Americans Face 1-3 Hour Delays In European Destinations Due To New Fingerprinting Rules

You’ve booked the flights, dreamed of the tradition and are counting down the times till your European getaway. But a brand new, high-tech security system being rolled out at major airports is popping that dream arrival into lengthy traces and delays for Americans touchdown in some European locations. While some Americans are flying by means of the brand new system in minutes, others are reporting confusion and lengthy wait occasions. It will all rely on the place and whenever you land.

Here at Travel Off Path, we’re all about supplying you with the actual, on-the-ground intel it’s essential journey smarter. We’ve been monitoring a surge of stories from vacationers and official sources, and the story is obvious: the complicated, country-by-country launch of Europe’s new biometric border guidelines is inflicting delays, with some Americans reporting waits of up to three hours simply to get by means of immigration. Below we are going to go over the airports with the longest delays and what you’ll be able to count on in your flight.

Here’s what it’s essential know earlier than you fly.

First day of the brand new biometric screening for non EU nationals. The EU queue in Brussels airport nearly non existent as compared pic.twitter.com/vfN2zDOA1s

— Joe Lynam (@JoeBLynam) October 13, 2025

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What Exactly Is Happening on the Border?

This is all a part of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), the high-tech course of that’s changing conventional passport stamps. Instead of a border officer stamping your passport, non-EU vacationers now have to make use of a self-service kiosk to supply their biometric information: particularly, four fingerprints and a facial photograph.

While the purpose is to hurry issues up in the long term, the preliminary rollout has been a catastrophe in a number of key airports. An ideal storm of technical glitches, inadequate staffing to assist confused passengers, and a scarcity of clear directions is creating huge bottlenecks.

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Airports To Keep An Eye On

Based on a consensus of current traveler stories and official airport statements, these are the current hotspots for potential delays. Remember there are a lot of elements that may have an effect on wait occasions at immigrations together with the time you land and staffing ranges.

• Brussels, Belgium (BRU): This is the epicenter up to now. The airport has publicly acknowledged “challenges” with the brand new system, and vacationers are constantly reporting immigration queues of as much as three hours, inflicting missed connections and immense frustration.
• Prague, Czech Republic (PRG) : Prague’s Airport debut of the EU’s new EES biometric system was marked by chaos, as non-functioning self-service kiosks pressured all non-EU vacationers to be processed manually, resulting in immigration queues of up to 90 minutes. Travelers can now count on longer-than-usual waits and are being formally suggested to reach on the airport no less than three hours earlier than their departure to be protected.

@lucyadams19 Never happening vacation once more #fingerprint #faceid #entry #ques #entryexitsystem ♬ Jet2 Advert – ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧

• Rome, Italy (FCO): While the scenario in Rome shouldn’t be the meltdown seen in Brussels, vacationers ought to nonetheless be ready for a brand new and probably slower arrival course of. The EES system is now operational at Fiumicino Airport, and whereas widespread, multi-hour delays are usually not being constantly confirmed by official sources, a major variety of current on-the-ground traveler stories nonetheless level to longer-than-usual queues and confusion on the new kiosks. The backside line: your entry may very well be easy, or it may very well be sluggish, so budgeting further time is the sensible transfer.

• Spain (MAD & BCN): The scenario at Spain’s busiest airports is a transparent signal of the adjustments to come back, however the widespread chaos has not but arrived. Official bulletins and traveler stories affirm that Spain is conducting a really gradual and cautious rollout of the EES. This implies that whereas you will note the brand new biometric kiosks at Madrid and Barcelona, they’re being carried out in a phased method. For now, widespread, constantly lengthy queues are usually not a significant subject, however vacationers ought to be conscious that the system is new and the scenario is growing.
• Paris, France (CDG): The rollout in Paris is inflicting some confusion. Charles de Gaulle airport is utilizing a “hybrid system,” the place some passengers are directed to the brand new EES kiosks whereas others nonetheless go to conventional passport cubicles. While this isn’t but inflicting the type of extreme, multi-hour delays seen elsewhere, a consensus of current traveler stories signifies that the complicated course of can create unpredictable traces. The takeaway for vacationers is that the scenario is fluid; when you would possibly get fortunate with a fast entry, it is sensible to be ready for a slower and extra disorganized course of than you are used to.

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Hold On, Is This The Same as ETIAS?

This is a crucial level of confusion, so let’s make it easy: No, that is fully separate from the ETIAS.

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What This Means For Your Trip This Fall & Winter

If you’re flying to Europe within the coming months, it’s essential be ready for a brand new and probably a lot slower arrival expertise.

1. Connecting Flights are Risky: If your itinerary has a brief connection, you’re at excessive threat of lacking your subsequent flight. We strongly advise permitting no less than three hours for any connection in a Schengen zone nation till these points are resolved.
2. Be Prepared for Biometrics: Know that you may be required to supply your fingerprints and a photograph. Having your passport prepared and following the kiosk directions is the quickest means by means of.
3. This is The New Normal (For Now): This is not a one-day downside. As extra nations activate their methods on this complicated, phased rollout, these delays are more likely to develop into extra widespread earlier than they get higher.

Navigating the world of journey guidelines could be a headache, but it surely would not need to be. To keep on high of this and some other adjustments, one of the best instrument is our 1 Minute Trip Check, which provides you the real-time entry necessities for any vacation spot.