The Reality of EES
You’ve been hearing about ETIAS for years but EES is here first. This biometric screening is supposed to occur when you enter one of 30 participating European countries, starting April 10th. The reality is, it’s not so consistent, yet.
When I entered Porto on April 15th, they were ornamental at best. I’m not sure if they had accounted for this, as the line was so long they started to hand out water bottles! My advice is pack your patience.
Other airports currently seem to be a mixed bag, sometimes the waits are long and others more efficient. One traveler I joined, who with came through Lisbon, let me know that the system wouldn’t take their fingerprints no matter how many times they tried.
I’m curious to see how these entry points handle peak season this summer. Authorities can partially suspend biometric data collection to manage severe crowds (or biometric scanners that don’t want to take fingerprints!).
If you plan on connecting flights in Europe this summer, you should consider picking a longer layover, just in case.