Geneva Cointrin Airport experienced its worst congestion since the start of the ski-season rush on 19 December when the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) briefly pushed waiting times for passport control to more than four hours.
Introduced across the Schengen Area in October 2025, the EES replaces manual stamping of passports for third-country nationals with biometric registration (fingerprints and facial image) and an automated calculation of authorised stay. Switzerland—though not an EU member—is obliged to apply the system under the Schengen Association Agreement and began phased deployment at Basel and Geneva airports on 12 October, extending to Zurich in mid-November.
On Friday, only around 10 % of arriving non-EU travellers were called to the new kiosks, yet staffing shortages and teething problems with fingerprint scanners caused bottlenecks that rapidly spread throughout the arrivals hall. Airport management temporarily switched the machines off twice during the afternoon peak in order to clear the backlog; nevertheless, several ski charters departed with luggage but without passengers, forcing re-routing and overnight hotel bills for tour operators.
![Geneva Airport Grapples with Four-Hour Queues as EU Entry/Exit System Rolls Out]()
Travellers looking to minimise such hassles can prepare well before departure: VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides step-by-step guidance on Schengen visa requirements, biometric enrolment, and other travel documents, offering a streamlined way to ensure paperwork is complete and compliant before arriving at the border.
Airports Council International Europe warned that processing times at external Schengen borders are averaging 70 % longer than a year ago and could worsen as the obligation expands to 35 % of passengers on 9 January and to 100 % by April 2026. Travel-industry bodies have asked the European Commission to slow the rollout until software stability and staffing levels improve, fearing reputational damage to alpine hubs that rely on tight weekend transfer windows.
For corporate mobility managers the incident is a wake-up call: business travellers who rely on rapid day-trips to Geneva for the commodities, pharma or watch sectors should now factor in at least an extra hour for inbound border formalities. Companies may also wish to brief frequent flyers on using the fast-track e-gates reserved for biometric passport holders who have already completed their first-time EES enrolment, and to review contingency clauses in airline and hotel contracts for delayed arrivals.
Introduced across the Schengen Area in October 2025, the EES replaces manual stamping of passports for third-country nationals with biometric registration (fingerprints and facial image) and an automated calculation of authorised stay. Switzerland—though not an EU member—is obliged to apply the system under the Schengen Association Agreement and began phased deployment at Basel and Geneva airports on 12 October, extending to Zurich in mid-November.
On Friday, only around 10 % of arriving non-EU travellers were called to the new kiosks, yet staffing shortages and teething problems with fingerprint scanners caused bottlenecks that rapidly spread throughout the arrivals hall. Airport management temporarily switched the machines off twice during the afternoon peak in order to clear the backlog; nevertheless, several ski charters departed with luggage but without passengers, forcing re-routing and overnight hotel bills for tour operators.
Travellers looking to minimise such hassles can prepare well before departure: VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides step-by-step guidance on Schengen visa requirements, biometric enrolment, and other travel documents, offering a streamlined way to ensure paperwork is complete and compliant before arriving at the border.
Airports Council International Europe warned that processing times at external Schengen borders are averaging 70 % longer than a year ago and could worsen as the obligation expands to 35 % of passengers on 9 January and to 100 % by April 2026. Travel-industry bodies have asked the European Commission to slow the rollout until software stability and staffing levels improve, fearing reputational damage to alpine hubs that rely on tight weekend transfer windows.
For corporate mobility managers the incident is a wake-up call: business travellers who rely on rapid day-trips to Geneva for the commodities, pharma or watch sectors should now factor in at least an extra hour for inbound border formalities. Companies may also wish to brief frequent flyers on using the fast-track e-gates reserved for biometric passport holders who have already completed their first-time EES enrolment, and to review contingency clauses in airline and hotel contracts for delayed arrivals.
