Air-transport bodies on 5 February warned the European Commission that the new biometric **Entry-Exit System (EES)** risks causing five-hour queues across Schengen airports this summer unless border authorities are allowed to scale down checks at peak times. The call comes after the staggered EES roll-out—which began in October 2025—generated three-hour waits in Spain, France and Italy and up to 55-minute peaks at Helsinki-Vantaa in December. (theguardian.com)
Under the current timetable, officers must register fingerprints and a facial image for **35 percent of third-country travellers** until 10 April, after which the requirement rises to 100 percent. The travel industry wants the Commission to formalise an “emergency brake” that would let border guards temporarily suspend enrolment when queue times exceed agreed thresholds. Finnish operator Finavia has already set up overflow biometric zones and is urging non-EU passengers to arrive three hours early during Lapland’s late-winter charter rush.
For corporate mobility teams, the operational stakes are high. Although EES does not change visa rules, it ends manual passport-stamp calculations and will automatically flag overstays to the authorities. Employers rotating project staff through Finland must therefore audit Schengen-day tracking systems, ensure workers’ travel histories are digitised, and build extra time into airport routings—especially for UK, US and Indian passport holders who form a large share of Finland’s tech and engineering workforce.
![EU industry urges flexibility on Entry-Exit System as summer queues loom for Finnish airports]()
Whether you are a business travel manager or an individual passenger, VisaHQ can simplify compliance by providing real-time updates on Finnish entry rules, tailored Schengen day calculators and expedited visa-processing support. Their Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) consolidates the latest EES guidance and lets users set automated alerts, ensuring no one is caught out by biometric enrolment queues or overstay flags.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) also note that Finland’s border-control booths are chronically understaffed outside Helsinki. Regional airports in Oulu and Tampere have yet to install full EES kiosks, meaning delays could cascade when 100 percent capture becomes mandatory. Contingency advice includes scheduling early-morning flights, avoiding tight intra-EU connections and reminding travellers that children under 12 and holders of EU residence permits are exempt from fingerprinting.
The Commission is expected to review industry proposals at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March. If no flexibility is granted, Finnish airports face their most complex summer peak since the post-pandemic reopening—making proactive queue-time monitoring and traveller briefings essential for HR and global-mobility teams.
Under the current timetable, officers must register fingerprints and a facial image for **35 percent of third-country travellers** until 10 April, after which the requirement rises to 100 percent. The travel industry wants the Commission to formalise an “emergency brake” that would let border guards temporarily suspend enrolment when queue times exceed agreed thresholds. Finnish operator Finavia has already set up overflow biometric zones and is urging non-EU passengers to arrive three hours early during Lapland’s late-winter charter rush.
For corporate mobility teams, the operational stakes are high. Although EES does not change visa rules, it ends manual passport-stamp calculations and will automatically flag overstays to the authorities. Employers rotating project staff through Finland must therefore audit Schengen-day tracking systems, ensure workers’ travel histories are digitised, and build extra time into airport routings—especially for UK, US and Indian passport holders who form a large share of Finland’s tech and engineering workforce.
Whether you are a business travel manager or an individual passenger, VisaHQ can simplify compliance by providing real-time updates on Finnish entry rules, tailored Schengen day calculators and expedited visa-processing support. Their Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) consolidates the latest EES guidance and lets users set automated alerts, ensuring no one is caught out by biometric enrolment queues or overstay flags.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) also note that Finland’s border-control booths are chronically understaffed outside Helsinki. Regional airports in Oulu and Tampere have yet to install full EES kiosks, meaning delays could cascade when 100 percent capture becomes mandatory. Contingency advice includes scheduling early-morning flights, avoiding tight intra-EU connections and reminding travellers that children under 12 and holders of EU residence permits are exempt from fingerprinting.
The Commission is expected to review industry proposals at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March. If no flexibility is granted, Finnish airports face their most complex summer peak since the post-pandemic reopening—making proactive queue-time monitoring and traveller briefings essential for HR and global-mobility teams.
