Schengen Entry Rules: New Entry/Exit System Risks Passport Queue Chaos for British Travelers

British travellers heading to Spain, Portugal and Greece are checking passports after warnings that Schengen entry rules can still stop a trip before it begins. The EU’s new Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026. The summer queues are already under pressure.

Passports must be issued less than 10 years before the day a traveller enters the Schengen area. They also need at least three months left beyond the day the traveller plans to leave. The expiry date alone can mislead. A passport can look current and still fail the rule.

Older British passports carry a particular trap. Some were valid for up to 10 years and 9 months, and a passport renewed before 1 October 2018 can still run into the Schengen “10-year” rule. That catches travellers by surprise. The issue date matters as much as the expiry date.

Speaking at Heathrow Airport on July 24, 2026, Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrats’ Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, called on the Prime Minister to intervene with EU leaders. Mark Tanzer, chief executive of ABTA, said the summer of 2026 is the first significant test of the biometric system.

“For many heading overseas, this will be the first experience of the Entry/Exit System in Europe, and for some, though not all, it may take longer than usual to get through passport control.”

Queues could lengthen.

Tim Knighton, a travel insurance expert at Compare the Market, said:

“Many travellers assume if they have a valid passport they can travel overseas without any issues, but that’s not always the case.”

Ryanair has separately warned of possible “passport queue chaos” at Spanish airports this summer. Projections suggest queues for non-EU passengers could reach up to four hours at major hubs during the peak season. Greece has reportedly taken a temporary operational approach that currently avoids biometric checks for British passport holders at its border crossings.

HM Passport Office data from June 2026 puts numbers behind the warnings.

Some passports fail even when the expiry date looks fine

Travellers with 2018-issued passports need to look at the issue date closely. Some older British passports were valid for up to 10 years and 9 months. That can make them fail the Schengen “10-year” rule even when the printed expiry date seems acceptable. The old extra months still count against them.

Connections also matter. Anyone making onward trips outside the Schengen area should check the rules for every country on the itinerary before departure. The wrong document can trigger a problem at the gate.

The new border system records faces and fingerprints

Paul Paddock, chief executive of Post Office Insurance at Post Office, said the new system takes more than a photo. It collects a facial image from all travellers and fingerprints from visa-exempt travellers only. The data stays on file for years.

“Biometric data including your facial image (all travellers) and fingerprints (visa-exempt travellers only) will be taken. Data will be kept for three years for standard entries/exits or five years if you overstay.”

The change replaces manual passport stamping with biometric registration. That shift has already slowed some crossings.

In Portugal, Lisbon Airport reportedly had to temporarily abandon biometric checks in early 2026 after passengers faced seven-hour delays. Technical glitches and “unstable software” provided by the EU have been blamed for other slowdowns at the Channel Tunnel and Lisbon Airport. The system is still bedding in.

Nine EU countries are pressing Brussels for flexibility before the deadline

As of late July 2026, nine EU countries, including Greece, Italy and Portugal, have signed a joint letter asking the European Commission to extend temporary flexibility during periods of extreme congestion. The request would go beyond the original September 6 amnesty deadline. More pressure is building.

The next call now sits with Brussels.