- Nine EU and Schengen countries kept delaying full biometric checks after the six September deadline.
- France, Germany, Italy, and others are using flexibility at airports and border points while congestion problems continue.
- The Entry/Exit System now covers 29 Schengen countries and replaces passport stamps with digital records.
Nine EU and Schengen countries can keep delaying full biometric border checks after the 150-day emergency flexibility expired on 6 September 2026, following airport congestion and software problems during the summer travel season.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland are using the reprieve at selected airports and border points. The arrangement means travelers may still encounter different procedures within the same country.
The countries asked for more time in a 7 July 2026 letter to Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs. They argued that some locations still could not process the new checks smoothly during periods of heavy demand.
Brussels has informally accepted the continued flexibility to preserve “border fluidity,” according to reports on the arrangement. The emergency measure ended on 6 September, but full enforcement has not returned everywhere.
The system changes how many short-stay travelers enter Europe. It covers non-EU nationals, including British travelers, across 29 Schengen countries.
At first entry, the process requires fingerprints, a passport scan and a facial image. Electronic records then replace manual passport stamps.
Ryanair has asked the European Commission for a longer pause. The airline said airports and border authorities need more time to add staff and make the process work efficiently before every location applies it fully.
“urgently extend the EES derogation until at least April 2027”
Ryanair also called the system a “shambles” and warned of “queue chaos” at airports including Málaga and Palma. Airlines said passengers had missed connections in Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium.
The reprieve follows longer processing times and crowded hubs
The pressure has come from the time needed to register and review travelers. IATA said average passport reviews rose from 20 to 25 seconds to 90 seconds under the digital process.
A Financial Times and Qsensor analysis found July checkpoint waits of 120 minutes in Frankfurt, compared with 60 minutes in July 2025. The delays have not affected every crossing equally.
| Measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Countries covered by the system | 29 Schengen countries |
| Summer flexibility period | 150 days |
| Airports still reporting problems | 12 |
| Total border crossing points cited | 1,500 |
| Frankfurt checkpoint wait in July | 120 minutes |
| Frankfurt checkpoint wait in July 2025 | 60 minutes |
| Average passport review under the digital process | 90 seconds |
One account said only 12 airports out of 1,500 border crossing points still had problems. Large hubs such as Frankfurt and Schiphol have faced pressure, while smaller airports in the same countries may not yet be fully ready.
Registration has started in some ports while other airports still struggle
The implementation remains uneven within the countries that sought the extension. Biometric registration has begun at the Eurostar terminal in Brussels and at Antwerp port, while other locations continue using the suspension flexibility.
Portuguese airports including Lisbon, Faro and Porto used that option during the summer. The measure allowed border posts to suspend the new checks during congestion rather than force every traveler through a process that could worsen queues.
The practical impact depends on the crossing. A traveler entering through one airport may face registration, while another airport in the same national system may continue delaying full enforcement.
The largest airports have drawn the most attention because a longer review at each passport desk can create a queue quickly. Missed connections in Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium added pressure from airlines and airport groups.
The system reached full operation after a phased rollout
The EU adopted the framework in 2017 to replace manual passport stamping for short-stay non-EU travelers. The first rollout began in October 2025, and the system reached full operational status on 10 April 2026.
Its full launch did not produce uniform readiness. Airports and other border points continued to report technical problems, staffing pressures and slower processing during peak travel.
The temporary “safety valve” lasted 150 days. It expired on 6 September 2026, removing the formal basis for border posts to suspend the checks during congestion.
Brussels had rejected a bloc-wide summer shutdown in July, saying a full suspension was “not needed” and “not possible.” The current arrangement instead leaves individual countries with flexibility at locations where the technology or processing systems remain unstable.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU Transport Commissioner, had privately indicated that the checks would be paused, according to a separate account. No formal Brussels decision had been announced at that stage.
The European Commission declined to comment in one account of the latest delay. Airline and airport bodies had asked for the flexibility to continue until the end of October.
The immediate dispute is whether the informal reprieve becomes a longer extension. Airlines want the pause to reach at least April 2027, while border authorities continue adapting the technology and staffing needed for routine processing.
The nine countries’ request to Commissioner Brunner came before the 6 September deadline. Their continued flexibility now follows the expiry of the temporary exemption, leaving the next extension decision tied to how quickly the remaining airport and border-point problems are resolved.
