The European Commission confirmed on 7 July that all Schengen states—including Italy—may continue to waive the collection of fingerprints and facial images under the new Entry/Exit System (EES) during the busiest holiday months, provided that travellers’ biographic data are still recorded. EES became fully operational in April 2026 and requires every non-EU traveller to be registered on first entry with four fingerprints, a live facial capture and passport data.
![EU gives green light to temporary easing of EES biometrics until end-summer]()
For travellers and mobility managers who need help navigating these shifting Italian border formalities, VisaHQ maintains a dedicated Italy page that tracks real-time EES developments, ETIAS launch details and visa options, while offering document checks and fast application support.
Italian border-police unions warned early on that the double-capture process added 30–60 seconds per passenger and risked multi-hour lines at Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa and Venice-Marco Polo during the peak summer season. The Commission’s decision allows border posts to revert, when necessary, to a “light” process that skips biometrics but still logs date, time and place of entry—significantly cutting processing times. For companies moving staff into Italy or rotating executive teams, the reprieve means fewer missed connections and more predictable ground times over the next six to eight weeks. Nevertheless, employers should continue building buffer time into itineraries: once the derogation expires in September, full biometric capture will resume and queues could re-emerge. Frequent travellers who registered biometrics earlier this year remain in the system and will use automated gates as normal. Technology providers are racing to supply Italy’s Ministry of the Interior with additional ABC (Automated Border Control) kiosks and touch-free fingerprint scanners before the autumn cut-off. Meanwhile, the government has reiterated that the partial suspension does not delay the launch of ETIAS, the €7 travel authorisation that will cover visa-exempt visitors from November 2026. Practical tip: alert mobile employees that they may only have their passport scanned on arrival but should still allow extra time, as border officers can at any moment revert to full EES processing if passenger volumes permit.
For travellers and mobility managers who need help navigating these shifting Italian border formalities, VisaHQ maintains a dedicated Italy page that tracks real-time EES developments, ETIAS launch details and visa options, while offering document checks and fast application support.
Italian border-police unions warned early on that the double-capture process added 30–60 seconds per passenger and risked multi-hour lines at Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa and Venice-Marco Polo during the peak summer season. The Commission’s decision allows border posts to revert, when necessary, to a “light” process that skips biometrics but still logs date, time and place of entry—significantly cutting processing times. For companies moving staff into Italy or rotating executive teams, the reprieve means fewer missed connections and more predictable ground times over the next six to eight weeks. Nevertheless, employers should continue building buffer time into itineraries: once the derogation expires in September, full biometric capture will resume and queues could re-emerge. Frequent travellers who registered biometrics earlier this year remain in the system and will use automated gates as normal. Technology providers are racing to supply Italy’s Ministry of the Interior with additional ABC (Automated Border Control) kiosks and touch-free fingerprint scanners before the autumn cut-off. Meanwhile, the government has reiterated that the partial suspension does not delay the launch of ETIAS, the €7 travel authorisation that will cover visa-exempt visitors from November 2026. Practical tip: alert mobile employees that they may only have their passport scanned on arrival but should still allow extra time, as border officers can at any moment revert to full EES processing if passenger volumes permit.
