Europe’s new biometric border system EES is triggering some of the longest queues at one of the region’s busiest hubs.
Notably, passport control wait times at Schiphol Airport hit 110 minutes total in early September, the NL Times reports.
Repetitve outages involving the EES has significantly contributed to delays and missed connections. Furthermore, some travelers were unable to use automated gates.
On September 2, passengers waited for as long as 93 minutes. Airport officials pointed the blame on stubborn technical glitches and high passenger numbers.
At the same time, Schiphol and airlines are urging authorities for improvements as new border procedures take effect.
But not every European destination is subject to the EES. In fact, Ireland is not impacted by the system, while Cyprus plans to incorporate it in March 2027.
What is Europe’s EES?
The European Union introduced EES to modernize border controls for short-term visitors to the Schengen Area.
The system began a progressive rollout in October 2025. Subsequently, it became fully operational across Schengen external borders on April 10, 2026.
EES applies to non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen Area for short stays.
These stays generally cannot exceed 90 days within any 180-day period.
Instead of receiving passport stamps, affected travelers now have their entries and exits recorded digitally.
Additionally, border authorities collect passport details, facial images and fingerprints.
The European Commission says EES helps identify overstayers and combat document and identity fraud.
The system has already recorded more than 145 million entries and exits, according to July European Commission figures.
However, the transition has also created operational challenges at some major border crossings.
EES is also separate from the European Travel Information and Authorization System, known as ETIAS.
EES operates when travelers cross participating borders. In contrast, ETIAS will require eligible visa-exempt travelers to obtain authorization before traveling.
ETIAS is currently scheduled to launch during the final quarter of 2026.
Schiphol faces lengthy waits and technical problems
Schiphol’s experience highlights some of the operational challenges surrounding EES.
The airport has installed 161 digital kiosks at its border points.
Since mid-April, between 10,000 and 20,000 passengers have used the kiosks daily.
However, recurring system outages have disrupted passenger processing.
During early September, passport control waits repeatedly exceeded one hour. At their worst, travelers waited 110 minutes.
Technical problems have also affected automated gates.
For example, British passengers could not use the gates during an outage on September 2.
Turkish passengers also lost access to self-service gates.
Consequently, airport employees had to process more passengers manually, adding pressure to staffed passport desks.
Schiphol also temporarily halted the planned expansion of biometric checks because of limited system availability.
The disruptions have affected both passengers and airlines.
“A system intended to strengthen Europe’s borders must not lead to delays, missed connections, and damage to airlines,” Barin chairman Marnix Fruitema told NL Times.
KLM has also called for more stable IT systems and sufficient border-control capacity.
Meanwhile, Schiphol has deployed additional employees to guide passengers and manage passenger flows.
Dutch officials say stabilizing and improving the system could still take several months.
Ireland and Cyprus remain outside EES
Despite its name, EES does not operate across every European Union country.
Currently, the system covers the 29 countries forming the Schengen Area.
Ireland remains outside Schengen and does not operate EES at its borders.
Therefore, travelers arriving directly in Ireland do not undergo EES biometric registration.
Ireland instead maintains its own border arrangements, including the Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom.
Cyprus also remains outside EES, although its situation is expected to change.
Cypriot officials said this week that the country expects to install EES around March 2027.
The planned introduction forms part of wider technology upgrades and preparations connected with joining the Schengen Area.
Cyprus is also upgrading government systems to better record foreign nationals entering and leaving the country.
Therefore, Cyprus represents a temporary EES exception rather than necessarily a long-term one.
Several other European destinations remain outside EES
Travelers can also visit several European destinations that do not participate in EES.
These include countries outside the European Union and Schengen Area.
For example, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia operate their own border systems.
Moldova and Kosovo also remain outside EES.
Likewise, the United Kingdom does not participate in the EU system.
However, travelers should remember that individual countries can impose their own entry requirements.
Additionally, an itinerary may still involve EES registration when travelers cross an external Schengen border during their journey.
Therefore, passengers should check requirements for their entire itinerary rather than only their final destination.
What travelers should expect
For now, travelers entering the Schengen Area should prepare for the possibility of longer border checks.
First-time registration may require additional processing because authorities need to collect biometric information.
At busy airports, technical failures can increase those waits considerably.
Schiphol’s recent experience demonstrates the potential impact. However, delays can vary significantly by airport, border crossing and travel date.
Travelers should therefore allow additional time for passport control, particularly when making connecting flights.
At the same time, authorities continue working to improve EES infrastructure and passenger processing.
The system itself is also evolving.
Cyprus plans to join EES next year, while ETIAS is expected to add another requirement later in 2026.
As a result, travelers heading to Europe should continue checking official entry requirements before departure.
