Europe’s New Digital Border Check Brings Airport Chaos—and Three-Hour Waits

A high-tech overhaul of Europe’s entry system, designed to speed up passport control, is instead causing massive delays and frustration at airports across the continent. The Entry Exit System (EES), which went fully live on April 10, has turned terminals into bottlenecks, with some passengers reporting waits of up to three hours just to clear border checks.

Italian airport operators were the first to sound the alarm. They’ve asked the country’s interior ministry for permission to shut down automated border control gates when terminals become too crowded. The situation, they say, has spiraled into chaos.

Under the new system, border officers now collect biometric data—fingerprints and facial scans—from every non-EU traveler entering the Schengen zone for the first time, replacing old paper passport stamps. While the shift to digital was meant to improve security and efficiency, the processing time per passenger has jumped by 90 to 120 seconds. During peak hours, those seconds multiply, creating long lines that sometimes snake outside the terminal.

Greece has already rolled back the requirement for British travelers, exempting them from EES registration. But for most visitors, the delays remain.

Earlier this month, the strain turned dangerous. In an Italian airport, passengers reportedly fainted in the crush, and an EasyJet flight departed without travelers stuck in the queue. The EES system, meant to modernize Europe’s borders, is instead testing everyone’s patience—and airports’ ability to cope.