As the EU prepares to roll out a new biometric Entry/Exit system (EES) for non-EU residents on April 10th, arriving Canadians may face airport chaos that extends into the summer travel season.
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In mid-March, I arrived at Athens (ATH) airport, where I encountered a long line to reach the customs kiosks. My wait lasted nearly two hours, to the point that my scheduled driver left the airport without me. The reason was the limited number of available custom kiosks, as new EES machines and gates had been installed in the arrival hall but were not yet operational.
Two weeks later, when I departed Munich (MUC) airport, I encountered large crowds trying to check out of the EU. Again, brand-new EES machines in the room stood idle.
Passengers around me were upset about the delay, and the staff couldn’t explain why the new machines weren’t working.
Biometric Processing Challenges
We lined up for the self-service biometric kiosks to scan our passports, have our photos taken, and provide fingerprint scans. I was not asked to scan my fingerprints at the self-service machine, whereas other travellers were.
I then waited in a second line for customs officials, who seemed to repeat the same process. The officer scanned my passport and then asked for my fingerprints. Do the new self-service machines work properly?
Impacting travel well beyond the EU
With a one-and-a-half-hour layover, I reached my gate five minutes before departure. The Lufthansa captain delayed our departure by 20 minutes due to the new EU EES chaos. This caused a delay in arriving in Vancouver, affecting connecting passengers and, consequently, impacting travel well beyond the EU.
The EU EES is a biometric border program that has been gradually deployed across the 29-country Schengen Area since October 2025 and is scheduled for full implementation by April 10.
Canadian passport holders can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without a visa. Your biometric data (fingerprints and photo of your face) will be stored for three years. If you return to the Schengen area within that time, you will not have to provide your information again. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date. The EES will also monitor overstays and entry refusals.
Wait times have reached five or more hours
From my visit, I learned that one challenge for travellers is that they cannot enter their biometric details before arriving. Additionally, there is no separate line for passport holders who are already registered with EES. It’s just one long line for everyone.
According to a BBC news report last March, the Airport Council International (ACI), which represents over 600 airports and facilities, reported that border processing times at airports with active EES checks have increased by up to 70%. Peak period waits reached three hours in Geneva (GVA) earlier this year. Lisbon (LIS) Airport suspended the system entirely in December after wait times reached five or more hours, causing passengers to miss their flights.
Tips for navigating EU EES chaos
- Allow extra time, especially when flying into major European hubs.
- Know the rules: even if already registered, expect to join the same EES line as others.
- Choose longer layovers: while airlines recommend one-and-a-half hours, plan for at least three hours during the summer.
- Stay informed by checking with airlines and airports for real-time updates on queues and delays before arrival.
- Travel during the off-season; EES operations are expected to improve after full rollout. Avoid August travel if possible.
- If you hold an EU passport, use it to bypass EES entirely.
