Spain acts on EES

Spain has told 24 airports to change how they handle border lines after the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System slowed arrivals for non-EU passengers. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The Entry/Exit System, or EES, became fully operational across the Schengen area on April 10, 2026, after a six-month rollout that began on October 12, 2025. It replaces passport stamps with digital records of each short-stay non-EU traveller’s entry, exit, facial image and fingerprints. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Spain’s Interior Ministry said in September 2025 that it had spent €83 million to prepare Spanish border posts for EES and that the National Police would keep control of border checks. That rollout reached full operation on April 10, the date Spain and the European Commission had flagged months in advance. (interior.gob.es (commission.europa.eu) The first days of full use brought longer waits because first-time travellers had to stop for biometric enrolment instead of a quick passport stamp. The European Commission said more than 45 million crossings were logged during the phased launch before the system went fully live. (commission.europa.eu) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) British travellers have been a big part of the disruption because the system applies to non-EU visitors entering Spain for short stays, and Spain remains one of the UK’s busiest holiday markets. The UK government has warned travellers since March to expect extra checks and to follow airline and tour-operator guidance this Easter and beyond. (gov.uk 1) (gov.uk 2) Travel companies have been updating passenger advice as airports try to steady processing times. TUI says border processes can vary by airport and country during the transition, and that some passengers may still see passport stamps while others are asked for biometric data. (tui.co.uk) The EES covers 29 European countries using the Schengen external border system, though Cyprus and Ireland are outside it. For most repeat travellers, the first registration is the slow part; after that, later crossings are supposed to move to a faster verification step. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (commission.europa.eu) Spanish airport operator Aena has not published the queue-relief measures in an accessible official release that could be independently opened here, but multiple reports on April 24 said the changes were being applied at 24 airports to keep waits down during peaks. The broad direction matches official EU and UK guidance that airports and operators will keep adjusting procedures as EES settles in. (msn.com) (gov.uk) For passengers, the practical change is simple: the old stamp-at-the-desk routine is gone, and the first EES crossing can take longer than a normal border check. Spain’s move at 24 airports is an attempt to keep that new process from swallowing the start of the summer travel season. (travel-europe.europa.eu) (eeas.europa.eu)