Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) updated its Smartraveller advisory for the Czech Republic on 27 November 2025, highlighting that the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now operational and may create longer waits at Czech airports and land borders for non-EU nationals.
EES, which went live on 12 October, replaces manual passport stamping with digital records of each entry and exit, including face and fingerprint biometrics. Although the system ultimately promises faster, more secure processing, border officials across the Schengen Area—including Czech Border Police—are still mastering new equipment and passenger-flow choreography. According to DFAT, Australian citizens must register their biometrics the first time they cross an external Schengen frontier after implementation; subsequent trips over the next three years will only require verification.
![Australia warns of longer queues at Czech borders as EU Entry/Exit System settles in]()
Prague Airport has already reported 25–30-minute queues for early-morning departures of long-haul code-share flights, compared with pre-EES averages of roughly ten minutes. Airlines are advising economy-class passengers to arrive at least three hours before departure until the Christmas peak subsides. Business-class queues are shorter, but frequent-flyer programmes are reminding corporate travellers to build extra buffer time into meeting schedules.
For global-mobility managers, the advisory is another reminder to audit employees’ cumulative “90/180-day” Schengen stays. EES automatically calculates remaining allowance and flags overstays, removing the discretion previously exercised by border guards. Violations could trigger on-the-spot fines or multi-year entry bans, potentially derailing project timelines.
DFAT’s notice retains its overall “Exercise Normal Safety Precautions” rating for Czechia but urges Australians to keep passports handy while travelling between Schengen countries, as spot checks may increase during the transition period. Similar advisories have been issued by Canada, New Zealand and the United States, underscoring the global relevance of Europe’s biggest border-management upgrade in decades.
EES, which went live on 12 October, replaces manual passport stamping with digital records of each entry and exit, including face and fingerprint biometrics. Although the system ultimately promises faster, more secure processing, border officials across the Schengen Area—including Czech Border Police—are still mastering new equipment and passenger-flow choreography. According to DFAT, Australian citizens must register their biometrics the first time they cross an external Schengen frontier after implementation; subsequent trips over the next three years will only require verification.
Prague Airport has already reported 25–30-minute queues for early-morning departures of long-haul code-share flights, compared with pre-EES averages of roughly ten minutes. Airlines are advising economy-class passengers to arrive at least three hours before departure until the Christmas peak subsides. Business-class queues are shorter, but frequent-flyer programmes are reminding corporate travellers to build extra buffer time into meeting schedules.
For global-mobility managers, the advisory is another reminder to audit employees’ cumulative “90/180-day” Schengen stays. EES automatically calculates remaining allowance and flags overstays, removing the discretion previously exercised by border guards. Violations could trigger on-the-spot fines or multi-year entry bans, potentially derailing project timelines.
DFAT’s notice retains its overall “Exercise Normal Safety Precautions” rating for Czechia but urges Australians to keep passports handy while travelling between Schengen countries, as spot checks may increase during the transition period. Similar advisories have been issued by Canada, New Zealand and the United States, underscoring the global relevance of Europe’s biggest border-management upgrade in decades.
