‘Border control nightmare’: Readers share their experiences of new EU entry-exit system
Our community has had mixed experiences of the EU entry–exit system – from long queues and confusing kiosk setups to smooth, hassle-free crossings and quick processing at some airports
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Independent readers have shared mixed experiences of the EU entry–exit system (EES) as disruption and confusion continue to plague the long-delayed rollout of the digital border scheme.
Some travellers described significant delays and disorganised queues at major airports, including Munich and Pisa, where passengers reported uncertainty over whether to join EES kiosk lines or border control desks.
In some cases, long waits appear to have led staff to abandon biometric checks altogether in favour of traditional passport stamping.
Others highlighted inconsistent implementation between airports and even between inbound and outbound journeys, with some passengers having fingerprints and facial scans taken repeatedly, while others were processed quickly or not required to use biometrics at all.
Several readers pointed to staffing shortages and technical failures as key causes of disruption.
A number of contributors were critical of the system’s design, arguing that requiring all passengers to pass through kiosks regardless of prior registration creates unnecessary bottlenecks.
Some suggested a more streamlined approach using pre-registered data and automated e-gates would reduce delays and improve efficiency.
Here’s what you had to say:
Trouble with old red passports
We just visited Amsterdam from Manchester. Went to the machine, partner (until recently on an immigrant visa) sailed through.
Me? Old red passport and the machine could not detect my pinky finger. Went to passport station for the stamp (still required) and a shrug and let in. The old red passports do not work coming back into Manchester as they fold in the machine.
Border control nightmare
Having just travelled in and out of the Schengen area last fortnight, I can confirm that Munich (for example), which is a massive airport, has high border crossing flight delays – and/or missed – risks, as all the merry ‘third nationals’ were rushing to a queue for pre-registration at the EES kiosks. Many people didn’t know where one queue started for that, or where one started to get through to the actual border control officer desks.
It must be a nightmare for the border control and airport staff.
Brexit to blame
I had over an hour’s wait at Pisa airport on arrival on 1 April. As more flights landed and the queue grew longer, I think they gave up with the biometrics and just stamped the passports. There were only two staff members for all the UK flights. A woman asked what the holdup was, and an airport official shrugged and said, ‘Brexit’.
Fortunately, on the return on 7 April it was much quicker, even though biometrics were taken and the passport was stamped, but I was there as soon as the gate opened.
90 minutes to get to a desk
We did this in Athens at the end of February (facial and fingerprints) – no problems in or out.
Went back on 19 March and 90 minutes to get to a desk – then the official just stamped the passport!
What is going on?
Typical IT disaster
It’s a typical IT disaster, caused by poor design by a non-technical committee, who told the IT people what to build instead of asking them to solve the problem.
They already have all your passport details from the passenger information data supplied by the airlines, etc.
So all they actually need to do is read the RFID chip in your closed passport when you tap it on the contactless sensor as you walk towards the gate, use off-the-shelf facial recognition software to validate your face against your biometric data, and open the gate before you get to it.
Instead, they created a disaster.
I was lucky
At Turin airport, the electronic system has been in place for Brits and other non-EU folk (presumably) for some time. In December and February it worked fitfully. Last month I was ordered – additionally – to report to the policeman in his box. He asked for my residence permit. I said it was the first time in the 40 years I’ve lived and worked here in Italy that anyone had asked for it. The latest version was issued in 2000 and has ‘indefinite permission to reside’ on it, due to my status as a full-time university lecturer in Bologna. I’m sure he could see this document on his screen. No matter: always carry it from now on, was his instruction – with passport stamp – and no photocopies. In my view it’s Italy’s vendetta against the new Brit entry system.
I was lucky, whole business over in half an hour. Last week complaints in local paper of two-hour waits there.
The biggest flaw
I think that perhaps the biggest flaw in the system is having to visit an EES kiosk every time. If your EES registration is up to date, you should be able to go straight to an e-gate. But they didn’t design it that way. So first-time users and repeat users have to join the same long queues.
Long waste of time
We were an hour in Funchal last week and we were the only non-Schengen aircraft landing at the time, so goodness knows how they cope when the holiday season gets going properly. I also wasted 30 minutes in Athens while they repeatedly took my fingerprints and photo, which they did again when I left and again in Funchal, in and out. Not a scare story, and to be honest not actually a big problem, just a long waste of time.
Faulty machines and manual checks
At Schiphol departures this week it was unreliable. One machine failed, unable to read passports. It took the inexperienced operator a while to realise it was the machine, not the passports, that was the problem. I had to point that out to him. Once through the machines, they were inspecting and stamping passports manually as well.
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