Germany’s busiest hub switched on the European Union’s new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) for third-country nationals yesterday, 29 October. Non-EU travellers arriving in Frankfurt now enrol fingerprints and a facial image at self-service kiosks before proceeding to the border officer, replacing the traditional passport stamp.
Airport operator Fraport reported that 60 % of eligible passengers used the kiosks on day one, cutting average processing time by two minutes. However, queues built up at Terminal 1 when three kiosks malfunctioned, highlighting the challenge of scaling the system before Christmas peak traffic.
The Federal Police advise business travellers to allow extra time until the process becomes familiar. Frequent flyers can preload data via a forthcoming mobile app, but the feature is not expected before February 2026.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is documentation: kiosk receipts replace entry stamps and should be retained to evidence lawful stay, particularly for Posted-Worker notification audits. Carriers are reminded that failure to direct passengers to the kiosks may be treated as a carrier-liability offence once the grace period ends on 31 December 2025.
Frankfurt is the first German airport fully live; Munich and Düsseldorf will phase-in EES lanes over the next six weeks. Companies relocating staff to Germany should update arrival briefings and consider meet-and-greet services for VIP assignees until the process stabilises.
Airport operator Fraport reported that 60 % of eligible passengers used the kiosks on day one, cutting average processing time by two minutes. However, queues built up at Terminal 1 when three kiosks malfunctioned, highlighting the challenge of scaling the system before Christmas peak traffic.
The Federal Police advise business travellers to allow extra time until the process becomes familiar. Frequent flyers can preload data via a forthcoming mobile app, but the feature is not expected before February 2026.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is documentation: kiosk receipts replace entry stamps and should be retained to evidence lawful stay, particularly for Posted-Worker notification audits. Carriers are reminded that failure to direct passengers to the kiosks may be treated as a carrier-liability offence once the grace period ends on 31 December 2025.
Frankfurt is the first German airport fully live; Munich and Düsseldorf will phase-in EES lanes over the next six weeks. Companies relocating staff to Germany should update arrival briefings and consider meet-and-greet services for VIP assignees until the process stabilises.
