece under the EU’s Entry/Exit System, according to the Greek government.

A statement on the website of the Greek Embassy and posts on official social media channels late on Friday (April 17) said: “Update for British passport holders travelling to Greece.

“In the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”

There was no further detail of how long the exemption would last, and FCDO travel advice for Greece had not been update by 9.30am on Saturday.

Commenting on the announcement, which was shared by Britain’s ambassador to Greece, Eleni Skarveli, UK director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, posted: “When good news arrives in the midst of a crisis, its impact is even greater.

“The exemption of British passport holders from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points, effective from 10 April 2026, is expected to significantly reduce waiting times and ease congestion at airports.”

She added: “UK travellers will no longer need to undergo additional EES biometric procedures, ensuring a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece.

“The Greek National Tourism Organisation remains committed to ensuring a seamless and welcoming journey for all visitors from the UK.”

 

[Snow1964]

It’s interesting that it seems to be leaving Schengen that is causing the problems- or is that merely because queues on arrival are usually just a nuisance (and for some just mean less time waiting in baggage reclaim) whereas on departure there’s the (now real) danger of missing your flight, so those delays are getting the attention?

Our experience of Rome Fiumicino this week was 30 minutes in the queue at arrivals and 30 seconds (no, really) in the queue at departures.

We used the machines and got a stamp on arrival. We used only the machines (no stamp) on departure.

Used Budapest airport, about 12-15 minutes queue on arrival, there was a row of machines (not in use when we arrived Easter Monday)

Exiting took over hour at passport control, and they also had people with hand held scanners doing fingerprints, too many people for all the passport windows, which were all open. Didn't see any stand alone machines in departures. There were quite a few announcements with surnames and last call.

Fingerprinting is slow, but part of the delay seems to be they look through passport to find the entrance stamp so exit stamp can go near it.

 

[Howardh]

With the extended removal of UK's needing to EES into Greece, which appears timeless (ie no date for re-introducing) made me wonder what would happen, eventually, if one or more EU/EEA countries decided to withdraw from the EES system altogether? One presumes they would simply "leave" Schengen whilst remaining in the EU/EEA - basically they would become as Ireland (republic) is today, EU member but not in Schengen?

Would it be difficult for a country with multiple borders (eg France/Germany) to "leave" Schengen, but maybe easier for Spain/Portugal as there's just that one (and mountainous) land border with France?

 

[route101]

Clearly not the case in Rhodes on arrival on April 6, but may have changed by the time of my departure on April 15 when I had no passport exit stamp or anything to do with fingerprints.
EDIT from https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/greece-exempts-britons-from-biometric-registration-under-ees-scheme

Does that mean Greece is still stamping?

 

[jfollows]

Does that mean Greece is still stamping?

Who knows?
In my case, on the way in on 6 April I had my passport stamped, but then after 10 April on the way out I didn’t.

 

[The exile]

Would it be difficult for a country with multiple borders (eg France/Germany) to "leave" Schengen, but maybe easier for Spain/Portugal as there's just that one (and mountainous) land border with France?

There are presunably arrangements in the Treaty that govern what happens if a Schengen member stops controlling immigration. If there were not, it would effectively be the other countries which share its borders that had to do something. No doubt that’s one reason why Greece can easily suspend this for UK tourists - the number who are subsequently going to cross into the rest of the Schengen area via Bulgaria is vanishingly small- as, presumably by their reckoning is the number who might spend 89 days in Greece then fly on to somewhere else in the Schengen zone to cheat the system.

 

[Benjwri]

There are presunably arrangements in the Treaty that govern what happens if a Schengen member stops controlling immigration. If there were not, it would effectively be the other countries which share its borders that had to do something. No doubt that’s one reason why Greece can easily suspend this for UK tourists - the number who are subsequently going to cross into the rest of the Schengen area via Bulgaria is vanishingly small- as, presumably by their reckoning is the number who might spend 89 days in Greece then fly on to somewhere else in the Schengen zone to cheat the system.

It is also worth remembering that your entry is still recorded against your passport. The biometrics are collected to stop people using multiple passports or false identities, that is the risk they are taking by not carrying the process out, when you use an automated booth or see a passport officer they still will record your entry in the same system, and they will be able to see your length of stay afterwards.

 

[FinsburyPark]

Is there any actual proof Greece are not doing EES for British people, or is this just something in the tabloids?

 

[Benjwri]

Is there any actual proof Greece are not doing EES for British people, or is this just something in the tabloids?

See quote on the website of the Greek embassy to the UK:

Entry/Exit System (EES)

We would like to inform you that within the framework of the implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (ESS) as of April 10th 2026, British passport holders are excluded from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.

 

[chrisjo]

Is there any actual proof Greece are not doing EES for British people, or is this just something in the tabloids?

Simon Calder ace travel correspondent for the Independent thinks its true, having spoken personally to the source quoted in the article above.

Greece goes its own way – and drops EU entry-exit biometrics for British travellers

The Man Who Pays His Way: Flying in or out of Corfu, Crete or Rhodes? No fingerprints necessary

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Mike395]

A family member is flying to Crete on Wednesday and I (as the person who booked their flight) received an email overnight last night confirming the Greek biometrics exemption. So it's definitely legit.

 

[Rab Smith]

Arrived into Tenerife South on Saturday night. Having been EES indoctrinated last month, it all went very smoothly.
Apart from a bit of organised chaos at the EES machines, we were through the second passport check machine in no time at all.
Time from entering the Airport and leaving, 15 minutes with around half that time waiting for baggage.
There were around 20 EES machines working and 4 out of 8 egates open.
All in all, no problem.

 

[Djgr]

See quote on the website of the Greek embassy to the UK:

Clearly a good Summer to ditch the trip to Italy, Spain or Portugal and explore Greece.

 

[popeter45]

Just went thru passport check at Brussels, seems like they take fingerprints but also stamp, presumably a half way house for if you entered via EES

 

[Cloud Strife]

Would it be difficult for a country with multiple borders (eg France/Germany) to "leave" Schengen, but maybe easier for Spain/Portugal as there's just that one (and mountainous) land border with France?

From a purely "is it possible?" point of view, it's pretty easy to do it. If you look at the French/Belgian border, you can see that the vast majority of crossings are just tiny country roads that can be easily barricaded and traffic rerouted elsewhere. Schengen doesn't require fences or other physical barriers, so it's just a matter of putting a few concrete blocks down and adding some signs.

The biggest issue is the lack of infrastructure to implement border controls: most of the former facilities have either been sold or demolished. It's not such an issue on motorways and dual carriageways, especially as most of the former checkpoints were turned into parking areas and they can easily be reactivated with a few modular buildings. Motorways like the A16 can easily be reconfigured to hold a modern border checkpoint, especially as intra-EU border crossings have no need for large truck infrastructure for customs controls.

But in urban areas, there simply isn't the space to build anything resembling a modern Schengen checkpoint. These urban border crossings pre-1995 were very informal in most cases, with people simply being waved through if an EU passport/ID card was presented. Now, all identity documents have to be scanned as part of the 'minimal check' by the Schengen state, so even if France didn't care about scanning anyone, Belgium would still need to do it. It's not impossible, but many of these urban towns have essentially become one town, built up to the border and redesigned to remove any trace of the old border facilities.

For example, take the twin town of Wervix-Wervicq-Sud. The border checkpoint used to be on the Belgian side, which then became a rather derelict wasteland with informal car parking. At some point in the 2010s, they built a new bridge, and the entire Belgian side of the river was renovated. To place a new border crossing there would require tearing up all of the landscaping that has been done: not impossible, but it would require extensive road reconfiguration and rebuilding just to be able to fit enough lanes there to cope with the modern amount of traffic.

But from a purely "would they do it?" point of view, the general perspective of the EU is that no-one is particularly bothered about non-EU travellers having to deal with the EES. From everything that I've read, the biggest issue seems to be that there isn't a single method for dealing with the EES, so some countries are requiring the use of the kiosks on every visit, whereas others are allowing already-registered travellers to go straight to the e-gates or manual controls. It seems to be causing widespread confusion, and I think the most sensible approach would be to put the registration kiosks in as many departure airports as possible, then make it clear that if you're already registered, you can proceed straight to the e-gates or manual control. So, someone leaving from Stansted should be able to register for the EES, and then on arrival, they wouldn't touch a kiosk, only the biometric scan at the actual gate.

 

[Mag_seven]

Sofia - no registration machines, not allowed to use e gates. Manual check of fingerprints going in and out with no stamping for me but some others were being stamped.

 

[Howardh]

Middle of next month, still outside the main tourist season, I'm flying to Ibiza, which caters well for UK's returning home normally - with passport inspection and stamping before security. However on my previous trip, I saw these "egates" at the actual gate, before you get on the plane. Never seen them used - so wonder if they will be up-and-running?

Malaga (AGP) has inspection after security and the shops, and that's where the queues have been building up, especially when three or more gates announced at the same time.

 

[Mike395]

Eurostar at St Pancras today are no longer stamping - even with EES registration not yet being enabled... I assume they're at least temporarily using a system similar to Greece where entries/exits but not biometrics register in EES.

 

[Polarbear]

Although EES was introduced at some border points late last year, my late 2025 visit missed those completely.

Arrived at Zargreb on this trip-directed to the machines which took my picture ok but refused to take fingerprints! Went to the staffed point & was processed through with picture & fingerprints in about 5 mins.
I have Zurich to navigate tomorrow & having seen @yorkie mention problems there, I’ll report back later!

Update:

Arrived at Zurich airport with a shade under 3 hours before my flight. Security-through in five minutes. Gate for flight was advertised from 15:05 (for a 16:55 take off), so I expected some delay at passport control…

In the event, no pictures or fingerprints taken-passport checked but no stamp and through in less than 10 minutes!

 

[route101]

With Cyprus not in Schengen, are they still stamping?