Germany—and every other Schengen member—entered the next phase of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) on 9 January, when the regulation requires biometric processing at half of all external border checkpoints and a minimum 35 % registration rate for third-country arrivals. Industry body ACI Europe warned that passport-control times had already risen by up to 70 % in the pilot phase and could now stretch past three hours during peak waves.
Early reports from Frankfurt and Munich confirmed the prediction: non-EU travellers faced snaking lines as officers captured fingerprints and facial images, then issued printed receipts that replace passport stamps. Frankfurt Airport temporarily shut two automated border gates when fingerprint scanners froze in sub-zero temperatures—forcing officers to revert to manual processing.
Business travellers with tight intra-Schengen connections were the hardest hit; several missed onward flights after clearing immigration. Lufthansa and other carriers authorised ground staff to fast-track premium-class passengers through staff entrances where possible.
![EU Entry/Exit System hits ‘Day 90’ milestone, triggering longer queues at German airports]()
Travellers scrambling to adapt to these evolving procedures can streamline the paperwork by pre-checking requirements through VisaHQ’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). The service aggregates the latest EES and forthcoming ETIAS rules, offers step-by-step guidance for visa or waiver applications, and provides optional concierge support—helping passengers arrive at the border with every document and biometric confirmation already in order.
Global mobility teams should brief employees to budget at least 90 minutes from jet bridge to arrivals hall when landing from non-Schengen origins and to carry printed evidence of subsequent train or flight bookings to request expedited handling.
The German Federal Police says additional e-gates will come online by April, but staffing levels remain a constraint. The EES rollout is a precursor to ETIAS, now scheduled for 2027, which will add a prior travel-authorisation layer for visa-exempt visitors.
Early reports from Frankfurt and Munich confirmed the prediction: non-EU travellers faced snaking lines as officers captured fingerprints and facial images, then issued printed receipts that replace passport stamps. Frankfurt Airport temporarily shut two automated border gates when fingerprint scanners froze in sub-zero temperatures—forcing officers to revert to manual processing.
Business travellers with tight intra-Schengen connections were the hardest hit; several missed onward flights after clearing immigration. Lufthansa and other carriers authorised ground staff to fast-track premium-class passengers through staff entrances where possible.
Travellers scrambling to adapt to these evolving procedures can streamline the paperwork by pre-checking requirements through VisaHQ’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). The service aggregates the latest EES and forthcoming ETIAS rules, offers step-by-step guidance for visa or waiver applications, and provides optional concierge support—helping passengers arrive at the border with every document and biometric confirmation already in order.
Global mobility teams should brief employees to budget at least 90 minutes from jet bridge to arrivals hall when landing from non-Schengen origins and to carry printed evidence of subsequent train or flight bookings to request expedited handling.
The German Federal Police says additional e-gates will come online by April, but staffing levels remain a constraint. The EES rollout is a precursor to ETIAS, now scheduled for 2027, which will add a prior travel-authorisation layer for visa-exempt visitors.
