Italy’s border police have been told to prepare for at least another 12–24 months of heavy queues as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) beds in. Speaking on 23 June 2026, Frontex deputy executive director Uku Särekanno admitted that the first-time biometric enrolment required of every non-EU traveller is “the most challenging part” of the roll-out and will keep pressure on major Italian airports well into 2027. The remarks come just weeks after the EES became fully operational on 10 April and as Italy – the Schengen country with the third-highest volume of extra-Schengen flights – moves into its peak summer season. Under the regulation, Member States can temporarily pause fingerprint capture when queues exceed 60 minutes.
![Frontex warns Italy to brace for year-long EES bottlenecks]()
VisaHQ can help travellers stay ahead of these changes by offering real-time updates on Italy’s EES implementation, streamlined visa processing services, and step-by-step support for biometric pre-registration; visit https://www.visahq.com/italy/ to learn how their specialists can smooth the journey and reduce time spent in airport queues.
Italy and Portugal have already activated that safety valve at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa, but the suspension window closes in early September and cannot be extended. From that point, biometric checks will be mandatory at every crossing, raising fears of three-hour waits and missed connections during the autumn trade-fair season. Industry bodies including Assaeroporti, ENIT and the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy have called for additional staffing, more ABC e-gates and aggressive promotion of the EU’s “Travel to Europe” pre-registration app. Airports Council International estimates that queues longer than three hours could cost Italy €3.4 billion in lost visitor spending. Practical advice for mobile employees and business travellers is straightforward: add at least an hour to arrival buffers if you have not entered the Schengen Area since 12 October 2025; pre-register biometrics before flying where possible; and keep boarding passes handy because overstaying the 90/180-day limit is now an automatic Overstay Alert in the EES database. Employers moving talent into Italy on short-term assignments should factor in extra airport time and educate travellers on the new fingerprint requirement.
VisaHQ can help travellers stay ahead of these changes by offering real-time updates on Italy’s EES implementation, streamlined visa processing services, and step-by-step support for biometric pre-registration; visit https://www.visahq.com/italy/ to learn how their specialists can smooth the journey and reduce time spent in airport queues.
Italy and Portugal have already activated that safety valve at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa, but the suspension window closes in early September and cannot be extended. From that point, biometric checks will be mandatory at every crossing, raising fears of three-hour waits and missed connections during the autumn trade-fair season. Industry bodies including Assaeroporti, ENIT and the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy have called for additional staffing, more ABC e-gates and aggressive promotion of the EU’s “Travel to Europe” pre-registration app. Airports Council International estimates that queues longer than three hours could cost Italy €3.4 billion in lost visitor spending. Practical advice for mobile employees and business travellers is straightforward: add at least an hour to arrival buffers if you have not entered the Schengen Area since 12 October 2025; pre-register biometrics before flying where possible; and keep boarding passes handy because overstaying the 90/180-day limit is now an automatic Overstay Alert in the EES database. Employers moving talent into Italy on short-term assignments should factor in extra airport time and educate travellers on the new fingerprint requirement.
