Traveling in Europe: border checks change under the EES, here is what travelers can expect

Travelers entering Europe from outside the European Union will face stricter biometric procedures from Sunday, September 6, 2026, when a temporary period of flexibility under the Entry/Exit System ends.

The EES is designed to modernize checks on non-EU travelers. Its phased rollout began in October 2025, followed by full operation at participating European borders on April 10, 2026. During the summer, authorities allowed member states to suspend the collection of some biometric data in exceptional circumstances.

That flexibility covered measures such as fingerprint collection and facial recognition. It was intended to help authorities manage unusually high passenger volumes and ease pressure in border-control areas when waiting times became excessive.

From September 6, airports and border posts will have fewer options to temporarily reduce biometric procedures when queues grow too long. Travel professionals have warned for months about difficulties at some European airports, where lines have already lengthened at major hubs.

The concern centers on the extra time needed for the new checks. Data cited by the International Air Transport Association indicate that a conventional passport check that previously took about 20 to 25 seconds can now require nearly 90 seconds. That difference may appear small for one traveler, but it becomes significant when thousands of people pass through border controls at the same time.