Countries warn UK travelers
Multiple countries — including Germany, Spain and Portugal — have issued travel warnings or advisories highlighting longer border checks under the new EES rollout and telling UK travelers to expect delays (travelandtourworld.com). The warnings followed reports of multi‑hour airport queues and airlines publicly criticizing the backlog this week (thetraveler.org).
UK passport holders are being told to expect longer border checks across Europe after the European Union’s Entry/Exit System went fully live on April 10. (gov.uk) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The new system replaces passport stamps with a digital record for non-EU visitors making short stays in the Schengen area. On a first trip, travelers may be asked for fingerprints and a facial photo at the airport, port or land border. (gov.uk) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The UK Foreign Office updated its guidance on April 10 and said the checks “may take each passenger extra time to complete.” It lists 29 countries where the system applies, including Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, France and Italy. (gov.uk) That warning turned concrete at Milan Linate on April 12, when long passport-control lines left more than 100 EasyJet passengers bound for Manchester stranded. Reports said only about 30 to 35 passengers boarded after queues stretched to roughly three hours. (thetraveler.org) (nationalworld.com) EasyJet said it had held flights, offered free transfers and urged border authorities to use “full and effective” flexibilities during the rollout. The airline said the delays were outside its control and warned on April 1 that EES checks could lengthen queues at airports across Europe. (nationalworld.com) The system is not new in principle: the European Commission says it began a phased rollout on October 12, 2025, and became fully operational on April 10, 2026. By that date, the Commission said it had already logged more than 52 million entries and exits and more than 27,000 refusals of entry. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 1) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 2) Brussels says the point is tighter border control: digital entry and exit records make it easier to spot overstays, document fraud and repeat attempts to enter after a refusal. The Commission said more than 700 people flagged as security risks had already been identified through the system by April 10. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) For British travelers, the practical rules have not changed on trip length: visa-free visits to Schengen countries are still capped at 90 days in any 180-day period. What has changed is the border process, which is now digital and biometric instead of a passport stamp and a glance. (gov.uk 1) (gov.uk 2) The immediate advice from officials is simple: arrive earlier than usual, especially on a first post-April 10 trip or at busy hubs handling large numbers of UK passengers. With Easter traffic exposing the bottlenecks, the first full holiday season under EES is likely to be the real test. (gov.uk) (thetraveler.org)
