Irish holiday-makers and business travellers heading to mainland Europe are reporting up to three-hour waits at Lisbon, Madrid and Prague after airports began phased implementation of the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES). Airports Council International says processing times have risen 70 % because of kiosk malfunctions and patchy staff training.
The EES will replace passport-stamping for non-EU citizens and is slated for full launch on 10 April 2026. Irish citizens remain exempt, but many corporate travellers hold dual or third-country passports that trigger EES enrolment. Only 10 % of passengers are currently being registered, rising to 35 % by 9 January, prompting ACI to seek an emergency meeting with the European Commission.
Dublin Airport is issuing pre-departure alerts but has limited influence once passengers land on the continent. Travel-management companies advise building in at least 45 minutes of extra connection time and ensuring employees carry their Irish passport where possible to avoid classification as ‘third-country’ entrants.
![Early glitches in EU Entry/Exit System spark three-hour queues for Irish travellers]()
Travellers looking to streamline their paperwork ahead of any European trip can also tap VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/), which provides real-time alerts on the EES roll-out and one-on-one guidance for dual-passport holders to ensure they have the correct documentation and minimise queuing time.
Logistics firms warn that if bottlenecks persist into Q2 2026 exporters relying on passenger aircraft for just-in-time deliveries could face delays. Companies with large non-EU talent pools should schedule briefing sessions so staff can complete enrolment on their first 2026 trip and avoid repeated data capture.
The Department of Transport says it will publish an information campaign in January and is working with Schengen partners to share best practice on kiosk roll-outs.
The EES will replace passport-stamping for non-EU citizens and is slated for full launch on 10 April 2026. Irish citizens remain exempt, but many corporate travellers hold dual or third-country passports that trigger EES enrolment. Only 10 % of passengers are currently being registered, rising to 35 % by 9 January, prompting ACI to seek an emergency meeting with the European Commission.
Dublin Airport is issuing pre-departure alerts but has limited influence once passengers land on the continent. Travel-management companies advise building in at least 45 minutes of extra connection time and ensuring employees carry their Irish passport where possible to avoid classification as ‘third-country’ entrants.
Travellers looking to streamline their paperwork ahead of any European trip can also tap VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/), which provides real-time alerts on the EES roll-out and one-on-one guidance for dual-passport holders to ensure they have the correct documentation and minimise queuing time.
Logistics firms warn that if bottlenecks persist into Q2 2026 exporters relying on passenger aircraft for just-in-time deliveries could face delays. Companies with large non-EU talent pools should schedule briefing sessions so staff can complete enrolment on their first 2026 trip and avoid repeated data capture.
The Department of Transport says it will publish an information campaign in January and is working with Schengen partners to share best practice on kiosk roll-outs.
