Biometrics suspended at major airports to ease queues
The Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) suspended biometric data collection at departures in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports on Saturday morning to prevent passengers from missing flights due to excessive wait times. The system, part of the new European Entry/Exit System, resumed operations by the early afternoon. Officials confirmed that biometric collection remains active for all arrivals.
Update: Airport biometric data collection resumes after temporary suspension
PSP spokesperson Sérgio Soares confirmed that biometric data collection is now operating at full capacity for both departures and arrivals. The suspension was a contingency measure implemented after the new border control system caused significant queues, leading some passengers to miss their flights.
The PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) is Portugal's national civilian police force, founded in 1867. Responsible for defending Republican democracy and safeguarding internal security and citizens' rights, the PSP polices major cities—Lisbon, Porto, Faro—and large urban areas, covering only 4% of Portugal's territory but roughly half the population. Led by a National Director under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its approximately 21,500 officers handle preventive policing, crime investigation, public order, airport security, diplomatic protection, private security regulation, firearms licensing, and border control (since 2023).
PSP vs. GNR: The PSP is civilian with police-focused training and urban jurisdiction, while the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) is military (gendarmerie) with military training, covering 96% of Portugal's rural and suburban territory. Both share core public safety missions but differ fundamentally in nature, training, and geographic responsibility.
The Entry-Exit System (Sistema de Entrada e Saída) is an EU border-register that records biometric data (fingerprints and a facial image) and travel details for short-stay non‑EU travellers, replacing passport stamping and creating a searchable entry/exit record. According to recent reporting, the new rules now require over a third of non‑EU nationals entering Schengen to provide this extra data at the border; the aim is to improve security and migration tracking, but travellers should be prepared to submit biometrics at kiosks or border control and ensure their travel documents are valid. For expats and visitors this usually means slightly longer checks on arrival/departure and more robust digital records of your travel history.
