Cypriot holiday-makers and business travellers planning trips to the Schengen Area this summer received an unwelcome reality-check on 23 June 2026. In an interview picked up by specialist portal ETIAS Pro, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Uku Särekanno admitted that the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) is unlikely to run smoothly before 2028. The EES, fully operational since 10 April 2026, now requires every non-EU visitor to have four fingerprints and a facial image captured the first time they cross an external Schengen border. According to Särekanno, that initial enrolment is “the most challenging part” of the rollout. The window that currently allows member states to suspend biometric capture during peak congestion ends in September, meaning every airport and seaport will have to process first-time travellers in full just as late-season traffic picks up. Industry bodies have already warned that queues of three hours or more could deter up to 41 million visitors and cost €45 billion in lost tourism revenue. For Cyprus-based residents, the warning has direct consequences. Although the island is outside Schengen and does not use EES itself, most international connections—especially to Greece, Germany and popular business hubs such as the Netherlands—run through Schengen airports. Cypriot passport-holders and third-country residents alike will therefore face the new biometric kiosks on arrival.
![Frontex warns Schengen Entry/Exit System queues could last up to two years]()
At this stage, using a specialist visa service can save significant time and stress. VisaHQ, for example, keeps a constantly updated database on Schengen and ETIAS requirements and offers Cypriot travellers step-by-step assistance with applications through its local portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), ensuring documentation is in order long before you reach the biometric kiosks.
Frontex recommends allowing at least an extra hour for the first crossing and urges passengers to pre-register biometrics via the EU’s “Travel to Europe” app where available. Travel-management companies servicing Cyprus headquarters are already adapting. Several firms told CBN they are revising corporate travel policies to include mandatory buffer times between flight arrivals and onward meetings, and advising frequent travellers to complete their first enrolment on a quiet mid-week flight rather than during peak holiday weekends. Airlines are lobbying national governments to staff borders adequately and expand e-gate use once passengers are enrolled. While the European Commission still plans to launch the ETIAS travel authorisation in late 2026, Frontex’s timeline means the two systems will overlap during their most disruptive phases. Cypriot travellers could therefore need to secure ETIAS online and still face manual fingerprinting on arrival. Companies with high volumes of intra-EU travel are advised to audit upcoming trips now and brief employees on the new procedures to avoid missed connections and project delays.
At this stage, using a specialist visa service can save significant time and stress. VisaHQ, for example, keeps a constantly updated database on Schengen and ETIAS requirements and offers Cypriot travellers step-by-step assistance with applications through its local portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), ensuring documentation is in order long before you reach the biometric kiosks.
Frontex recommends allowing at least an extra hour for the first crossing and urges passengers to pre-register biometrics via the EU’s “Travel to Europe” app where available. Travel-management companies servicing Cyprus headquarters are already adapting. Several firms told CBN they are revising corporate travel policies to include mandatory buffer times between flight arrivals and onward meetings, and advising frequent travellers to complete their first enrolment on a quiet mid-week flight rather than during peak holiday weekends. Airlines are lobbying national governments to staff borders adequately and expand e-gate use once passengers are enrolled. While the European Commission still plans to launch the ETIAS travel authorisation in late 2026, Frontex’s timeline means the two systems will overlap during their most disruptive phases. Cypriot travellers could therefore need to secure ETIAS online and still face manual fingerprinting on arrival. Companies with high volumes of intra-EU travel are advised to audit upcoming trips now and brief employees on the new procedures to avoid missed connections and project delays.
