New EU fingerprint EES border checks still not fully in place in nine countries

World euTop NewsTourismtravel New EU fingerprint EES border checks still not fully in place in nine countries Man Expects His Flight Airport Relevant News The green transition of shipping concerns us all: Citizens’ voices are crucial 14 September 2026 New EU fingerprint EES border checks still not fully in place in nine countries 14 September 2026 Cyprus pupils plan Wednesday walkout over school conditions 14 September 2026 newsroom 14 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Nine European countries are still not fully applying the EU’s new biometric border checks for non-EU travellers, despite a September 6 deadline for the Entry-Exit System to become fully operational. France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium have all sought more time to complete the rollout at some airports and border crossings. Spain, which faced early problems with the system, is now applying it in full. Brussels is not expected to take action against countries that are still failing to capture fingerprints and facial images at all crossing points, even though the formal right to suspend the system has expired. The Entry-Exit System, known as EES, records biometric data from non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area and is designed to identify overstayers, visa violations and people travelling on false documents. EU sources cited in the report said the system has already recorded about 200 million registrations and prevented around 70,000 people from entering the Schengen area, up from 43,700 in June. Those refused entry include people without valid visas, travellers who exceeded their permitted stay and British citizens who remained beyond the 90 days allowed within a 180-day period. The system has also helped identify people using forged passports or different identities, with fingerprint and facial-image records exposing discrepancies between travel documents. The delays are not nationwide in the countries concerned. Fingerprinting has already started at the Eurostar terminal in Brussels and at Antwerp port, while major airports including Frankfurt and Amsterdam’s Schiphol are also collecting biometric data. Smaller airports remain the main problem. Sources said only 12 airports out of around 1,500 border crossing points are still experiencing difficulties. France has also not yet introduced the checks at the Port of Dover, where French officers carry out border controls on British soil. One regional airport highlighted by the EU earlier this summer could receive as many as 3,000 passengers in an hour during peak periods but had only four biometric booths available. Airlines have repeatedly warned that the new system risks creating long queues and missed connections. The International Air Transport Association called in July for a full suspension, citing disruption in Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium, while Ryanair warned of “queue chaos” at airports including Málaga and Palma. The EES was first adopted in 2017 and officially launched last October. Full implementation had initially been planned for April but was delayed again after problems emerged, particularly in Greece and Portugal. A pre-authorisation app, Travel to Europe, which allows passengers to upload their facial image and passport details before travelling, is expected to become available in seven countries. So far, it is operational only in Sweden and Portugal. (With information from The Guardian) Read more: Holidaymakers beware: What the EU’s new biometric borders mean for Cyprus travelers Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News The green transition of shipping concerns us all: Citizens’ voices are crucial Cyprus pupils plan Wednesday walkout over school conditions Himalayas approaching tipping point, millions of livelihoods at stake, report finds Almost four in ten deadly Limassol wildfire claims rejected, minister says City Friends Club organises cleanup drive for World Cleanup Day Who owns Europe’s AI future? The battle over data centres Kremlin defends drone strike near Poland border Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.