Barely 24 hours after confirming a continent-wide delay to the Entry/Exit System (EES), the European Commission went a step further, announcing on 3 February that Schengen states will be allowed to switch the biometric system on and off during an additional 90-day ‘grace window’, extendable by 60 days, to prevent dangerous congestion at airports, seaports and land crossings.
The move follows blistering criticism from Airports Council International Europe, which warned that processing times had already risen by up to 70 % at early-adopter hubs. Geneva Airport, a key gateway for multinational HQs and UN agencies, was cited by ACI after queues snaked the length of the arrivals hall earlier this week. Under the new flexibility, Swiss border-authorities will be able to revert to manual passport-stamping during the July-August holiday rush if kiosk lines become unmanageable, then resume biometric capture once passenger volumes normalise.
![Brussels gives member states—including Switzerland—power to pause EES checks during summer surge]()
For mobility teams relocating staff to Switzerland—or routing executives through Swiss hubs—the announcement translates into an even more unpredictable border experience in the short term: some travellers may clear in seconds if kiosks are active, while others arriving an hour later could be funnelled to manual booths if the system has been ‘stood down’. Businesses should therefore equip travellers with updated arrival instructions via mobile-alert platforms and remind meeting organisers to stay flexible on start times.
The Commission insists the measure is temporary. Markus Lammert, spokesperson for Home-Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, said member states remain legally obliged to achieve full EES compliance no later than September 2026 but acknowledged that “rolling out such a large-scale system is a complex task”. Industry groups welcomed the concession yet urged governments to use the breathing space to hire and train additional staff, complete IT integration and expand pre-departure communication so that first-time EES users arrive prepared.
Switzerland’s Federal Office for Customs and Border Security told Euronews it is finalising contingency plans that include mobile enrolment units, overflow queuing areas and priority lanes for passengers with tight connections. The agency encouraged frequent flyers to enrol early—ideally on an off-peak trip—so that summer vacation traffic can focus on first-timers.
The move follows blistering criticism from Airports Council International Europe, which warned that processing times had already risen by up to 70 % at early-adopter hubs. Geneva Airport, a key gateway for multinational HQs and UN agencies, was cited by ACI after queues snaked the length of the arrivals hall earlier this week. Under the new flexibility, Swiss border-authorities will be able to revert to manual passport-stamping during the July-August holiday rush if kiosk lines become unmanageable, then resume biometric capture once passenger volumes normalise.
For mobility teams relocating staff to Switzerland—or routing executives through Swiss hubs—the announcement translates into an even more unpredictable border experience in the short term: some travellers may clear in seconds if kiosks are active, while others arriving an hour later could be funnelled to manual booths if the system has been ‘stood down’. Businesses should therefore equip travellers with updated arrival instructions via mobile-alert platforms and remind meeting organisers to stay flexible on start times.
The Commission insists the measure is temporary. Markus Lammert, spokesperson for Home-Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, said member states remain legally obliged to achieve full EES compliance no later than September 2026 but acknowledged that “rolling out such a large-scale system is a complex task”. Industry groups welcomed the concession yet urged governments to use the breathing space to hire and train additional staff, complete IT integration and expand pre-departure communication so that first-time EES users arrive prepared.
Switzerland’s Federal Office for Customs and Border Security told Euronews it is finalising contingency plans that include mobile enrolment units, overflow queuing areas and priority lanes for passengers with tight connections. The agency encouraged frequent flyers to enrol early—ideally on an off-peak trip—so that summer vacation traffic can focus on first-timers.
Source: Euronews
