Latest news and stories about border control in infrastructure in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Easyjet's country manager, José Lopes, warns of potential travel disruptions at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport this summer due to passport control issues, while also expressing interest in potential slot opportunities arising from the upcoming TAP privatisation.
Lisbon Airport is bracing for a surge in non-Schengen passenger traffic, putting its new border control system to the test during the upcoming peak travel season.
The PSP processed over 51,000 passengers at national airports by mid-afternoon, with passport control wait times reaching up to one hour in Porto and Lisbon, prompting a reinforcement of staff to manage Schengen area compliance.
Lisbon Airport is experiencing significant travel disruptions as the implementation of the new EU biometric border control system faces critical operational challenges, leading to missed flights and passenger frustration.
Passengers at Lisbon airport report shorter waiting times following the government's deployment of additional resources, though some uncertainty persists regarding the efficacy of new automated systems.
Passengers departing from Lisbon airport are facing renewed delays during security screening procedures.
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.
In the kind of announcement that hides an unpleasant punchline, prime minister Luís Montenegro has announced today that the collection of biometric data from foreign passengers will start being carried The post Portugal’s airports return to collecting biometric data from foreign passengers 24/ 7 appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The PSP's National Unit for Foreigners and Borders began operations on August 21, 2025, and has faced several constraints at airports, mainly in Lisbon.
In this first year, the UNEF has faced several constraints at airports, mainly in Lisbon, due to long queues of passengers at air border control.
They put the cart before the horse with three hundred thousand students inside.
The Lisbon airport border was temporarily closed this Tuesday after passengers from a flight arriving from Brazil disembarked in the wrong area, causing a mix of passengers, the PSP confirmed. In a response sent to Lusa, the PSP indicated that the incident involved passengers who arrived in Portugal from Salvador, Brazil, and...
The situation required a new screening of all passengers who were in the area, including those who had already boarded their planes.
Passengers from a flight arriving from Brazil disembarked in the wrong area, the PSP confirmed.
More than 170 police officers have just reinforced border control, at a time when construction work at Lisbon airport is coming to an end.
The Minister of Infrastructure credited Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves for improvements in border control at Lisbon Airport, which had previously been described as a national embarrassment. Pinto Luz noted that waiting times have been halved due to the work of various teams and Neves' leadership. The improvements follow challenges with the implementation of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES). The minister also highlighted significant passenger growth across national airports and defended the government's transparency regarding new infrastructure investments.
The government official wanted to publicly thank the Minister of Internal Administration.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, praised Luís Neves for his work on airport border control during the presentation of the Technical Report for the future Luís de Camões Airport, which took place this morning at the CCB in Lisbon. “To our colleague Luís Neves, our sincere thanks. [The situation regarding border control] ...
Another deadline for the installation of the hearing room at Lisbon Airport has been missed. ANA Aeroportos confirmed a new date to DN, stating that the contract for the permanent facilities has been awarded, with completion expected in the second half of this year. Previous forecasts had suggested completion by the summer of 2026. Temporary facilities have been available since June 1st while work on the permanent ones continues. The delay is attributed to the division of responsibilities between entities and bureaucratic procedures. The room is intended for judicial hearings for immigrants denied entry, aiming to function as an extension of the Lisbon court to process cases before individuals are deported.
Starting this Monday, more than 360 police officers are reinforcing Portuguese airports as part of a measure to increase the PSP's capacity for passenger control and to avoid the queues seen in recent times. These 367 officers, who are part of the PSP's National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF), finished their training on Friday.
The GNR reinforcement for border control at Lisbon airport concluded this Sunday, July 5, at 1:00 PM, ahead of the start of the internship for new PSP officers trained for these duties, the Public Security Police (PSP) announced. On Monday, 367 new PSP officers will begin their operational internship for two weeks, with 170 assigned to Lisbon airport and the remainder distributed across Porto, Faro, Madeira, and the Azores. In a statement, the PSP noted that the GNR's operational support at Humberto Delgado airport began on January 6 to increase border control capacity during expansion works and the training of new specialized PSP border guards. PSP National Director Luís Carrilho expressed gratitude for the GNR's professionalism and dedication. The Minister of Internal Administration stated that the 367 new agents will help accelerate passenger processing, though he warned that occasional queues may persist due to operational constraints and increased passenger volume.
Lisbon receives 170 of the new border inspectors. The Minister of Internal Administration guarantees a new phase in airport operations, but warns: there will always be difficult days.
“There is no more chaos at the airports. There has been a reinforcement of the security forces carrying out border control at all airports, namely at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon,” assured the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, on the sidelines of the signing of a protocol between the Municipality of Vila do...
Please the greatest number, feign political courage, trade principles for expedients and efficiency for propaganda.
Passengers who disembarked at the Portuguese capital's terminal were taken to an unauthorized area. Border services were interrupted for 65 minutes, according to the PSP.
The European Commission announced on Thursday, June 4, the deployment of approximately 25 Frontex agents and the provision of seven to eight million euros in infrastructure to support Portugal with border management, following issues detected with the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The support also includes document experts to assist Portuguese authorities in applying the rules. European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, told Lusa agency at the start of the Justice and Home Affairs Council that Portugal is doing everything to make the system work and that the Frontex presence aims to reinforce that effort. Brunner also highlighted the preparatory work carried out by Portugal, which has increased human resources, strengthened teams, and improved IT systems. Two weeks after the Commission initially denied a link between queues at Portuguese airports and the EES, and after the government stated it was a European-wide problem, Brunner highlighted that cooperation is now underway. The practical and financial support aims to alleviate immediate constraints and strengthen national capacity to handle EES operations, while Portuguese authorities continue to adjust procedures and technology to normalize border flow. Lisbon Airport will have more manual border control booths.
