Several European Union countries are experiencing significant challenges implementing the Entry-Exit System (EES), a new border control technology aimed at enhancing security by scanning passports and collecting biometric data from non-EU travelers. The system, which came into effect last October, requires the collection of fingerprints and photographs to be stored for up to three years, enabling quicker border processing on subsequent visits.

Despite the system’s intended efficiency—designed to process each passenger in under a minute—numerous airports and border crossings are grappling with operational difficulties ahead of the busy summer travel season. Several nations have placed orders for the necessary biometric equipment as recently as this week, delaying full compliance with the EES requirements. Some airports have reported fingerprint scanners malfunctioning due to issues such as sweat on the sensors, leading to temporary shutdowns of biometric checks or halting data collection entirely.

Travel industry leaders and airport officials have highlighted that these problems are causing severe passenger congestion. In some locations, all travelers, regardless of data collection status, are funneled into a single queue. This has resulted in wait times as long as three and a half hours, according to a survey conducted by the airports industry group ACI Europe covering 45 airports in 20 countries. Airports on the Greek islands of Corfu and Zakynthos have reportedly had to hold travelers on the tarmac, while Düsseldorf Airport in Germany has repurposed baggage claim areas to accommodate extended queues.

Countries including Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, and Greece at times suspended biometric procedures to manage overcrowding as large numbers of US and UK tourists began arriving. The coexistence of different types of machines sourced by various member states has added to passenger confusion, as the processes and equipment vary across borders and airports. In some cases, scanners have remained idle for weeks pending software updates, with affected locations including airports in France as well as border crossings at the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal.

Marco Troncone, the head of Rome’s airport, expressed concern about the system’s readiness, calling for a suspension of the EES to prevent a “disaster” during peak travel periods. Olivier Jankovec, CEO of ACI Europe, criticized the system’s current performance, stating that it “fundamentally does not work” and accusing the European Commission of failing to acknowledge the severity of the issues for many months.

The European Commission, meanwhile, has maintained that the Entry-Exit System is functioning as intended. However, it acknowledged that some member states have temporarily paused biometric checks and indicated that normal operations might not fully resume until September. The Commission emphasized the system’s role in strengthening the bloc’s external borders despite the ongoing operational hurdles.