Travellers arriving at Geneva’s Terminal 1 on 24 February 2026 faced record-breaking waits of up to seven hours after Spanish authorities delayed the synchronised rollout of a software patch for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The knock-on effect reverberated across understaffed border posts in both Lisbon and Geneva, where biometric kiosks repeatedly crashed and officers were forced to switch to manual data entry.
Geneva airport had warned passengers to expect disruption during the EES pilot phase, but winter-sport traffic and a major WTO ministerial meeting swelled arrivals beyond forecasts. According to airport management, staffing was based on the assumption that each registration would take 90 seconds; in practice, first-time enrolments averaged three minutes once failures and re-scans were included.
![Seven-hour queues at Geneva expose EES growing pains]()
To sidestep such headaches, travellers can enlist the support of VisaHQ, whose Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step guidance on visa requirements, advance document checks, and real-time entry alerts. By ensuring paperwork is correct before departure and flagging any upcoming system changes, VisaHQ helps passengers move through border controls more smoothly, even when technical glitches strike.
Some airlines held departing aircraft to wait for connecting passengers, but at least 14 flights left without a full manifest, triggering compensation claims under EU 261 and Switzerland’s equivalent regulations. Hoteliers in the canton reported a spike in last-minute cancellations and re-bookings as stranded travellers sought alternative routings via Basel and Milan.
The incident has intensified calls from IATA and ACI Europe for the European Commission to allow member states to keep using contingency waivers—such as temporarily suspending biometric capture—through the 2026 summer peak. Swiss authorities say additional border staff will be deployed over Easter and urge travellers to use the pre-check mobile app once it is relaunched in March.
Geneva airport had warned passengers to expect disruption during the EES pilot phase, but winter-sport traffic and a major WTO ministerial meeting swelled arrivals beyond forecasts. According to airport management, staffing was based on the assumption that each registration would take 90 seconds; in practice, first-time enrolments averaged three minutes once failures and re-scans were included.
To sidestep such headaches, travellers can enlist the support of VisaHQ, whose Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step guidance on visa requirements, advance document checks, and real-time entry alerts. By ensuring paperwork is correct before departure and flagging any upcoming system changes, VisaHQ helps passengers move through border controls more smoothly, even when technical glitches strike.
Some airlines held departing aircraft to wait for connecting passengers, but at least 14 flights left without a full manifest, triggering compensation claims under EU 261 and Switzerland’s equivalent regulations. Hoteliers in the canton reported a spike in last-minute cancellations and re-bookings as stranded travellers sought alternative routings via Basel and Milan.
The incident has intensified calls from IATA and ACI Europe for the European Commission to allow member states to keep using contingency waivers—such as temporarily suspending biometric capture—through the 2026 summer peak. Swiss authorities say additional border staff will be deployed over Easter and urge travellers to use the pre-check mobile app once it is relaunched in March.
