The European Union’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) has entered full operational phase and is now in force at Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck airports as well as at major land crossings. First-time non-EU visitors must provide fingerprints and a facial image; returning travellers need only one biometric. The data replace passport stamping and will be stored for three years, automatically counting each stay against the 90/180-day Schengen rule.
Austrian border-police unions warn that enrolment kiosks add several minutes per passenger during peak waves, and Vienna Airport has redeployed staff from security to immigration to manage queues. Airlines have been asked to advise passengers to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier until throughput stabilises.
![EU Entry/Exit System Goes Live: Longer Queues Expected at Austrian Airports]()
The change has major compliance implications for global-mobility programmes: overstays will be flagged automatically, making it harder to “reset” the Schengen clock with a weekend outside the zone. Companies should audit travellers’ historical entry stamps and align future trips with real-time EES calculations.
Because EES data will feed directly into ETIAS, the EU’s forthcoming travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals, accuracy at enrolment is crucial. Incorrect passport numbers or misspelled names could trigger ETIAS refusals down the line. Mobility managers may wish to issue guidance on kiosk use and ensure mobile-workforce apps capture the new biometric exit information.
Despite teething pains, Austrian tourism officials expect processing times to stabilise by early spring, citing the experience of Croatia, which piloted EES at Zagreb Airport earlier in the year.
Austrian border-police unions warn that enrolment kiosks add several minutes per passenger during peak waves, and Vienna Airport has redeployed staff from security to immigration to manage queues. Airlines have been asked to advise passengers to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier until throughput stabilises.
The change has major compliance implications for global-mobility programmes: overstays will be flagged automatically, making it harder to “reset” the Schengen clock with a weekend outside the zone. Companies should audit travellers’ historical entry stamps and align future trips with real-time EES calculations.
Because EES data will feed directly into ETIAS, the EU’s forthcoming travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals, accuracy at enrolment is crucial. Incorrect passport numbers or misspelled names could trigger ETIAS refusals down the line. Mobility managers may wish to issue guidance on kiosk use and ensure mobile-workforce apps capture the new biometric exit information.
Despite teething pains, Austrian tourism officials expect processing times to stabilise by early spring, citing the experience of Croatia, which piloted EES at Zagreb Airport earlier in the year.
