Ees news in Portugal

The European Union is rolling out a new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) at borders, which is expected to cause significant travel disruptions. Airports in Portugal, including Lisbon and Faro, may face long queues and flight delays as the new digital verification process is implemented during the busy summer season.

The European Commission has confirmed that Portugal will temporarily suspend the collection of biometric data for the Entry/Exit System (EES) at national airports when necessary. The measure aims to prevent excessive queues during peak travel times, with the government notifying Brussels of the planned suspensions.

The Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) reported 980 entry refusals at Portuguese air borders during the first four months of 2026, a 41.6% increase compared to the same period last year. The police force stated that border control remains a permanent operational priority to ensure national security and combat illegal immigration.

The Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo, stated that border control delays at Portuguese airports are part of a broader European problem rather than a national failure. This contradicts the European Commission, which maintains that processing times for the new Entry/Exit System (Sistema de Entrada/Saída or EES) should be minimal.

Passengers at Humberto Delgado Airport continue to experience long queues at passport control, a situation exacerbated by the full operation of the European Entry/Exit System (Sistema de Entrada/Saída or EES). While expansion works in the border area are scheduled for inauguration on May 29, airline associations are calling for a suspension of the current system.

Ryanair has called on the Portuguese government to suspend the new Entry/Exit System (EES) at airports during the peak summer season. The airline warns that the new border control procedures could cause significant delays for families and holidaymakers traveling through Portugal until September.

The European Commission stated that initial constraints in the new European Entry/Exit System are normal, but emphasized that resolving these issues at airports is the responsibility of individual member states. The system, which came into force last Friday, caused significant delays at Portuguese airports over the weekend.

Biometric data collection for departures at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports was suspended on Saturday morning, April 11, to prevent passengers from missing flights due to long queues, according to the PSP. The process resumed in the early afternoon. PSP spokesperson Sérgio Soares confirmed that biometric collection is now operating at 100% for both departures and arrivals. The suspension was a contingency measure to manage high passenger volumes and avoid excessive wait times. The Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated EU system replacing passport stamps with digital biometric registration for non-EU citizens, has been fully operational since Friday, following a phased rollout that began in October 2025.

Update: Biometric collection suspended again at major airports

Biometric data collection for departures at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports was suspended again this Sunday, April 12, due to excessive waiting times. The PSP stated the measure aims to prevent passengers from missing flights while maintaining border security as high numbers of travelers exit the Schengen Area.