EU Entry/Exit System Delays Passport Checks UK Travelers

The European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES) has significantly increased passport control processing times for travelers from outside the bloc, with wait times for UK citizens at a major Italian airport nearly tripling since the system's implementation. The digital border regime, which began a phased rollout on October 12, 2025, requires non-EU citizens to register fingerprints and a facial photograph upon first entering the Schengen area.

At Rome's Fiumicino Airport, the average processing time for UK nationals has risen from approximately seven minutes to around 20 minutes, according to the airport's Chief Aviation Officer, Ivan Bassato. While integration with automated e-gates has improved the flow, Bassato stated the current situation is "absolutely not okay," with queues occasionally stretching to one or two hours. He called for urgent fixes to certain aspects of the system and wider adoption of a pre-registration app currently available only in Sweden and Portugal.

Travelers have reported extensive delays across several European airports. Passengers arriving in Rome from the UK and the United States described waits of one to two hours, with some missing pre-arranged...