The European Union is reportedly considering a further delay to the full rollout of its Entry/Exit System (EES) to avoid additional complications at its borders. The system, which registers biometric details instead of manually stamping passports, became fully operational in April 2026 after a staged introduction from October last year.
Industry sources have indicated that Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the commissioner responsible for EES negotiations with non-EU countries, has privately assured that the checks will be paused. Mr Tzitzikostas is reported to be pushing to extend a derogation that allows officials to suspend the new checks beyond the current 6 September deadline for full implementation.
Assurances that an extension is possible were reportedly made to the UK following a meeting on 14 July between Mr Tzitzikostas and UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. Ms Alexander had raised concerns about the new digital border check system during their discussion.
The EES applies to all 29 Schengen countries and requires non-EU passengers to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival. Reports of passengers missing flights due to long queues and warnings from Ryanair about "queue chaos" have emerged, with some airports, including Alicante, cited as not ready for the checks.