EU border control nearly triples waits, Rome airport says
The EU's new Entry Exit System has nearly tripled border control times for UK travellers at Rome's main airport, even after e-gate fixes, a senior airport official has told the BBC. Ryanair also warns of extended summer waits as biometric checks roll out across Schengen airports.
Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer at Rome Fiumicino, said UK nationals now take about 20 minutes to clear the border, up from seven minutes before the digital checks began. That shift matters as peak holiday traffic hits European hubs already reporting long queues.
Key Takeaways
- Border control for Brits at Rome has risen from roughly seven minutes to about 20 minutes under EES.
- Non-EU travellers must register fingerprints and a photo when entering the 29-country Schengen area.
- Ryanair has urged passengers to allow extra time for extended passport-control waits this summer.
- Portugal's Faro airport reports bugs and queues that can stretch past 30 minutes at busy moments.
- The European Commission says disruption is limited at most EU airports and pledges ongoing support.
What is the new EU border control system?
The Entry Exit System (EES) is a digital border control framework for non-EU citizens entering Schengen. Travellers register fingerprints and a facial photo on arrival; the data is checked again when they leave.
Registration often uses standalone automated kiosks, and sometimes border officers—for example for children under 12. The process and machines have been phased in since October. For more on how digital travel tech is reshaping airports, see Future Tech & AI Wonders on BlasterPost.
Why are airport waits getting longer?
Bassato told the BBC that linking EES with passport e-gates "improved things significantly" after large kiosk volumes proved impractical despite a €12m investment. Still, he said the system is "absolutely not okay with" one- or two-hour waits and needs urgent fixes, including less duplication and wider use of the EU pre-registration app—currently used only in Sweden and Portugal.
Some European airports have seen hours-long queues, and passengers have reported missing flights home. In Rome, visitor Carl said his family waited two hours with young children; US travellers David and Marlo said an hour-long queue made them miss their driver.
At Faro, Superintendent Pedro Oliveira said a queue that used to take ten minutes can take over thirty. He blamed occasional EU-wide server crashes that force brief reboots, while saying waits over an hour remain rare there.
Will summer travel get worse under EES?
Ryanair has criticised what it called a "failed EES rollout" and told UK passengers to prepare for extended waits. Airports and airlines have pressed the Commission to let states suspend EES ahead of busy periods, but a meeting earlier this month brought no change. Member states can suspend EES only under exceptional circumstances.
ITV News has also flagged fears the system may struggle as summer holidays begin. The Commission maintains disruption is limited in most places and says support for member states will continue "to the fullest extent possible." Travellers heading to popular EU destinations should budget extra time at border control until the biometric rollout runs more smoothly.