Travellers across Germany are already feeling the downside of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). A report published by The Local on 29 September cites crowd-sourced queue-tracker data showing that average ‘maximum’ waiting times at Munich Airport jumped from 31 minutes in 2025 to 60 minutes in July 2026, while Berlin-Brandenburg recorded 63-minute entry queues on Tuesday afternoon. Frankfurt hit a two-hour high earlier this month after a technical glitch. The EES, phased in since October 2025, registers all non-EU short-stay visitors with fingerprints and facial scans valid for three years. Once fully operational, it will replace passport stamps and feed a central database accessible to Schengen border authorities. German airports say the system improves security but concede that biometric capture—especially first-time enrolment—adds complexity during rush periods. Munich Airport told local media that it has installed additional automated kiosks and increased staffing, yet still advises passengers from third countries to allow “significantly more” time. Berlin’s BER airport publishes real-time wait estimates and warns that spikes can occur when multiple wide-body flights land close together. The Federal Police have recruited 450 extra officers for Germany’s external air borders, but unions say a further 1,000 will be needed once cross-channel ferry and Eurostar terminals join the scheme in 2027. For corporates, the operational impact is tangible. Travel managers report missed rail connections and higher use of lounge day-passes as employees pad their schedules. Some are shifting intra-EU meetings from air to rail to bypass border control altogether; others are piloting ‘bleisure’ policies that let staff add a night’s stay instead of risking late-evening returns. Policy-makers are under pressure to speed up digital pre-registration, but privacy concerns about remote biometric collection remain unresolved at EU level. Until then, German airports urge passengers—particularly those on newly issued passports who have to re-enrol—to arrive well in advance and to make maximum use of EasyPASS gates if eligible.
Source: The Local Germany
