Global travel magazine Business Traveller issued an urgent advisory on 10 April after receiving reports of EES-related queues of up to four hours at several European airports, including Brussels. The publication notes that the biometric enrolment itself is quick but that ‘‘first-time’’ registrants create a domino effect, slowing the line for everyone behind them—particularly during morning bank departures to North America and late-evening waves to Africa. Because Belgium is both a Schengen border-entry point and a major connecting hub for Star Alliance, the delays threaten tight intra-Europe connections that many corporate itineraries rely on.
![Business Travellers Advised to Arrive Four Hours Early as Belgian Border Biometrics Cause Delays]()
At this stage, even seemingly minor documentation hiccups can push travellers to the back of those same queues. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) allows both individual passengers and corporate mobility teams to pre-check visa requirements, upload passports for validation and receive real-time EES updates—practical support that can shave precious minutes off airport processing and help keep tight connections intact.
The magazine quotes Airports Council International data indicating security-processing times can jump 70 % when EES kiosks are in full use. Business Traveller recommends corporates revise their travel policies immediately: non-EU staff should aim to reach Brussels Airport at least four hours before flight time; travellers with meetings in the city should factor in possible missed trains from the airport’s rail station; and mobility teams should brief frequent flyers that even if they have previously submitted biometrics they must line up with first-timers until automated e-gates are expanded. For companies rotating project teams between the UK and Belgium, the article underscores the risk that a delayed arrival could wipe out the benefit of a same-day out-and-back trip—a common practice under post-Brexit business-visitor rules. Until throughput stabilises, virtual meetings or longer stays may be the safer option.
At this stage, even seemingly minor documentation hiccups can push travellers to the back of those same queues. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) allows both individual passengers and corporate mobility teams to pre-check visa requirements, upload passports for validation and receive real-time EES updates—practical support that can shave precious minutes off airport processing and help keep tight connections intact.
The magazine quotes Airports Council International data indicating security-processing times can jump 70 % when EES kiosks are in full use. Business Traveller recommends corporates revise their travel policies immediately: non-EU staff should aim to reach Brussels Airport at least four hours before flight time; travellers with meetings in the city should factor in possible missed trains from the airport’s rail station; and mobility teams should brief frequent flyers that even if they have previously submitted biometrics they must line up with first-timers until automated e-gates are expanded. For companies rotating project teams between the UK and Belgium, the article underscores the risk that a delayed arrival could wipe out the benefit of a same-day out-and-back trip—a common practice under post-Brexit business-visitor rules. Until throughput stabilises, virtual meetings or longer stays may be the safer option.
