The president of Málaga’s Provincial Council, Francisco Salado, has criticised Spain’s Interior Ministry for "absolutely unacceptable" queues at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, where travellers reported waiting over two hours at passport control during the New Year peak. Salado blamed the delays on under-resourced staffing for the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), warning that poor first impressions could damage the region’s lucrative British inbound market.
Airport sources say passenger volumes on 2 January were 18 % above 2025 levels as holidaymakers returned home before the Three Kings holiday. Only half of the planned biometric kiosks were operational, forcing police to revert to manual stamping during peak arrivals.
![Costa del Sol tourism chief blasts ‘unacceptable’ passport-control waits in Málaga]()
For travellers who want to make sure their paperwork is in perfect order before arriving, VisaHQ provides a one-stop online platform with real-time requirements for Spanish visas, Schengen entry rules and supporting documents. Its dedicated Spain page (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can help holidaymakers and corporate mobility teams alike secure the correct authorization in advance, potentially speeding their transit through Málaga’s forthcoming EES gates.
EES remains in a phased roll-out but will become mandatory on 10 April 2026. Andalusian tourism bodies are urging Madrid to fast-track additional e-gates and deploy more officers ahead of the Easter season, when Málaga typically handles 70,000 passengers per day.
Companies relocating staff via Málaga are encouraged to schedule early-morning or late-evening arrivals, when queues are shorter, and to remind non-EU assignees to complete Schengen-stay calculations, as EES will automatically record over-stays once fully active.
Airport sources say passenger volumes on 2 January were 18 % above 2025 levels as holidaymakers returned home before the Three Kings holiday. Only half of the planned biometric kiosks were operational, forcing police to revert to manual stamping during peak arrivals.
For travellers who want to make sure their paperwork is in perfect order before arriving, VisaHQ provides a one-stop online platform with real-time requirements for Spanish visas, Schengen entry rules and supporting documents. Its dedicated Spain page (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can help holidaymakers and corporate mobility teams alike secure the correct authorization in advance, potentially speeding their transit through Málaga’s forthcoming EES gates.
EES remains in a phased roll-out but will become mandatory on 10 April 2026. Andalusian tourism bodies are urging Madrid to fast-track additional e-gates and deploy more officers ahead of the Easter season, when Málaga typically handles 70,000 passengers per day.
Companies relocating staff via Málaga are encouraged to schedule early-morning or late-evening arrivals, when queues are shorter, and to remind non-EU assignees to complete Schengen-stay calculations, as EES will automatically record over-stays once fully active.
