This article has been updated.
Travelers to Europe are finding themselves stuck in hourslong immigration lines, with some even missing flights, as countries begin requiring visitors to submit biometric data, including fingerprints and photos of their faces, upon entry and exit.
The Entry/Exit System, or E.E.S., became operational this month across the 29-country Schengen area, which encompasses 25 European Union members as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Sweden. The system, part of a broad effort by the European Union to better secure its borders, applies at all ports, airports and land crossings.
As the system has taken effect, frustrated travelers have reported lengthy lines at major airports across Europe, including in Milan, Paris and Amsterdam.
“Rather than a clean switch-on, the rollout is operationally patchy, with capacity still stabilizing across parts of the network,” said George Koureas, a managing partner at the global immigration firm Fragomen. “For travelers, the immediate impact is expected to be delays and unpredictability rather than refusal of entry during this initial phase.”
Travelers should anticipate delays at checkpoints and expect some differences in how countries handle the changes. Airports are advising passengers to arrive early.
Here’s what else you need to know about the new system.
What is E.E.S.?
It is an automated system that registers travelers’ entry and exit dates at external borders of the Schengen area, as well as their travel documents and personal data.
At the initial collection, passport officers will photograph a traveler’s face and take fingerprints. After this, passport control officers will verify the traveler’s identity using that record.
The length of time for which a traveler’s data is stored can vary; generally, it will be three years, according to the European Union.
Travelers initially register only when entering the Schengen area but can travel freely between member states once they are in the zone.
The European Union says that in addition to making border checks more efficient, E.E.S. will help identify people who have overstayed in the Schengen area and those traveling on fake documents.
Who must register?
The new system applies to travelers who aren’t nationals of the 29 countries that use E.E.S., plus Ireland and Cyprus, and who are traveling for a short stay (90 days in a 180-day period), regardless of whether they have a visa.
Children under 12, regardless of their nationality, will not be fingerprinted.
Where is the system in effect?
The European Union said last year that E.E.S. would be fully deployed at all border crossings by April 10. However, the rollout has been inconsistent.
Some border crossings may have self-service equipment for travelers to register their biometrics, while other checkpoints are conducting traditional checks by a border control officer.
The process can also vary depending on a traveler’s citizenship. At Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, departing travelers from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada can use eGates to verify their biometrics, a spokesman said. Other travelers will face manual passport checks.
What disruptions have there been?
Some airports including in France, Germany and Poland have experienced delays related to E.E.S. In April, border control lines at some airports stretched past two hours, the industry trade group Airlines for Europe said in a statement.
Until September, border checkpoints are allowed to pause E.E.S. biometrics collection during “excessive” wait times, a European Commission spokeswoman said in a press briefing this month.
In Portugal, airports in Lisbon, Porto and Faro have experienced technical difficulties with the system, a spokeswoman for the airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal said, adding that those airports have paused collection during peak periods.
At St. Pancras International in London, passengers traveling to France on Eurostar trains have been processed manually because of E.E.S. software issues, a Eurostar spokeswoman said.
Do I still need a passport?
Travelers still need passports, but E.E.S. will replace passport stamping.
Can I opt out?
E.E.S. is mandatory, and those who refuse biometric collection will be denied entry.
How does it compare with systems in other countries?
E.U. officials emphasized that the new system was not an outlier and that biometric collection had become more common around the world.
Britain regularly uses facial recognition. The United States collects fingerprints from visitors entering the country and has increasingly been deploying facial recognition when passengers exit. South Korea has been photographing and fingerprinting visitors for over a decade.
What other changes are coming?
An entry requirement called the European Travel Information and Authorization System is scheduled to begin late this year. This travel authorization, which has been repeatedly delayed, will be required for visa-exempt travelers entering 30 European countries for short stays. It will cost 20 euros, or roughly $23, and will apply to an estimated 1.4 billion people from countries including Britain, Australia and the United States who can currently travel visa-free throughout much of Europe.
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