Expect long EU border lines
Europe's new Entry/Exit System began rolling out April 10 and officials warn it could create hours‑long airport queues for spring travelers. Metro reports passengers should brace for delays up to four hours as the smart‑border checks start, and travel outlets say countries including France, the UK, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal are already facing technical and operational challenges with the rollout ( ). Separately, a nationwide police IT failure in Germany has already caused passport‑control disruption at Berlin, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Hamburg, which could make the new checks an even bigger choke point for arrivals (travelandtourworld.com).
Some spring trips to Europe just got a new bottleneck: on Friday, April 10, the European Union switched its Entry/Exit System from a phased launch to full operation, and that means more people stopping for fingerprint and face checks instead of a quick passport stamp. (europa.eu) The new system covers non-European Union travelers coming for short stays, and the European Commission says it now records each entry, exit, or refusal of entry digitally across 29 countries using the system. (europa.eu) For a first-time traveler, that border stop now includes a facial image, fingerprints, and passport data, which is why the first pass through the line can take longer than the old stamp-and-wave routine. (europa.eu) The European Union did not flip this on overnight. It began the rollout on October 12, 2025, logged more than 45 million crossings during the gradual phase, and set April 10, 2026 as the date for full operation. (europa.eu) What travelers notice is not the database in Brussels but the extra minutes at the booth. Euronews reported that officials expected “initial hiccups” as the system went fully live on April 10. (euronews.com) British travelers were warned about exactly that. The United Kingdom government says the Entry/Exit System changes requirements for British citizens going to the Schengen area and has been preparing ports, carriers, and local authorities for longer processing. (gov.uk) Even after full launch, the experience may not be uniform. Which? reported that airports can still pause use of the system to avoid severe queues during peak periods, which means one airport may be fully digital while another temporarily falls back on older checks. (which.co.uk) That matters more this week because Germany is already dealing with a separate choke point. Reuters, via Deutsche Welle, reported that a nationwide information technology failure in systems used by Germany’s Federal Police disrupted airport border controls, with non-Schengen arrivals hit hardest. (dw.com) Frankfurt Airport confirmed that disruption to Reuters, and reports said Berlin, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg all saw passport-control delays when officers had to process travelers manually. (dw.com) So the practical picture for travelers is simple. If you are a non-European Union visitor arriving in Europe after April 10, your first border crossing may now involve biometric registration, and if that airport is also short on staff, short on kiosks, or dealing with an information technology outage, the line can stretch fast. (europa.eu, gov.uk, dw.com)
