Europe’s EES debuts as holiday travel surges

Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) entered live service on 12 October 2025 in a progressive roll‑out across 29 countries, kicking off a six‑month deployment intended to replace manual passport stamping with an electronic registration process. The system records passport data, a facial image and fingerprints for non‑EU short‑stay travellers, with biometrics retained for three years to detect overstayers, reduce identity fraud and strengthen border security.

The launch comes as airports across the continent face a major holiday travel surge. Passenger volumes in key hubs , including forecasts of single‑day peaks in Frankfurt and Munich over the Christmas‑New Year window , have intensified operational pressure during EES’s learning curve and the phased rollout toward full deployment by 10 April 2026.

How EES changes border checks

EES replaces the physical passport stamp with biometric registration: first‑time entrants scan their passport, are photographed and fingerprinted. Subsequent visits are expected to be faster through biometric verification rather than manual stamping, a core efficiency argument driving the reform.

The system is designed to improve border security by creating a centralised digital record to detect overstayers and reduce identity fraud. The recorded biometric data is retained for three years for enforcement and return‑management purposes, a change that has operational and privacy implications across Member States.

Implementation also includes self‑service kiosks and Automated Border Control (ABC) gates where available. In theory, these elements should streamline throughput; in practice, their availability and correct configuration have proved critical to real‑world performance during the rollout.

Rollout timetable and scaling thresholds

The Commission and eu‑LISA adopted a progressive, staged deployment from 12 October 2025, allowing Member States up to 180 days to deploy EES at their border crossing points. The aim is to have the system fully connected across all points by 10 April 2026.

An operational calendar sets scaling thresholds: an initial requirement of registering 10% of eligible third‑country arrivals on go‑live, rising to 35% on 9 January 2026. The step‑up is intended to increase coverage progressively but has been flagged by industry as a potential pressure point for border operations.

eu‑LISA reported the Entry/Exit System was “successfully connected across Europe” after the October launch, stressing the progressive nature of deployment. Member States vary in readiness and in how quickly kiosks, ABC gates and staffing can be scaled at each crossing point.

Operational strain amid the holiday surge

Holiday passenger volumes have placed EES under immediate stress. Fraport forecast huge peaks in Frankfurt, with around 3.6 million passengers across a key window, and Munich expecting nearly 2 million , numbers that intensify the impact of any processing delays at passport control.

Airports and border authorities reported a range of problems during December 2025: regular EES outages, slowdowns, partially deployed kiosks, limited ABC gate availability and staffing shortages. These root causes combined to lengthen border processing times and increase passenger queues in several hubs.

Reuters and other press outlets have summarised the tension between modernisation and short‑term disruption: while the system aims to streamline future travel, the immediate learning curve and technical teething issues have produced notable delays for travellers during peak periods.

Incidents, local impacts and mitigation measures

Several airports recorded serious local impacts during December. Lisbon faced long queues and police warnings of 90+ minute waits after EES activation; Prague reported outages and slowdowns that created up to three‑hour waits on a peak weekend, disrupting departures; Paris Charles‑de‑Gaulle and other major hubs were also flagged in industry findings.

At the Channel crossings, the Port of Dover delayed some tourist‑car EES checks into 2026 to avoid Christmas chaos, and Eurostar doubled manual booths, added staff and allowed earlier boarding at St Pancras to reduce crowding. Such targeted pauses and operational workarounds have been a recurring mitigation tool.

Some Member States temporarily suspended EES activation at specific crossings when pressure became unsustainable, while pilots for a voluntary “Digital Travel App” , a pre‑registration option on smartphones , were authorised and trialled to reduce first‑time registration times in 2026.

Industry warnings and EU response

Airports Council International (ACI EUROPE) issued urgent calls in December 2025, reporting border processing times rising “by up to 70%” and waiting times “of up to 3 hours at peak traffic periods” where EES is active. ACI warned that unless issues are fixed before the January scaling to 35%, the increase “will inevitably result in much more severe congestion and systemic disruption” and could pose safety hazards, according to Olivier Jankovec.

The European Commission’s DG HOME defended the progressive approach in December, saying EES was “successfully launched” on 12 October and that many Member States had already exceeded the 10% registration requirement. The Commission and eu‑LISA emphasised that early challenges are being addressed and that the staged rollout is deliberate.

Industry, independent press and airport operators remain sceptical that fine‑tuning alone will prevent future congestion; they stress the importance of rapid fixes to outages, kiosk availability, ABC gate readiness and staffing before the next scaling steps in January and April 2026.

What travelers and operators should expect next

For travellers, short‑term expectations should be cautious: travellers arriving for the first time after 12 October 2025 may face longer checks in some airports, especially during peak holiday periods. Pre‑travel planning and allowing extra time at border controls are sensible precautions while the system stabilises.

Airports and operators are focused on practical mitigation: adding staff, deploying manual booths where needed, delaying activation at selected crossings and trialling digital pre‑registration tools. Improvements to kiosk roll‑outs, system resilience and ABC gate availability will be central to shortening queues.

Policymakers face a trade‑off between pressing the timetable to reach full deployment by 10 April 2026 and ensuring technical reliability and staffing resilience. The risk points on 9 January 2026 (35% threshold) and the full‑deployment deadline in April make coordinated contingency planning essential across the EU.

The EES rollout represents a major modernisation of Europe’s external border checks, promising long‑term gains in security and speed once fully stabilised. But the early months have exposed real operational vulnerabilities when a large‑scale IT system meets peak holiday travel and varied local readiness.

Resolution will require swift technical fixes, targeted staffing and equipment deployments, and continued pilots of digital pre‑registration to ease first‑time processing. For travellers, the immediate priority is simple: expect some delays, follow official guidance, and build extra time into holiday itineraries while EES completes its phased deployment.