EU border‑check delays

France is telling non‑EU travellers to allow extra time at airports and ferry ports after the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System added biometric border checks on April 10, 2026. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) The Entry/Exit System replaces passport stamps with a digital record for short‑stay visitors from outside the EU and Schengen area. At the border, officials can collect passport details, a facial image and fingerprints, then log each entry and exit electronically. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system was rolled out in phases from October 12, 2025 to April 9, 2026, then became fully operational across Schengen external borders on April 10. France says the rules apply to non‑EU and non‑Schengen nationals visiting for up to 90 days in any 180‑day period, but not to holders of residence permits or long‑stay visas. (travel-europe.europa.eu) (diplomatie.gouv.fr) The delay risk is concentrated at the first crossing, when a traveller’s file is created and biometrics are taken. After that, later trips can use a faster identity check, although border guards still verify at least one biometric on later entry or exit. (commission.europa.eu) (connexionfrance.com) Airports and airlines say the extra steps are already stretching queues. ACI Europe said waiting times at border control have risen sharply after full rollout, with lines “typically averaging two to three hours or even longer” at peak periods, even when authorities skip some biometric collection under temporary partial suspensions. (connexionfrance.com) Reports of the worst disruption have come from airports with heavy non‑EU traffic in Spain and Portugal. i reported temporary suspensions of Entry/Exit registration at airports in Lisbon, Porto and Faro after long queues, and cited travellers in Lisbon saying people missed flights despite arriving hours early. (inews.co.uk) French ports had already warned in late March that software failures and staffing shortages could cause “congestion and disorganisation” as the summer season approached. Port operators said problems with kiosks and tablets were preventing the pre‑registration equipment from working as intended. (connexionfrance.com) France has installed optional, free pre‑registration devices to speed up the process. The interior ministry says these kiosks and tablets can capture passport data, crossing details, a facial image and fingerprints before the final booth check by a border guard. (immigration.interieur.gouv.fr) Paris Aéroport says the system is now part of the travel flow at Charles de Gaulle and Orly, and it applies mainly to travellers from outside the EU and Schengen area staying less than three months. The airport operator says the new checks are meant to modernise border control and track authorised stays automatically. (parisaeroport.fr) The broader shift is that Europe’s external border is moving from ink stamps to a shared biometric database. The European Commission said the system had already logged more than 52 million entries and exits by April 10, along with more than 27,000 refusals of entry. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) For travellers, the practical change is simple: the border check now takes longer when the system needs to create a first record. France’s foreign ministry says there is nothing to do before travelling, but the first weeks of full operation are showing that “nothing to do” does not mean “nothing to wait for.” (diplomatie.gouv.fr) (inews.co.uk)