Travellers heading to or through Czechia this summer have been told to brace for some of the longest border-control waits in recent memory. Airline and airport associations warned on 11 February that the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) – which registers the fingerprints and facial image of every non-EU visitor – is already generating two- and three-hour bottlenecks at several gateways and could push processing times to four hours once peak holiday traffic arrives. Prague’s Václav Havel Airport is repeatedly cited by airlines as a hot-spot after test days in December showed queues snaking beyond the arrivals hall when wide-body flights from Dubai, New York and Seoul landed within the same hour. (thescottishsun.co.uk)
Under the EES, third-country nationals must complete biometric enrolment the first time they enter the Schengen Area after 12 October 2025; subsequent trips still require a facial scan and database check. While the technology works, staff shortages and a lack of self-service kiosks mean each new enrolment can take two to three minutes – seven times longer than the old passport-stamp procedure, according to data shared by Airports Council International Europe. Industry groups are urging Brussels to let member states pause first-time registrations during the peak season or allow ‘white-list’ pre-enrolment via a smartphone app that is still in pilot phase. (lufthansa.com)
![Airlines warn Prague travellers of four-hour queues as EU Entry/Exit System strains border control]()
If you need help navigating Czech entry formalities while the EES rollout settles, VisaHQ’s Czech Republic hub (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) can provide real-time visa advice, application support and timely updates on border requirements, giving travellers and mobility teams an extra layer of confidence before they reach immigration.
For companies running time-critical projects in Czechia, the advice is to factor border delays into itineraries and to steer assignees toward quieter arrival windows. Mobility managers should also make sure new hires and visiting executives know that biometric capture is a one-off process: the second trip will be far quicker if they travel on the same passport. Airlines are lobbying Prague Airport to fast-track installation of additional automated border-control (ABC) gates and to deploy roving agents who can triage travellers before they reach the desks.
Failure to smooth the rollout could have broader economic consequences. Czechia relies on a steady flow of British, US and Asian business visitors; prolonged queues risk missed connections to Brno and Ostrava, late arrivals at client meetings and higher accommodation costs when itineraries slip. The Interior Ministry has not signalled any intention to defer EES implementation, insisting that the system will be fully operational at all external Schengen borders by 10 April 2026.
Under the EES, third-country nationals must complete biometric enrolment the first time they enter the Schengen Area after 12 October 2025; subsequent trips still require a facial scan and database check. While the technology works, staff shortages and a lack of self-service kiosks mean each new enrolment can take two to three minutes – seven times longer than the old passport-stamp procedure, according to data shared by Airports Council International Europe. Industry groups are urging Brussels to let member states pause first-time registrations during the peak season or allow ‘white-list’ pre-enrolment via a smartphone app that is still in pilot phase. (lufthansa.com)
If you need help navigating Czech entry formalities while the EES rollout settles, VisaHQ’s Czech Republic hub (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) can provide real-time visa advice, application support and timely updates on border requirements, giving travellers and mobility teams an extra layer of confidence before they reach immigration.
For companies running time-critical projects in Czechia, the advice is to factor border delays into itineraries and to steer assignees toward quieter arrival windows. Mobility managers should also make sure new hires and visiting executives know that biometric capture is a one-off process: the second trip will be far quicker if they travel on the same passport. Airlines are lobbying Prague Airport to fast-track installation of additional automated border-control (ABC) gates and to deploy roving agents who can triage travellers before they reach the desks.
Failure to smooth the rollout could have broader economic consequences. Czechia relies on a steady flow of British, US and Asian business visitors; prolonged queues risk missed connections to Brno and Ostrava, late arrivals at client meetings and higher accommodation costs when itineraries slip. The Interior Ministry has not signalled any intention to defer EES implementation, insisting that the system will be fully operational at all external Schengen borders by 10 April 2026.
