We’re a month out from a trip to Italy and we’ll be flying from the US with an hour and 45 minute layover in Lisbon. I just read about passport control and how it takes a long time to get through it. I read on another post someone (with a US passport leaving Lisbon going to the US) was able to go through electronic gates and it saved them a lot of time. My question is will we be able to use the electronic gates going from the US to Lisbon or is it just for leaving Lisbon and going to a country outside of the Schengen zone?
Posted by
ATL, USA
422 posts
I was in Lisbon ten days ago. There were electronic passport gates entering and leaving LIS, with separate lines for EU passports and US/Canada/UK. Of course how long it takes to go through when you arrive depends on if there are a lot of other flights landing at the same time. You're also approaching high season and I was there the first week of February. I'm also not sure of the process of transferring to your next flight; it should be straightforward but you will probably have to go through security again. Lisbon was my destination so I didn't have to.
Our flight was delayed about three hours (we had to divert to an air force base in the Azores for a medical emergency) but it took no time at all when we landed to go through passport control. There was no line for US passports. We went through the gate, then a person looked at our passport and waved us through. Easy peasy.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1678 posts
You can use the electronic gates if your passport is newer and has the strip at the bottom of the face page. There is also a separate security for those making transfers. If your arrival flight is on time, you should be fine. I’ve found the flights arriving from the states arriving earlier than scheduled - at least on the flights I’ve been on.
Posted by
USA
91 posts
Was told re entry at LIS airport that US passport can be used at e-gate on arrival but line was much faster at "all other passport" category
However, while returning from , Lisbon " emigration" line was horrendous and there was no separate line for US passports This is the long line after usual security and before boading. Many first time US visitors gets blindsided by this long "emigration" line as there is no such thing in USA. Our flight was held 10 minutes to allow for some 10+ stragglers to mage it through.