Europe passport delays
- The EU is launching a biometric Entry/Exit System that replaces passport stamping with electronic checks at some borders. - Milan Bergamo has reported significant queueing, and Ryanair pushed its bag-drop deadline to 60 minutes before departure. - Authorities expect initial delays as the system beds in, so travelers should plan extra time at European passport control. ( )
Europe’s new digital border checks are now live across the Schengen area, and some airports are warning that passport control lines may move more slowly at first. (europa.eu) The European Commission said the Entry/Exit System became fully operational on April 10, 2026, after a phased rollout that began on October 12, 2025. It replaces manual passport stamps with electronic records for non-EU nationals making short stays in 29 European countries. (europa.eu) At the border, the system records a traveler’s name, passport details, fingerprints, facial image, and the place and date of entry or exit. The Commission says it also logs refusals of entry and helps authorities detect people who stay longer than the 90 days allowed in a 180-day period. (europa.eu) The first trip can take longer because border officers may need to collect fingerprints and a photo before the traveler is registered. The EU’s travel portal says later crossings should be faster because the system can verify an existing record instead of creating a new one. (europa.eu, europa.eu) Ryanair is already telling passengers to expect longer passport-control queues as airports switch over to the new checks. Its help center says the delays can affect all passengers while airports adjust, not only the non-EU travelers whose fingerprints or photos are being taken. (ryanair.com) The airline has also posted warnings across several airport-help pages saying there are increased queues at departure-airport passport control because of the Entry/Exit System. Ryanair says affected travelers should arrive with extra time, especially in busy periods. (ryanair.com) The system covers the external borders of the Schengen area, not flights within it. Ryanair says passengers flying into Schengen countries from places including the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Morocco, Türkiye, Serbia, Egypt, and several Balkan states may encounter the new process. (ryanair.com) The Commission said more than 45 million border crossings were registered during the rollout before full operation began this month. It described the project as a common border database for short-stay non-EU travelers, with Cyprus and Ireland outside the system. (europa.eu, europa.eu) For travelers, the immediate change is simple: less stamping, more scanning, and less certainty about how long the first queue will take. European and airline guidance now points in the same direction — get to passport control earlier than you used to. (europa.eu, ryanair.com)
