Simon Calder answers your EU entry-exit system questions – from queues to what happens if you miss your flight

British travellers heading to Europe are facing disruption and confusion following the rollout of the EU’s new entry-exit system (EES).

The chaos was laid bare when 122 easyJet passengers were left behind in Milan due to long biometric queues – fuelling fears for the summer holiday season.

During my latest Ask Me Anything, readers asked who is responsible for missed flights, what support is available, and how the system works in practice.

I explained that passengers will usually bear the cost of delays at border control, with airlines and insurers unlikely to help unless trips are booked as package holidays.

Other questions covered repeat fingerprinting, airport queues and support for disabled travellers, with teething problems still affecting how the system is applied.

With patchy implementation and limited protections, travellers are being urged to allow extra time and prepare for delays.

Here are some of your questions – and my answers from the Q&A.

Delays, missed flights and liability

Q: If I miss my flight due to EES queues, who is responsible?

Anonymous

A: As 122 easyJet passengers found out yesterday, they are entirely responsible for sorting out – and paying for – their travel disarray.

The only possible route I can see for any claims is if you have booked a package holiday – but even then the tour operator may be able to argue that its obligation is over once you are delivered to the departure airport for your homeward flight.

Q: Can I claim costs after missing a flight due to EES queues?

Anonymous

A: Nobody is particularly interested in helping such people. Airlines say it is down to the passenger to ensure they are at the gate on time. Insurance will not pay out.

I have just been told by a spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers: “Longer wait times are expected as the entry-exit system comes into effect and we’d encourage customers to plan in advance and be prepared for possible delays. Travel insurance is unlikely to cover losses from delays caused by EES queues, so if you miss your flight, or other parts of your trip, it’s best to speak to your airline, accommodation provider or tour operator in the first instance.”

I cannot imagine that legal action against the airport would work, because they would just push it along to the border police, who would say, approximately, “we will take as long as we see fit”.

How EES works in practice

Q: Will I be charged for fingerprint scans?

Anonymous

A: No. However, when the EES is finally up and running, we will get six months’ warning of the start of ETIAS – the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. There will be a €20 (£17) charge for this so-called Euro visa.

Q: Why am I still being fingerprinted repeatedly after registering?

Theatregoer

A: You absolutely should not be fingerprinted every time you enter and leave, but it appears that at some national frontiers the registration system is not working properly and therefore does not recognise travellers who have already provided their biometrics. I think this would be classed as teething problems by Brussels.

Q: I registered at Eurostar. Will I get a separate queue next time I travel?

Anonymous

A: Congratulations on registering at the Eurostar terminal. All the EES kiosks at the station are currently standing idle. Unfortunately, at most frontiers – including Zurich Airport – you will need to go to an EES kiosk before proceeding to the actual border, whether that is a manned post or an eGate.

The only fast track I know of is at Palma Airport in Spain. Inbound travellers are asked if they have previously registered, and if they have they are directed to eGates.

Of course, none of this applies to holders of passports from EU nations, who will always get a fast track and need not provide biometrics.

Q: Will mixed EU/UK families still be processed together?

Moo100

A: Non-EU queue for them, I’m afraid. It’s what we voted for.

Q: Can UK residents with EU visas or residency bypass EES?

Anonymous

A: There is no way for third-country nationals to bypass the initial EES procedure. The EU wants to keep scrupulous records of all crossings of the Schengen area frontier by British and other travellers.

You might be in luck in the following way: the kiosk might recognise your residency card and say no need to do anything here, go straight to the gates.

Q: Why am I getting both EES registration and passport stamps?

CakeladyGB

A: For the six-month rollout of the EES, we had to expect double red tape – definitely passport stamping, possibly EES registration. The stamping should have ended everywhere, and in most cases it will disappear.

When you go to Spain, hopefully you will just get the EES treatment and your passport will not fill up with stamps at an alarming rate.

Q: How does EES handle non-EU family members exceeding 90/180 days?

Anonymous

A: As designed, the entry-exit system applies to all non-EU/Schengen area citizens. Therefore, this is a mandatory stage in all cross-border journeys.

I imagine that at some stage an official will put a note in the system to the effect that this is a family member of an EU citizen. But as far as I know there is no automatic way to register that.

Accessibility and special assistance

Q: I’m a mobility-impaired passenger worried about EES delays and health impacts. Is there support for disabled travellers?

SpL

A: I understand your concerns. The best plan is to make sure that you have special assistance in place at the airport. This should enable you to avoid many of the problems that people are encountering.

Q: I’m flying to Lanzarote and have requested assistance – how are wheelchair passengers being handled?

Anonymous

A: I am glad to hear that you have special assistance. From my observations and from talking to disabled travellers, this is normally provided in a dignified and caring way. I hope you will be fast-tracked through.

Q: My daughter can’t provide fingerprints on one hand – what happens with EES

Anonymous

A: One important aspect of the new rules is that travellers should be treated with dignity throughout the process. Those who are unable to provide the four fingerprints from the right hand will not need to do so. There is no need to carry a letter from a doctor, since frontier officials should readily recognise cases where fingerprinting is not going to work.

The same applies to amputees, and those whose fingerprints are too faint as a result of injury, old age or other factors.

Flying and what to expect at airports

Q: What should I expect flying to Zakynthos from Liverpool?

Cagsy

A: Liverpool Airport should be its normal, cheerful and easy self. No passport checks outbound. Zakynthos (Zante) is one of many Greek island airports where there is the possibility of long queues on both arrival and departure.

You should be able to get a sense on arrival of how organised things are, which can then inform how early you get to the airport for departure. Back at Liverpool, just go through the eGates as normal.

Q: Is 2.5 hours enough to connect via Barcelona to Bordeaux?

Anonymous

A: An interesting routing. You are taking a UK–Schengen area–Schengen area journey. As with all such trips, EES registration takes place the first time you cross a frontier.

Two and a half hours should be fine. If you have booked a through ticket and it ends up taking so long that you miss the connection, the chances are that the airline will look after you – rebooking you on the next departure and possibly even providing accommodation. But if you have arranged two separate flights, you have no such rights.

The onward flight is essentially a domestic trip, and the only time you are likely to be asked for identification is a quick match with your boarding pass at the departure gate.

Q: Travelling from Belfast to Gran Canaria – when do biometrics happen?

Anonymous

A: There are no passport checks on outbound passengers from UK airports. On arrival in Gran Canaria, if you have not had your fingerprints and facial biometrics taken, you will be required to provide them at the airport.

On the way back, from Las Palmas Airport, you should only need to provide a facial biometric. Back at Belfast, just use the eGates as normal.

Check if you qualify for Irish passports, in which case all your EES pain is over.

Q: Do UK passport holders need EES when flying Dublin–Spain?

Anonymous

A: Yes, you will certainly need to go through the EES. Unlike Irish passport holders on the same flight, who will simply go through the eGates. All they need to do is show that they have a valid passport and that it belongs to them – achieved with use of facial biometrics. They will be the people on the beach or in the bar ahead of you and me.

Road trips and ferries

Q: Driving across Europe (outbound via Eurotunnel, France, Croatia, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and returning via Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and France) – what EES issues should I expect?

Anonymous

A: Your trip sounds blissful – and blissfully free of red tape. The only time you will encounter any proper border formalities is on leaving Folkestone for Calais on your way out – where the entry-exit system will most certainly not be working – and at the French port on your return from the trip.

Everywhere else is in the Schengen area. So I would say almost zero “requirements, risks and issues” to be aware of. Have a fantastic trip.

Q: Will there be delays for cars using ferries or Eurotunnel this summer?

Anonymous

A: Thankfully no, but only because the French IT systems are not currently working in conjunction with the extremely expensive infrastructure in which the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel have invested.

So for the summer, it should simply be as normal – with particular queues on peak days, especially the first Friday and Saturday of the main school holidays in England, 24 and 25 July 2026. Good luck everybody.

These questions and answers were part of an ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted by Simon Calder on Monday 13 April. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the original article.

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