Aussies warned of long airport delays, missed flights after introduction of EU’s Electronic Entry System 

If you’re planning on a Euro summer you had better brace yourself, the new European Union entry system is causing absolute chaos.

Aussies have been warned to expect hours-long delays at the airport on arrival and even the prospect of missing flights after the turmoil created by the introduction of the border control measure.

The system has been plagued with issues since being gradually rolled out from October 2025 and coming into effect on April 10, but an influx of travellers from all over the world for the peak summer season has exacerbated the problems and worsened the delays.

One traveller who missed her flight called it a “total cluster f..k”.

Some airlines have reportedly begged authorities to suspend the measures during the high season.

“The EES is currently causing delays of up to 4-6 hours in some European airports. Travellers have missed flights as a result. Take delays into account when booking your travel,” a Smartraveller update issued on Friday advises.

It advises travellers to allow extra time between connecting flights, to choose flexible flight options and to arrive at the airport well before your flight is due to leave.

“Queues to access EES self-service kiosks are long. Be prepared to stand for an extended time. Take food and water if needed. If you have mobility or health concerns that limit how long you can stand, talk to airport support staff,” the Smartraveller advice reads.

“The process may be quicker if the country you’re in lets you give your initial data using an EES mobile app. But still be prepared for delays.”

The ESS is a digital identity record for non-Europeans travelling in the Schengen area — a group of 29 countries with common border rules — for short stays.

It is meant to streamline and improve border processing by replacing the manual stamping of passports but it’s currently doing the opposite at numerous airports.

Travellers who enter the Schengen zone for their first visit after the introduction of the EES are required to have their fingerprints and photos taken and answer a series of questions in order to create a digital record that registers their biometric details.

CNN reporter Clarissa Ward has experienced the chaos first hand.

Earlier this week, she took to Instagram to vent her frustration after missing a flight.

“Chaos at Lisbon airport today. And I mean chaos,” she wrote.

“I stood in the longest line I have ever seen in my life (no joke). All because of the EU’s recently updated Entry/Exit System, which requires biometric scanning for every non-EU passport holder.

“I saw lots of elderly people and families with small children. People who missed connections. Others who missed flights. Me included.

“Airport staff only let TAP (Portugal’s main airline) passengers cut the line if they were seconds away from missing their flight. Everyone else? Good luck.

“Since the much delayed rollout began in October there have been similar scenes in many European cities.

“Airlines are begging airports to suspend the new measures during peak summer travel. EU officials called this a “digital leap.” From where I was standing, it looked more like a total cluster f*$k.”