Schengen borders causing chaos
The EU’s new Entry‑Exit System rollout has triggered severe processing delays at airports, with travellers describing the new biometric checks as a ‘nightmare’ and at least one passenger reporting a £1,800 emergency expense to get home (bbc.co.uk). Industry groups report three‑hour airport delays and missed flights as the system beds in, and travel advisories for Indians now emphasise preparing for longer checks at Schengen borders (travelweekly.co.uk) (travelandtourworld.com).
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System went fully live on 10 April, and airports across the Schengen zone are reporting long border queues, missed flights and emergency rebookings. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system replaces passport stamps for short-stay non-European Union travellers with a digital record that stores a facial image, fingerprints, travel-document details, and the date and place of entry and exit. It applies across 29 countries using the system. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Travel Weekly reported on 14 April that aviation groups Airports Council International Europe and Airlines for Europe said the first day of full operations brought three-hour airport delays and missed flights. The groups urged the European Commission to add “immediate” flexibility to how the checks are run. (travelweekly.co.uk) The European Commission says the Entry/Exit System started a phased rollout on 12 October 2025 and had already logged more than 45 million border crossings before full operation began. It says the database has also recorded more than 24,000 refusals of entry and helped identify more than 600 people considered security risks. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The change affects non-European Union passport holders making short visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, including British travellers. Children under 12 do not have to give fingerprints, but they still have to provide a facial image. (news.sky.com) At airports and ports, first-time travellers now have to stop at a kiosk or booth so border staff can capture biometrics and create a digital file. That adds a new processing step at exactly the point where many hubs were already tight on staffing and connection times. (news.sky.com) The European Commission says the system is meant to detect overstayers automatically and make it easier to spot identity fraud and forged documents. Officials have presented it as a border-security project as much as a travel-processing upgrade. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Not every crossing point appeared to be equally ready on day one. Sky News reported on 10 April that some countries did not appear prepared to process all “third-country nationals” under the new Brussels rules from the start. (news.sky.com) For travellers, the immediate change is simple: border checks that used to end with a stamp now require a photo, fingerprints and a digital record. For airports entering the Easter and summer travel period, that extra minute at the desk is turning into hours in the queue. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu)
