How should travel agents prepare travelers for Europe's EES border checks?

On November 9, Travel Market Report wrote that eu-LISA, the EU agency that runs Europe's border IT, has sued IBM, Atos and Leonardo over the Entry/Exit System. The suit is about missed deadlines and rising costs. For your travelers the system keeps running, and since September 6 border posts have lost the option to pause it when queues build. Thanksgiving and the holidays are close, so this is the week to plan Europe trips around it.

What is the EU Entry/Exit System?

It's Europe's digital record of who crosses its external borders. The European Commission says it registers each visitor's name, passport data, fingerprints and facial image, with the date and place of every entry and exit, and any refusal of entry. It runs at the external borders of 29 European countries.

The system started in stages on October 12, 2025. It became fully operational on April 10, 2026. On that date it replaced passport stamps, which lets border officers spot overstays of the 90 days in any 180 automatically.

What happens at the border on a first trip?

A US traveler registers at the first Schengen border they cross. An officer or a kiosk records their fingerprints and a face scan with the passport details. Travel Market Report says the record is kept for up to three years, so a repeat visit inside that time runs faster.

Two details matter for your bookings:

• The first Schengen airport is where it happens. A traveler flying New York to Rome through Frankfurt registers in Frankfurt, during the connection.
• Departure has a check too. The system records each exit, and airlines have warned that gates may close on passengers held up at exit control.

How long are the queues now?

Longer than before, and uneven by airport. IATA says a standard passport check that took 20 to 25 seconds now takes about 90 seconds. Travel Market Report puts first-time registration at two to three extra minutes per passenger, which turns into hours at peak times.

A study by the Financial Times and Qsensor, reported by Euronews, found average waits at Frankfurt reached 120 minutes in July, up from 60 a year earlier. Over the summer, member states could pause biometric checks at a crossing when queues got severe. That option ended on September 6. ABTA and IATA asked for it to run through the end of 2026, and the Commission kept the original date.

What does the lawsuit change for travelers?

Very little this season. Travel Market Report says the suit leaves the current use of the system as it is. It does tell you the system's problems are real and still open, so we'd plan as if the queues stay through the winter.

How should agents plan connections and departures?

Start with the first Schengen airport on each itinerary, since that's where the registration lands. Then work through these:

1. Lengthen connections at the first Schengen stop. A connection that met the airline's minimum last year may be too tight now. Give first-time visitors the most room.
2. Prefer a nonstop to the final city when the fares allow. Registration then happens at the destination, where a long queue costs time and leaves the onward flight safe.
3. Add time for departure. Tell travelers to reach the airport earlier than they used to for flights home from Europe.
4. Brief first-time visitors. Explain the fingerprints and the face scan before they fly, so they know what the kiosk will ask.
5. Note it in the booking. Add a remark to each Europe trip that the traveler was briefed, so the next agent who opens it sees it.

Where does ETIAS stand?

ETIAS is the online travel authorization visa-exempt visitors, US travelers included, will one day need before flying to Europe. The EU says it is currently out of operation and collects zero applications. In August the EU dropped its late-2026 target and said it will announce a start date several months before launch. Euronews reported that 2027 looks more likely, and that date is uncertain too.

The practical point is fraud. Sites already offer to sell ETIAS approvals, and Travel Market Report tells advisors to warn clients away from them. If a traveler mentions paying for one, ask where, and check their card statement with them.

What should agencies tell travelers this week?

Keep it to a short note on every Europe itinerary: expect a biometric check at the first Schengen airport, allow extra time on arrival and departure, and ignore anyone selling ETIAS. Then check the EU's own EES and ETIAS pages before each holiday week, since the rules have moved several times this year.

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