Europe’s new EES border checks: Are airlines clearly warning passengers about the potential for huge delays?
October 10, 2025
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is finally set to launch on 12 October 2025, marking one of the most significant shifts in border control since the Schengen Area was created. The scheme will replace passport stamping with biometric registration for non-EU and non-Schengen travellers entering the bloc.
Each visitor will have biometric details captured on first entry, creating a digital record valid for around three years. The change aims to streamline border crossings in the long term, but in the early days, the process is likely to mean longer queues, confusion, and frustrated travellers.
That makes airline communication critical. Carriers have had months to prepare their customers for the change, but with days left before rollout, the quality of messaging remains uneven.
What travellers need to know about the EES
The EES doesn’t require any preapplication, so there’s nothing for travellers to do before they fly. Upon arrival in the EU, travellers will use an automated digital system to register for the first time.
Registration will involve fingerprinting and photographing the traveller. This information is then linked to their passport, replacing the traditional stamp, logging the dates of entry and exit to the EU and improving border security.
The system applies to travellers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries such as the UK, US, Canada, and Australia who enter the Schengen zone for short stays. Ireland and Cyprus are excluded, and children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting.
Once enrolled, travellers can re-enter the Schengen Area more quickly on future trips, but the first visit will take longer, as biometric capture must be completed at a kiosk or border booth.
The delays could be significant. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, told the BBC Today programme just how bad it could get.
“The concern will be, when you have several flights arriving at one of these airports at the same time, it’s already a bottleneck; this is going to add even more of an issue,” she said. “So our advice is actually to make sure, where possible, you’re leaving yourself between three and four hours from the point of entry.”
With just days to go until the new regimen kicks in, air travellers should be made aware of the likely delays to their travels. So far, the clarity of airline messaging varies widely.
Airlines getting it right
Lufthansa stands out with a clear, prominently placed explainer outlining who the EES applies to, what will change at the border, and when it starts. The airline links directly to the European Commission’s official EES portal, avoiding guesswork and misinformation.
British Airways has also integrated EES guidance into its “Passports, visas & API” section, emphasising the 12 October start date and three-year record validity. Its page neatly notes that Ireland and Cyprus remain exempt — a small but valuable clarification that prevents confusion for UK travellers.
easyJet added an “Important changes to EU border checks” entry in its Help Centre, using plain language and advising customers to allow extra time at airports during the transition phase.
Just today, Finnair published a travel update about the EES, sharing advice for passengers. It also said that if its passengers miss a connecting flight due to EES-related formalities at the border, the airline would book a new service for the passenger.
Other airlines, including Virgin Atlantic and Vueling, keep it short but effective, linking passengers to the EU’s official resources. Emirates has had a warning published on its website for almost a month, but other global connectors don’t have any information at all.
Where airlines are falling short
A number of major European carriers still lack dedicated EES information, with their travel documentation pages focused solely on traditional visa and passport requirements. For passengers unfamiliar with EU border procedures, the absence of clear guidance could mean confusion when they arrive.
The silence extends across the Atlantic too: most US airlines have not yet added EES notices to their international travel pages, despite their customers being directly affected.
The pattern is repeated across the world. Here and there, airlines have published notices or guidance, but many are leaving passengers unprepared for a potentially long delay to their journey.
What airlines should be telling passengers about the EU EES
With a system this significant, passengers need more than fine print buried in an FAQ. Airlines should be:
- Clearly explaining who the EES applies to and who is exempt.
- Stating that biometric capture is required on first entry, and valid for three years.
- Advising travellers about the likelihood for delays as the system rolls out.
- Stating their policy on missed connecting flights.
- Linking directly to the official EU EES explainer to avoid misinformation.
Those that do will not only reduce disruption at the border but also demonstrate operational readiness and respect for their passengers’ time.
EU EES will be rolled out in stages
As reported by The Independent, Europe’s new Entry/Exit System will not be activated across all EU borders at once. Instead, implementation will begin in a limited number of countries and airports, with full coverage not expected until April 2026.
Only Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic plan to operate the system for all arrivals and departures from day one. Other nations are taking a phased approach: Germany will start with Düsseldorf, Norway with Oslo, and Spain will test a single flight at Madrid-Barajas on the morning of 12 October.
By 9 April 2026, the EES is expected to be operational at all external Schengen frontiers, covering air, land, and sea entries, but the initial months after launch will see significant variation across countries and ports of entry.
Europe’s biometric border regime will transform how millions of people enter the Schengen Area. But in the short term, the real test is communication, not technology.
With the system going live in just days, the airlines that get the EES message right will be remembered for the right reasons; as the ones that helped passengers travel smoothly through one of Europe’s biggest border changes in decades.
