Speaking at an online briefing reported on 23 June 2026 by specialist site ETIAS Pro, Frontex deputy executive director Uku Särekanno warned that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) will generate lengthy queues at airports, seaports and the Eurotunnel for up to 24 months after its full activation on 10 April 2026. The issue, he said, is the time-consuming collection of first-time fingerprints and facial images for every non-EU traveller. French hubs have already felt the strain during partial trials: Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle recorded 90-minute lines at peak bank-holiday periods this spring, while Eurostar passengers in Lille complained of missed connections. To mitigate the crunch, France will install an additional 420 self-service kiosks across 25 airports and major ports by September and expand the PARAFE e-gate programme to cover more third-country nationals.
![Frontex predicts one-to-two-year ‘teething pains’ as EES biometric checks roll out at French borders]()
For travellers who want to minimise paperwork before they even reach those kiosks, VisaHQ can take care of visa and travel-authorisation formalities on their behalf. Through its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the service offers step-by-step guidance on ETIAS, Schengen visas and other documentation, helping business and leisure passengers arrive prepared and spend less time in the EES line.
Business-travel managers should prepare for longer dwell times: Air France is advising premium passengers to arrive four hours before long-haul departures during July-August, and SNCF is adjusting TGV timetables to build buffer time for Eurostar transfers. Companies are also reviewing duty-of-care protocols for employees with disabilities who may find extended standing times challenging. Despite the turbulence, officials note that once a traveller is biometrically enrolled, subsequent crossings should be faster than the old passport-stamp model. Frontex expects processing times to normalise in 2027 as repeat travellers make up a larger share of traffic and carriers fine-tune advance-data systems.
For travellers who want to minimise paperwork before they even reach those kiosks, VisaHQ can take care of visa and travel-authorisation formalities on their behalf. Through its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the service offers step-by-step guidance on ETIAS, Schengen visas and other documentation, helping business and leisure passengers arrive prepared and spend less time in the EES line.
Business-travel managers should prepare for longer dwell times: Air France is advising premium passengers to arrive four hours before long-haul departures during July-August, and SNCF is adjusting TGV timetables to build buffer time for Eurostar transfers. Companies are also reviewing duty-of-care protocols for employees with disabilities who may find extended standing times challenging. Despite the turbulence, officials note that once a traveller is biometrically enrolled, subsequent crossings should be faster than the old passport-stamp model. Frontex expects processing times to normalise in 2027 as repeat travellers make up a larger share of traffic and carriers fine-tune advance-data systems.
