Spain accelerated its biometric border rollout on 24 November when Palma de Mallorca Airport began live registration of third-country nationals under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The Balearic hub joins Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat and six other airports that have gone live since trials started in October, making Spain one of the bloc’s frontrunners ahead of the EU-wide go-live deadline of 10 April 2026.
Under EES, fingerprints and facial images are captured the first time a non-EU traveller enters the Schengen Zone and are stored for three years, replacing passport stamps. The British Embassy’s “Brits in Spain” Facebook page issued an alert advising UK citizens to expect longer queues during the first weeks of operation, while Aena deployed additional staff and signage to shepherd passengers through the new kiosks.
![Palma de Mallorca Becomes 10th Spanish Airport to Activate EU Entry/Exit System]()
Airlines servicing Palma—Ryanair, easyJet and Iberia Express—have already updated minimum connection-times in global distribution systems, adding 15-20 minutes for non-EU passengers. Travel-management companies recommend that corporate travellers arrive at least three hours before departure until processing times stabilise.
Spain aims to switch on EES at all 14 international airports by March 2026 and at the land borders with Gibraltar, Ceuta and Melilla during the summer. The system is expected to streamline future crossings, but the learning curve could generate short-term pain for tour operators, cruise-turnaround schedules and business travellers with tight agendas.
Employers should brief staff on the need to provide fingerprints and a live facial image, confirm that passports have at least two blank pages and six months’ validity, and monitor Schengen-stay calculations now automated by EES.
Under EES, fingerprints and facial images are captured the first time a non-EU traveller enters the Schengen Zone and are stored for three years, replacing passport stamps. The British Embassy’s “Brits in Spain” Facebook page issued an alert advising UK citizens to expect longer queues during the first weeks of operation, while Aena deployed additional staff and signage to shepherd passengers through the new kiosks.
Airlines servicing Palma—Ryanair, easyJet and Iberia Express—have already updated minimum connection-times in global distribution systems, adding 15-20 minutes for non-EU passengers. Travel-management companies recommend that corporate travellers arrive at least three hours before departure until processing times stabilise.
Spain aims to switch on EES at all 14 international airports by March 2026 and at the land borders with Gibraltar, Ceuta and Melilla during the summer. The system is expected to streamline future crossings, but the learning curve could generate short-term pain for tour operators, cruise-turnaround schedules and business travellers with tight agendas.
Employers should brief staff on the need to provide fingerprints and a live facial image, confirm that passports have at least two blank pages and six months’ validity, and monitor Schengen-stay calculations now automated by EES.
