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The European Union has reportedly allowed nine countries to delay full enforcement of the Entry/Exit System (EES), despite previously saying that the flexibility period ending on 6 September 2026 would not be extended.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland are understood to have told the European Commission that they could not fully enforce the new biometric checks until remaining technical and operational problems were resolved.
The reported decision is intended to “maintain border fluidity” as airports and other border crossings continue to deal with longer processing times.
EES is designed to electronically record entries and exits of non-EU travellers, replacing traditional passport stamping. British travellers are among those affected and are required to provide biometric information, including fingerprints and a facial image, when entering the Schengen area.
Technical problems have reportedly affected biometric processing at some border posts. When systems fail, officers may have to return to manual passport checks, potentially adding to queues.
Some airports have also experienced longer waiting times. Frankfurt, for example, reportedly saw average border waits increase significantly during July 2026, while travellers at Lisbon Airport have faced lengthy queues.
There is currently no reported new deadline for full EES enforcement in the nine countries.
This means UK travellers could experience different procedures depending on the country and border crossing they use. The EES system remains in the process of being implemented, while authorities work through technical and operational issues.
Airlines have called for more time. Ryanair has urged the EU to extend the flexibility until at least April 2027, arguing that airports need more time to improve staffing and infrastructure.
The European Commission has not formally confirmed the reported concession but says it remains in contact with member states where operational adjustments are still required.
TravelApp will continue to monitor EES developments and keep UK travellers updated on changes that could affect their journeys to Europe.
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