Airports brace for delays as EU begins fingerprint checks

Airports and border crossings in Europe are bracing for potential congestion when a long-awaited security system to track passengers’ fingerprints is launched on Sunday.

Operators will begin recording biometric images and fingerprints from people leaving or arriving in the bloc at certain border crossings, as the new entry-exit system (EES) is gradually introduced over six months.

ports, Airports Train stations were forced to install machines to carry out inspections, which would enable officials to check information about people’s immigration status and automatically identify those who overstay their visas or permitted stays.

“We’ll know who gets in European Union When and where. “It is the digital backbone of our new approach to border management,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner told the Financial Times.

The system’s operation was repeatedly delayed due to fears that computer systems were not ready and travel would be disrupted. EU countries eventually decided to roll it out step by step, meaning it will only be fully operational on April 10, 2026, when it will replace manual passport stamps.

“Deploying this large-scale IT system across 27 member states is a complex and demanding task – but we are ready for it,” Brunner said. “The six-month implementation period will ensure that member states, travelers and businesses are able to adapt seamlessly.”

Despite this ramp-up, UK ministers are preparing for long delays next summer, especially during school holidays.

The Department for Transport has secured two large sites in Kent that will act as extra queues for vehicles waiting for the Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover, to try to prevent congestion on the road network.

Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said the checks would be “a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the implementation process goes as smoothly as possible.”

The UK Government has provided £10.5 million to ports and operators in the transformation process, particularly in setting up testing sites.

“The phased introduction of EES…is very welcome,” said Simon Lejeune, a senior director at Eurostar. “This will help support a smoother process and enable customers to get used to the EES process,” he added.

While the system is similar to the electronic gates used at many airports, operators are preparing to receive complaints from customers experiencing delays, as registering biometric information for the first time will take longer than subsequent verifications.

“A lot will depend on how the system behaves on launch day, and on the sufficient number of police personnel at control centres,” said Orania Georgotsakou, head of the lobby group Airlines for Europe.

“More importantly, airline crews should not be detained at the border, and will be dealt with as quickly as possible, in the same way as before.”

Airports Council International (ACI), which represents European airports, stressed that “the management of border crossing points lies with (EU) Member States, not with airport operators.”

The system will be offered by 29 countries in the borderless Schengen area, including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. The checks will not apply to people holding EU residence permits or long-term visas.

Countries will initially begin implementing inspections only at certain border crossings or for certain categories of people. The Netherlands, for example, will start at the ports of IJmuiden and Eemshaven, and will only implement controls at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on 3 November.

In Germany, biometric surveillance operations will begin at Dusseldorf Airport on Sunday, then at Frankfurt and Munich airports, followed by seaports and other crossings.

The system was approved in 2017, but has been delayed several times, delays that operators say have allowed them to debug and conduct tests. “Nobody has an excuse for not being prepared,” Eurotunnel CEO Jan Leriche told the Financial Times during a demonstration of its technology in Folkestone.

However, while current passport checks are carried out in the car, the new scheme requires people to park in designated spaces and exit their cars to complete the check, which Eurotunnel estimates takes two minutes per passenger.

The group, which runs car and truck trains through the tunnel, has spent £80 million setting up self-service checkpoints and recruiting staff. It will initially screen freight drivers and will carry out checks on passengers around Christmas.

Eurostar kiosks, located at its stations before passengers check in, will also ask each passenger four questions, including whether they have a return ticket and money to support themselves during their visit. Customers who answer “no” will have to speak directly to a border officer. The system will start with business class passengers.

“Eurostar has invested more than €10 million in its EES preparations, which includes 49 customer kiosks for EES registration and doubling border capacity at St Pancras with new electronic gates and more border sites,” Le Jeune added. “This means our check-in times will remain the same as EES.”

People using the Channel Tunnel or ferry crossings will face checks at border checkpoints in England, while people arriving from the UK to the EU by air will be processed at local airports.