Most non-Europeans visiting Europe now have to go through a new Entry-Exit System in airports(Image: Getty)

Americans heading to their Euro summer plans should prepare for some extra time in the airport, as a new processing system is causing travel chaos.

On April 10, the European Union (EU) fully rolled out its new Entry-Exit System (EES),replacing manual passport stampingwith a digital system that records the exact entry and exit times for all non-EU residents.

Since the new electronic biometric border control system was fully implemented after its initial launch in October 2025, travelers have been reportinghours-long lines and delays at airports. As the height of summertravelapproaches, there are concerns about how long the lines could get as airports become more busy. It comes as anew passport rule could block thousands of Americans from traveling abroad this summer came into force on June 1.

The digital system to replace manual passport stamping is required for non-EU nationals entering the 29 Schengen countries of the European Union to register their personal information and biometric data, such as fingerprints and a photo.

This system applies to any visits lasting up to 90 days within a 180-day period. A spokesperson for the European Commission toldBusiness Insiderin April that the registration process takes an average of just over a minute.

According to theEU, the new ESS will make border checks more efficient and modern; travelers will be able to spend less time at the border due to “faster checks, self-service options, and the possibility to give their information in advance”; it will prevent “irregular migration” by collecting fingerprint and face data of travelers; and it will increase security at Europe’s borders.

Travelers have already been sharing footage and their frustrations with the new system, as they’ve been hit with winding lines and delays. CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward shared a video last week at Lisbon Airport in Portugal of passengers waiting in massive lines to be processed by the system.

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"I stood in the longest line I have ever seen in my life (no joke)," Ward wrote in the Instagram caption.

Source: Drudge Report