EES is one big mess

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/23/new-eu-border-checks-ees-uk-travellers-visa-queues

This is a Guardian article about some of the issues. It’s a very ambitious system to try and manage.

Indeed. We entered through Copenhagen last week. What a mess.

We entered and left through Budapest in May. First time for EES. Husband was on mobility scooter so we got special assistance and all went without problem, rather faster than others in our group who had to queue for up to an hour.
Interestingly, someone posted a link to the EES tracking system the other day (https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/check-how-long-you-can-stay and it has us recorded correctly.

the link worked correctly for me, shows the 8 days I was in Spain in April.

Lin C, thanks for that link! I just checked my records against theirs and we are off about 3 days, which is probably my mistake somewhere. Theirs is the record that matters, though, so it’s great to be able to see that! At the end of my next trip, I’ll be somewhat close to the limit and I love the confirmation I am ok.

I was the one who posted the previous thread with all the above links. I wanted to follow up with new information.

The link worked for me for my upcoming trip to Denmark. I recently went through the Amsterdam airport August 1st.

Really not looking forward to flying out of Lisbon on Thursday morning. Not the greatest airport to fly out of at the best of times, let alone with EES.

Really not looking forward to flying out of Lisbon on Thursday morning. Not the greatest airport to fly out of at the best of times, let alone with EES.

@GregW - we connected through LIS on our way home from Spain. It was a frustrating NIGHTMARE (more for some than others) as it was several planes arriving close together in time and folks with tight (not tight in "normal" times) connections. Staff was overwhelmed and struggling to get the automated machines working. Eventually, we heard our departing plane mentioned by a staffer and were able to get them to take our group to a dedicated line with an agent to allow us to make our connection. My bet is some folks were too overwhelmed or not paying attention and missed their flights in the chaos. This was in May, so maybe some improvements have been made.

My advice would be 1) get to the airport with plenty of time (pay attention though to when the gates open) to get through security and EES, 2) if CONNECTING, book a ticket with more wiggle room than normal for that connection, and 3) PAY ATTENTION to stuff going on around you as you might be in a "normal" line, and a "priority" line has formed for tight connections/flights leaving soon.

Thanks, FrankII! I had missed that thread!

Thanks for sharing that link above. Should I be concerned that when I looked up my own passport I got an error message saying, "Your remaining authorised stay cannot currently be calculated due to temporary incomplete data in the Entry/Exit System."? I've been within the Schengen zone three times since April (Italy once and France twice). Now I am concerned I've not been properly recorded.

he link worked correctly for me, shows the 8 days I was in Spain in April.

and this

I got an error message saying, "Your remaining authorised stay cannot currently be calculated due to temporary incomplete data in the Entry/Exit System."? I've been within the Schengen zone three times since April (Italy once and France twice). Now I am concerned I've not been properly recorded.

I wonder if integrating data from multiple countries is a 'bug to be fixed'.

I just checked my records against theirs and we are off about 3 days

I thought my count was off too until I noticed they are not counting time before April 10th. So, my March Spain trip is not included.

I am blessed, I dont have to mess with it ... yet.

I had a somewhat similar situation from last spring. FCO EES worked great on entry. At departure, the machines weren’t used and an officer gave my passport a perfunctory look and waved me on without scanning. Fast forward a few months to me entering again at Helsinki. The officer informed me there was no record of me leaving the Schengen zone in the spring. I answered additional questions, was able to quickly document date and flight number I left on, and the officer placed notes within the system. The fact that I had arrived on a direct flight from the US clearly supported my case as well. When I told him I flew out of Rome that seemed to explain a lot of the situation in his mind………

Make sure you get stamped or passport scanned. I’m entering through Helsinki again this weekend and am relieved that they know what they are doing there and do it efficiently.

Myself, and my experiences, it matters much which airports you go through, and perhaps your personal details.

I have been through the Schengen area a couple times this year, it really took no more time than other times I was through, but then I went through AMS, I would dread going through Lisbon (been there a couple times before), and they were a mess years ago, and I doubt it has improved.

My personal observation is that it has worked great for my wife. She goes to the kiosk, scans her passport, takes a picture, then directed to the e-gates, and she is out in 5-10 minutes. Myself, I have a problem, I am missing part of my index and middle finger on my right hand, so I am asked to scan and rescan my fingerprints (usually tells me I am using my wrong hand) then after a few attempts, it tells me to go to the manual lines, and that is what takes time.

Other than that, EES is a non-event, even going to the manual lines, is only maybe a 20 minute exercise, no difference really than before.

Now if your Schengen first stop is Germany, be prepared to go through a manual line, for other reasons.

Now if your Schengen first stop is Germany, be prepared to go through a manual line, for other reasons.

If you have EAsypass, you can use the egates. However, when you get through there will be someone there to stamp your passport. The Germans still like stamps.

Well, a surprisingly hassle-free experience at LIS today. Took me less than 5 mins to get thru EES and the e-gates. Although I noticed the manual passport control queues were huge - there were people pleading to be allowed through to catch their flight.

EES is one big mess

Is it "one" big mess or 29 smaller messes that have collided? ( and how many angels fit on a pin head?)

I arrived in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in June. I didn't notice the problem. I had to press 4 fingers of one hand against a scanning machine. The employee stamped my passport. I waited a lot less time than I feared it would take.

I just have a question about EES entry formalities concerning subsequent visits to Schangen Zone. After initial EES registration when the Non EU visitor will get their Face and finger prints scanned along with their Passport on their first arrival to the EU country at the Airport, does one need to undergo facial and fingerprint scanning during subsequent visits to an EU country? (I would have thought that these data will be stored in their system and only a Passport scan would be adequate on subsequent visits).
I look forward to knowing about the experience of frequent travellers to EU Zone regarding this matter.

Theoretically, once registered you are supposed to be able to use the EES machines, put in your passort, and you are done. No more stamping.

Theoretically.

However, it seems communications between countries and machines isn't up to par, some countries, like Germany, still want stamps, and in some cases registration isn't lasting.

The best suggestion is to have patience for the time being. You may be through in minutes or it make take hours.

Westnova, it seems every airport is handling things differently and inconsistently.

In March, I used the EES machines in Madrid, and it was super fast.

In May, I waited in long lines at Copenhagen Airport to see an agent because no machines were being used. I had my fingerprints taken again and my face scanned.

In a couple of weeks, I will be entering through Vienna and have no idea what to expect.

As Frank suggested, you just have to be patient.

I've only arrived from outside Schengen at an airport at Madrid and Budapest. Not perfect but worksble. I havent seen or read anything that screams disaster. Just be patient, it will pass.

Carrie, I entered Vienna in April. The immigration hall was literally empty when I got there and I was through in less than a minute.

No machines. I had to see an officer. He took my photo and fingerprints but since I was the first one off my flight, it was quick and easy.

I can't promise it's always like that.

Thanks Frank! No guarantees, but that’s certainly better than hearing it took 5 hours. :-)

I’ll be arriving in Milan Malpensa airport around 6:45am on a Sunday morning in mid October. I have no idea what to expect regarding EES.

It would be wonderful if I could catch an 8:45 train from Milano Centrale. I will only have my carry-on bag, but who knows how long EES will take and if I can make the Malpensa Express train to arrive at Milano Centrale with enough time to spare. I am a wheelchair passenger, so I don’t know if that will help me or make things worse in terms of catching that train assuming no delays from the USA.

I had a somewhat similar situation from last spring. FCO EES worked great on entry. At departure, the machines weren’t used and an officer gave my passport a perfunctory look and waved me on without scanning. Fast forward a few months to me entering again at Helsinki. The officer informed me there was no record of me leaving the Schengen zone in the spring.

I entered and departed through Copenhagen recently. On the way there they weren't using EES so no fingerprints, scanning passport or picture taken. On the way home EES was in full effect, although they were not using kiosks so everyone still had to stand in line to speak with an actual person. The agent looked at my passport and said there was no record in the system of me leaving FCO earlier this year, but fortunately there was a stamp so she entered it into the system manually.

Most of the bad news I have heard is somewhat dated. I've done three entries in the 4 months (Madrid and Budapest x 2); well, 4 if you count a land entry (Záhony Határátkelőhely).

Yes, the lines were longer than before this stuff, but it didnt look like any line was more than 30 minutes long.

Yes, mistakes will be made but I dont think anyone in the EU is out to get the tourists so any reasonable demonstration of complianc will get things corrected.

I entered Schengen on May 27 in Paris CDG prior to noon, ie, Part 1 of the trip, nothing struck me as amiss, waiting times were not worth noticing, the entire process went smoothly and quickly....too quickly.

The disappointment came when the passport was not stamped but I had expected that sort regrettable omission.

On 16 Sept flying back from Part 2 CDG to SFO same experience, hardly any wait time worth mentioning, hardly any lines, this early ca. 08:30. This year's trip I decided to cut it close re: Schengen allowable days, all days in parts 1 and 2 were spent in Schengen amounting to 87.

The arrival and depart experiences at Border Control did not involve any questions put to me. My picture was taken , no one said anything, very perfunctory.

My experience too. But to be clear, I am exempt. But exempt on a US passport just doesnt fit the flow so I get in wrong lines because tgere is no easily identifiable right line, until I can flag down a human ... so, for now, takes about the same as non exempt.

Part of the fun with traveling is seeing the 15 stamps from Franfurt and other countries in my passport. Im tired of all the digital, they should have stamp kiosks if people want one.

No stamping in Paris CDG....regrettably and unfortunately. Nice to hear that Frankfurt is still hanging on to that practice...still hope yet.

The only negative experience since 2023 at Border Control in CDG is being directed to a scanner. I go and it doesn't work, tell "them" "marche pas" then am pointed to another scanner, and as luck would have it, that one doesn't work either....lovely but then so what? The attendants are frustrated too. I encountered this twice.