- The temporary pause allowance for EES biometric checks expires on 6 September 2026
- Frontex has confirmed the flexibility will not be renewed despite airline and airport requests
- Nine EU countries including France, Germany and Italy have petitioned for an extension
- Major Schengen hubs face significantly longer passport control queues
- Border authorities have lost the legal option to bypass biometric scanning
- Ryanair has repeatedly claimed of inefficiencies at border check points
- Aircraft have departed some European airport without passengers because of delays
The temporary flexibility window allowing EU member states to pause biometric checks under the EU Entry/Exit System during long queues is set to expire on Sunday 6 September 2026, threatening increased airport congestion for holidaymakers travelling to the Schengen zone.
Border authorities will reliquish the legal option to temporarily switch off digital fingerprint and photo scanning when airport or port queues become severe following the expiration. The EU border agency Frontex confirmed the temporary pause allowance will not be renewed despite requests from airline and airport groups. Transport industry bodies and the governments of nine EU countries including France, Germany, Italy and Greece have actively petitioned Brussels to extend the mechanism due to fears of severe border bottlenecks.
Travellers through major Schengen hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol or Lisbon should expect significantly longer passport control queues and allocate extra connection time from this date. The EES system has required fingerprinting and facial scans for all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area, with the flexibility mechanism originally designed to allow progressive rollout. Member states have been given a safeguard or partial suspension mechanism which has now been phased out completely.
Eoghan Corry editor of Travel Extra shared: “Border authorities can no longer temporarily switch off digital fingerprint and photo scanning when airport or port queues become severe. The temporary flexibility window allowing EU member states to pause biometric checks under the EU Entry/Exit System during long queues expires on September 6, 2026. Passengers travelling through major Schengen hubs after this date and expect significantly longer passport control queues and ensure you allocate extra connection time”
