Latest news and stories about border control in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Portuguese government has acknowledged IT-related constraints affecting border control at Lisbon airport, resulting in missing passenger data and delays, though officials maintain national security remains intact.
Guinean students holding valid visas are facing detention, humiliation, and forced repatriation, highlighting systemic failures and aggressive practices in border control.
The European Union has fully implemented its new Entry/Exit System, replacing physical passport stamps with mandatory digital biometric registration for non-EU citizens to enhance Schengen Area border security.
Reports indicate 24 National Republican Guard (GNR) personnel were assigned to reinforce border checks at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport to help reduce queues and bolster security. The GNR later clarified the 24 officers will be deployed as reinforcements from next Tuesday; the airport had previously been reinforced by 25 GNR personnel at 19:00 and around 80 PSP officers over the Christmas period.
The Ministry of Internal Administration mentions constraints from an IT perspective. It admits that some passenger data is not being collected, but states that this does not compromise the country's security.
The government of Guinea-Bissau today held Portuguese authorities responsible for the cases of Guinean students detained at Lisbon airport, alleging that there is a failure in the visa granting process.
The Guinean Minister of Justice says it is “unacceptable” that students with Portuguese visas are being barred at the airport. Since April, 18 have been stranded in Lisbon.
The government of Guinea-Bissau has blamed Portuguese authorities for the detention of Guinean students at Lisbon airport, arguing that if a visa has been granted by the Portuguese embassy, entry should be permitted. The Guinean Minister of Justice, Carlos Pinto Pereira, stated that the situation is unacceptable, noting that while students under the 'special regime' face no issues, those applying through the 'international regime'—where students manage the process independently—are being barred upon arrival. Portuguese police have denied claims of poor conditions at the airport, stating that basic needs, including food and hygiene, are being met for those held due to lack of documentation.
“If they have a visa, they should be allowed to enter,” the government stated regarding the incident.
At the beginning of April, eight other students were stranded for having incomplete documentation.
The PSP stopped 10 young people at Lisbon Airport, as they did not believe they were coming to start master's degrees.
Documentation presented by the students was reportedly insufficient to guarantee entry authorisation into the country. Five other young people were repatriated this Tuesday. The Association of Guinea-Bissau Students in Lisbon states that the young people are unable to bathe and there is not enough food for everyone.
The European Commission conducted a surprise audit of Lisbon and Porto airports in December 2025, in which “serious deficiencies” were identified in the execution of border controls, reports CNN this Tuesday. Brussels warns that the failures could have an impact on other member states. The Commission considers that the irregularities detected could compromise security.
The Council demanded that Portugal present a plan to correct the identified flaws. It states that measures must be adopted as quickly as possible because they could have an impact on other states.
The article discusses the severe congestion at Lisbon Airport, framing it as an 'impossible task' due to a combination of new EU border control requirements, infrastructure limitations, and a significant increase in passenger numbers. It highlights that while the PSP (Public Security Police) is working to manage the flow, the underlying issue is a lack of physical capacity that cannot be solved without a new airport. The text also notes that despite these challenges, the PSP has increased its proactive enforcement, including interceptions and arrests for document fraud and drug trafficking.
The new electronic border system in Portugal has faced queues, with the Public Security Police (PSP) monitoring the situation closely. Superintendent Sérgio Soares explained that when wait times exceed 40 minutes, officers temporarily stop collecting photos and fingerprints to prevent excessive delays, though the system remains active. Similar issues have been reported across several European airports, including in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands, leading to missed flights. Airlines are not held responsible for these delays, leaving passengers to file complaints with airport authorities or the Civil Aviation Authority.
A PSP spokesperson announces that whenever the 'reference waiting time' is exceeded, the collection process will be suspended. 'The collection has no influence on standard border control procedures.'
On Saturday, the collection of biometric data had already been suspended during the morning to prevent passengers from missing their flights due to long queues.
The new digital system at national airports continues to cause problems. In recent days, dozens of passengers have missed flights due to failures in the kiosks of the new entry and exit system for the Schengen area, which are unable to handle the high number of users. There are reports of malfunctions and delays at border control, and the PSP confirms that, at times, the collection of biometric data is even being suspended.
The official stressed that departure checks are being carried out safely, following the usual model and complying with established protocols, but without biometric data collection.
Biometric data collection at departures in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports was suspended again this Sunday, April 12, due to excessive waiting times for passengers. PSP spokesperson Superintendent Sérgio Soares stated that the measure aims to prevent passengers from missing flights while maintaining border security. The suspension affects the Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated EU system that records biometric data for non-EU citizens, which has caused significant delays since its full implementation on Friday.
According to the statement from ANA - Portugal, “today, during the morning period, there were very long wait times at the Lisbon airport border control for both departures and arrivals.”
During the morning, the PSP decided to suspend the collection of biometric data at Lisbon, Faro, and Porto airports due to the high volume of passengers.
The measure was taken due to long waiting times, the PSP reports.
The European Union's new border control system—the European Entry/Exit System—which became fully operational on Friday (10/04), has caused massive queues at the airport.
The European Entry/Exit System is now operating at 100% across the EU. In Portugal, the phased implementation worsened waiting times, particularly at Lisbon airport, where contingency measures were adopted.
The new system became operational on October 12 in Portugal and the remaining Schengen area countries.
The new European border control system for non-EU citizens comes fully into force across the European Union today, following a phased implementation period that saw constraints in Portugal, mainly at Lisbon airport.
The new European border control system for non-EU citizens comes fully into force today across the European Union, following a phased implementation period that experienced constraints in Portugal, mainly at Lisbon airport.
In Portugal, since the entry into force of this new system, waiting times have worsened, especially at Lisbon airport.
