EU border delays ahead
Travelers should expect slower processing at some EU borders because Serbia warned that the EU’s full Entry/Exit System rollout began on April 10, and the change could introduce delays as frontline agencies adapt. If you're crossing EU external borders soon, plan extra time — especially at popular summer gateways. (travelandtourworld.com)
A passport line that used to end with a stamp can now end with a camera, a fingerprint scan, and a digital record, because the European Union’s Entry/Exit System became fully operational on April 10, 2026 after a six-month rollout that began on October 12, 2025. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) That switch is why Serbian travel groups warned people to expect congestion around Easter and the summer rush, especially on routes where many Serbians drive into the European Union through busy land crossings. (bta.bg) The new system covers non-European Union nationals coming for short stays, and it replaces passport stamping with electronic records of entry, exit, and refusal of entry at the European Union’s external borders. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) On a first trip into a country using the system, border officers can collect a traveler’s passport details, facial image, and fingerprints, which is the part most likely to slow a queue that used to be a quick glance and a thump of ink. (travel-europe.europa.eu) After that first registration, later crossings are supposed to be faster because the system can verify the person against the record already on file instead of building a new one from scratch. (commission.europa.eu) The rollout covers 29 European countries using the system, which means the change is not limited to one airport or one frontier post but stretches across much of the Schengen external border. (travel-europe.europa.eu) The European Commission says more than 45 million border crossings were registered during the phased launch, which gave border agencies months to test the equipment before the full April 10 deadline. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Serbia’s foreign ministry had already told travelers that the system would be active at some crossing points and limited hours during the early phase, with expansion continuing until full implementation on April 10, 2026. (mfa.gov.rs) The practical risk is highest at land borders in holiday periods, because every extra minute spent capturing first-time biometric data can ripple backward through hundreds of cars and buses. (bta.bg) For travelers, the change is simple but not small: a first crossing into the system may take longer than the old stamp-and-wave routine, while later trips should look more like a fast identity check tied to the digital record created on day one. (commission.europa.eu)
