Barely two months after the EU began phasing in its biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), Airports Council International (ACI) Europe is warning of waits ‘up to three hours’ at several hubs. A report released on 19 December points to kiosk failures, staffing shortages and the absence of a reliable pre-registration app. Although only 10 % of eligible third-country nationals are currently captured, that quota is scheduled to rise to 35 % on 9 January and to 100 % by April 2026.
Austrian airports have so far avoided headline-grabbing chaos, but Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck will feel the impact next month when registration rates treble overnight. Vienna Airport has redeployed 60 security officers to immigration booths and installed 24 additional kiosks in Terminal 3. Airlines including Austrian and Ryanair are emailing passengers to arrive 45 minutes earlier; Qatar Airways has already retimed its late-night Doha service to ensure minimum-connection thresholds are met.
![Entry/Exit System rollout causes multi-hour queues – Austrian airports brace for January capacity jump]()
For travellers looking to stay ahead of these changes, VisaHQ can help by providing real-time updates on Austrian entry rules, facilitating visa or residence-permit applications, and offering concierge support to organize the paperwork before departure. Its Austria-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) consolidates the latest EES information, appointment-booking tools and document checklists—making it easier for both individuals and corporate mobility teams to navigate the new biometric requirements smoothly.
Business travellers are particularly exposed because premium-lane capacity is limited at Austrian gateways. Several relocation firms report missed residence-permit appointments when clients were stuck at border control. Mobility managers should therefore build in extra buffers and consider scheduling biometric appointments for the afternoon rather than early morning.
Looking ahead, the Interior Ministry says it may temporarily lower the January threshold if kiosk faults persist, but any derogation would require unanimous EU approval. In the medium term, a dedicated mobile app allowing travellers to pre-enrol biometrics is due ‘no later than June 2026’. Until then, HR departments are advised to brief third-country employees – especially frequent commuters from Bratislava – about possible delays at Vienna and to keep boarding passes as proof when counting the 90/180-day rule, since passport stamping will cease once EES is fully live.
Austrian airports have so far avoided headline-grabbing chaos, but Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck will feel the impact next month when registration rates treble overnight. Vienna Airport has redeployed 60 security officers to immigration booths and installed 24 additional kiosks in Terminal 3. Airlines including Austrian and Ryanair are emailing passengers to arrive 45 minutes earlier; Qatar Airways has already retimed its late-night Doha service to ensure minimum-connection thresholds are met.
For travellers looking to stay ahead of these changes, VisaHQ can help by providing real-time updates on Austrian entry rules, facilitating visa or residence-permit applications, and offering concierge support to organize the paperwork before departure. Its Austria-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) consolidates the latest EES information, appointment-booking tools and document checklists—making it easier for both individuals and corporate mobility teams to navigate the new biometric requirements smoothly.
Business travellers are particularly exposed because premium-lane capacity is limited at Austrian gateways. Several relocation firms report missed residence-permit appointments when clients were stuck at border control. Mobility managers should therefore build in extra buffers and consider scheduling biometric appointments for the afternoon rather than early morning.
Looking ahead, the Interior Ministry says it may temporarily lower the January threshold if kiosk faults persist, but any derogation would require unanimous EU approval. In the medium term, a dedicated mobile app allowing travellers to pre-enrol biometrics is due ‘no later than June 2026’. Until then, HR departments are advised to brief third-country employees – especially frequent commuters from Bratislava – about possible delays at Vienna and to keep boarding passes as proof when counting the 90/180-day rule, since passport stamping will cease once EES is fully live.
