Business travellers heading to Germany this summer received an unwelcome reality-check on 23 June 2026 when EU border agency Frontex admitted that bottlenecks caused by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) could last “one to two years.” Speaking at a press briefing, Frontex deputy executive director Uku Särekanno said first-time biometric enrolment of non-EU passengers remains “the most challenging part of the rollout.” Germany’s Federal Police had already been using the 90-day ‘suspension window’ built into the EES regulation to switch off fingerprint collection during peak periods at Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin-Brandenburg. According to Frontex, that flexibility ends in early September and will not be extended, meaning that 100 % of third-country travellers will have fingerprints and facial images captured at every German border from the autumn onward. Airports and airlines fear the impact on tight connection banks: the World Travel & Tourism Council warns that border waits of three hours or more could deter up to €45 billion in visitor spending across Schengen. Industry bodies ABTA and Airlines UK have written to the German interior ministry urging extra staffing, wider use of e-gates for already-enrolled passengers, and a public information push for the ‘Travel to Europe’ pre-registration app.
![Frontex warns EES border queues may last up to two years for Germany-bound travellers]()
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned road-warrior, VisaHQ can help you stay ahead of Germany’s changing entry rules by guiding you through ETIAS pre-authorisations, passport validity checks and other documentation in one streamlined dashboard. Their step-by-step interface (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) lets you upload requirements, track processing times and receive real-time alerts—saving precious minutes when every connection counts.
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: factor in at least an additional hour at German airports for colleagues who have not entered Schengen since 12 October 2025, and remind repeat travellers that once their biometrics are on file crossings become faster. With ETIAS pre-travel authorisations still expected to launch in Q4 2026, visitors could soon need both a digital visa waiver and full biometric capture at the border on the same trip. In practical terms, project teams flying into Germany for autumn trade-fairs should pad itineraries, budget for potential overnight stays on missed connections, and update travel policies to reflect Germany’s move from stamp-based to fully digital border control.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned road-warrior, VisaHQ can help you stay ahead of Germany’s changing entry rules by guiding you through ETIAS pre-authorisations, passport validity checks and other documentation in one streamlined dashboard. Their step-by-step interface (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) lets you upload requirements, track processing times and receive real-time alerts—saving precious minutes when every connection counts.
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: factor in at least an additional hour at German airports for colleagues who have not entered Schengen since 12 October 2025, and remind repeat travellers that once their biometrics are on file crossings become faster. With ETIAS pre-travel authorisations still expected to launch in Q4 2026, visitors could soon need both a digital visa waiver and full biometric capture at the border on the same trip. In practical terms, project teams flying into Germany for autumn trade-fairs should pad itineraries, budget for potential overnight stays on missed connections, and update travel policies to reflect Germany’s move from stamp-based to fully digital border control.
