Way back last summer, we wrote that the EU would begin using biometrics for visitors seeking to enter or exit the Schengen zone.
The program, called the Entry/Exit System (EES) started that October, however instead of all countries introducing it all at the same time, they’re using a more modified approach and are introducing the system gradually at their external borders.
Unfortunately, the new system isn’t going well, and it’s questionable if it will be fully implemented by this April, as planned.
New system causing long delays
The biggest problem? It’s causing major delays at airports across the EU.
Under the new system, travelers from countries like the United States and the United Kingdom have to provide fingerprints and a facial scan the first time they enter the bloc.
Those biometrics replace traditional passport stamps and are stored in a shared database accessible to border officials in participating countries.
Unfortunately, airport operators say the added steps are causing major slowdowns at passport control at major international hubs.
According to Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, border processing times in some locations have increased by up to 70%, with peak travel periods producing lines of up to three hours.
The organization noted that the delays are hitting hardest at airports with heavy long-haul traffic.
Airports sounding the alarm
As the planned EES rollout progresses, more visitors will be required to provide biometric data over time. Until a few days ago, the threshold was set at 10% of travelers. As of January 9, it was 35%.
But Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, said the timeline needs to be reviewed.
“Significant discomfort is already being inflicted upon travelers, and airport operations are being impacted, with the current threshold for registering third-country nationals set at only 10 percent,” Jankovec said before the January 9 increase.
According to Euronews, while some visitors have been able to go through the new system smoothly, others have had to wait so long that they missed their flights.
What’s the problem?
Multiple media outlets describe a processing procedure that’s difficult for first-timers to navigate.
If you’re a visitor to the EU, you have to scan your passport, provide your fingerprint, and have your face scanned before you can join a queue to meet with a border officer. However, there’s no pre-registration available; travelers must use self-service kiosks at the airport to submit their biometric information. Complaints have ranged from kiosks being unfamiliar, unavailable, or broken to a lack of border guards.
Calls for contingency measures
Meanwhile, travel agency association ABTA is requesting that contingency measures be used when delays are extraordinarily long.
“They have contingency measures at their disposal – such as standing down the system or limiting checks – and we want them to be utilised to help manage the flow of people,” said Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA.
“Where problems have been experienced so far, some of these could have been avoided if the contingency measures were applied,” Tanzer added.
Recommendation for travelers
ABTA has some advice for first-timers to the EES system:
- “If you are departing the EU, we’re advising passengers to go straight to passport control as soon as they have gone through check-in and security, that way you get the EES checks out of the way as early as possible.”
- “The usual rule is to arrive at the airport for a flight to Europe at least two hours before, so we’d encourage people to apply that as a minimum, but to also check with their transport provider.”
And our advice? Until they figure this mess out, get to the airport early and bring lots of patience. And maybe a sandwich.
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