Has anyone from uk had any experience with the new Entry/Exit System at airports When travelling to Europe?
Posted by Lunderscoreiam@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 32 comments
Just wondering what to expect what the process is? Is it only on arrival to the country and departure from the country do we have to do any if it on return back to UK? What sort of extra time would you recommend arriving to airport?
mogwai36@reddit
It took over 1 hour to get through when entering Tromso. When I visted in March this year, we had a nightmare coming back to Manchester again we got to the airport early and again it took another hour getting through to our gate.
OldLondon@reddit
In at Lanzarote - face, passport and fingerprint register on one terminal, then an e gate like at Gatwick, then the customs bloke to stamp my passport.
Coming back out
Passport and face at a terminal on the airport before the boarding gate (wasn’t really clear you needed to do that)
Then another e gate and passport check
Seemed all a bit random with the physical checks too
Majestic_Matt_459@reddit
Yes im a Travel Agent - feel free to DM me - expect queues on arrival but yuou basically go to machines and they do fingerprints etc - if the machine fails or queues too long, they may send you to normal guys who'll maybe stamp your passport
#THE BIG ONE TO WATCH# - is on return - after youve gone through security, don't dilly dally around in duty free or cafes - go find the gates for uk flights 9if your gate isnt up yet lok for an earlier flight) and you'll get an idea of the gates eg all G - G3, G5 etc and go and look and see ids there a big queue - if so jopin it at least 90 mins before your flight - you're expected at gate 45 mins before flight and they can shut gate 30 mins before - this is where people have missed flights
Nothing different UK end going or coming back
Greece has dropped it entirely for this summer and Portugal are pausing it during busy times but Spain/Italy esp Madrid and Milan, are having big issues
Acceptable-Ad-4437@reddit
I’ve DMed. Hope you don’t mind. Ignore if you do. Thank you.
Majestic_Matt_459@reddit
No Probs I’ll reply tomorrow. Birthday today
NortonBurns@reddit
I don't travel anywhere near as much as I used to, but last Summer's holiday in Portugal you wouldn't have known we ever left the EU.
Better scanners both ways with no more liquid in plastic bags stuff - phones, laptops just stay in your bag. Belts & big shoes they don't like, so that hasn't changed.
We used the E-Gates for passports at both ends.
ArcTan_Pete@reddit
I think people may have downvoted you for a couple of reasons
1) the issue with the liquids scanner is a security thing - yes, it's better but it is not relevant to the EES border checks
2) the border checks - the e-gates - has changed significantly since last summer. Now you will need to have your fingerprints scanned as well as your picture taken - you may be asked detailed questions about your stay.
It's new, and your memories of last summers trip is not relevant to what you can expect today
Thin-Accountant-3698@reddit
Portugal are our friends. they understand
ALi_K_501@reddit
Lisbon Airport last week was FUCKING HORRENDOUS!
Three thousand people in the queue ( my guess of around 10 planes worth of passengers).
Took 2.5 hours. Scan machines worked at random. Not recognising fingerprints then stuck in a death loop, finally told to join the queue for the booths.
Exit was quicker but still took an hour. Arrival in Bristol was quick and easy.
StiffAssedBrit@reddit
Are the tour operators adjusting transfer times to take these problems into account? I remember being dropped at the airport, in Menorca, two hours before our return flight and hitting long queues for passport checks. We barely made our flight and that was back in 2024, well before the new system. It looks like transfers will need to be getting us the the airport 4 or 5 hours before the flights.
Thin-Accountant-3698@reddit
was in kos and they looked at passport and waved u through. two planes of uk arrivals Kos local government know. they know. sensible
Thin-Accountant-3698@reddit
fact the Irish don'tt have to do this proves its nothing to do with security.
ArcTan_Pete@reddit
I traveled to Poznan (Poland) in March.
It's a small airport. It took a lot longer for Non-EU nationals to go through the arrivals (It's usually 10 minutes - since most of the passengers are Polish people - this time it took 20 minutes.
Personally, I had to have my fingerprints scanned 4 or 5 times before they were satisfied.
returning to the UK, from Poznan, it took about 5 minutes (literally) for just my fingerprints - I must have had them scanned and rescanned a dozen times - even when they let me through, I dont know if it was because they finally matched, or simply because I was holding up the rest of the queue and they had had enough.
Colink98@reddit
Traveled from AMS to London via the Eurostar last week
Stupid long queues Too ages They were checking people in via hand held scanners prior to passport control
Train was delayed 20 mins
Only 2 of the 6 (or more) passport booths were staffed
Heading from London to AMS the day before took 10 mins Only
fizzysmoke@reddit
Thing is, all this hassle for your regular mostly law abiding citizens is only going to be able to identify law abiding citizens. The surveillance we have to accept these days just being your average everyday nobody is getting beyond ridiculous.
boomerangchampion@reddit
I agree. I assume this stuff does actually catch bandits or reduce crime, it'd be nice to see some news stories about it so it doesn't feel like a pointless hassle.
scottishsilversurfer@reddit
Allow extra time, be alert and have any paperwork/phones at correct forms, I'm sick of being delayed by idiots who haven't got their phones switched on!!!.
Edthehog@reddit
Stansted to Madrid 14th April. Arrived in Madrid, no queue at ‘registration machines’. Scanned passport, photo taken, fingerprints done, answered a few questions and done in less than 5 mins. Then went through biometric scanner and that was it! Return: straight through biometric scanner. No queue, no wait. Well done Madrid airport.
landwomble@reddit
Went through Poland a few weeks ago. Pov spec British passport meant separate line and biometric eye scan, fingerprints and very slow process. Each scan seemed to take several minutes to complete. They had a border guard with a phone doing scans of face/fingerprints in the queue to try and speed it up. I'd allow some extra time
Conscious-Pie-4794@reddit
I'm going to Poland soon and I have seen it's chaos. Some people waiting 4 hours to get through. I am packing extra drink, snacks etc in my bag in case I am unlucky and have to queue for an unreasonable amount of time.
landwomble@reddit
I think it's because it was new, I'd hope that a) the IT system was faster now as literally 4 mins per person was crazy and b) they've added more gates. Was a proper mother getting in to Poland, much faster getting out.
fizzysmoke@reddit
Went to one of the canary Islands early February and honestly it was a disaster entry and exit. I felt sorry for the airport staff. The worse part was the face scan, took like 20 seconds and if you move slightly it fails but it took ages to retry the scan as the software was so sluggish. Maybe they have had updates since.
clearbrian@reddit
partner transfered through amsterdam schipol midday on a friday. slow but moving. a few stressed americans asking to jump the queue. return he had 1hr 20 to transfer at schipol. ran for security. through in 15. at his gate way too early :)
Particular_Pickle465@reddit
They scan face and fingerprints and then they ask questions like what the purpose of the trip is, where you are staying, whether you have proof of your accommodation and whether you can prove you have enough money for your trip. Queues weren’t too bad in Spain. Only had to wait five minutes or so. On the return journey you just scan your passport and then go through the e gates.
shak_0508@reddit
Watched this video on it a while ago
https://youtu.be/4K3zIAjYNUw?si=qRwWmtM2kElabAX9
shak_0508@reddit
Watched this video a bit ago
https://youtu.be/Dk2bN7vhCXc?si=SIustr1C14En6Nrk
jamdoughnut_uk@reddit
I went to Amsterdam on 4 April and ended up waiting around three hours in total.
After landing, you need to queue to register your passport details, facial image, and fingerprints. There were around 35 machines for the EES process, but a lot of people needed to use them, so I spent about an hour and a half just queuing. The actual EES registration only took about two minutes.
After that, I queued for another 40 minutes at passport control. This was just my experience; it was probably longer due to the bank holidays.
A friend of mine went to Madrid last week and was through in just five minutes, so it really depends.
jamdoughnut_uk@reddit
jamdoughnut_uk@reddit
No_Preference9093@reddit
On arrival you use a terminal to scan your passport and face and answer some basic questions. It asks you when you plan to leave the EU, if you could evidence having enough money to fund your stay (and it gives an amount, presumably based on the length of stay you enter). There are a couple of other basic questions I don’t remember well but nothing complex. It then says ‘awaiting police decision’ while it processes (or at least the Spanish ones do. You then are told you can move on to the border guard where they will stamp your passport (but with this they soon they won’t need to).
On the way out you use a scanner like the e-gates we have. You scan your passport and it looks at your face. If it’s happy it will open the gates and you can go to your gate and board your flight.
We got out fine, but the scanners were incredibly slow (think a couple of minutes per person of ‘processing’). They also rejected my passport the first time, and the second time it even opened the gates but as soon as I took a step forward it slammed them shut into my leg so I had to scan it a third time. Eventually I got to my gate.
Go in plenty of time because the exit ones are pretty slow and fussy. There were very big queues because of this. This was March 2026 in Spain.
morgennebelimgebirge@reddit
Flew to/from Zürich two weeks ago. Process in the UK the same as before. On arrival fingerprints and photo taken, passport stamped. Coming back long queues - security was quick but queue for the border took almost an hour for processing. Sadly no exit stamp. Back to Heathrow through the e-gates.
Annoyingly I did all this in France in February too...
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