Italy’s Interior Ministry has drafted an emergency decree that will let border-police officers at the country’s major gateways—Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa, Venice-Marco Polo and others—temporarily bypass the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) whenever queues top 45 minutes. The measure, published in outline on 5 May, follows a chaotic first month of EES operations in which non-EU passengers routinely faced waits of one-to-two hours at passport control.
EES, which became mandatory on 10 April, records the fingerprints and facial images of every third-country traveller entering or leaving the Schengen Area. Airports say the kiosks needed for first-time enrolment occupy four times the floor-space of a manual booth and require intensive staff training—resources that have proved scarce in the run-up to the busy summer season.
During the May-Day long weekend more than 120 EasyJet passengers missed onward connections after being trapped in biometric lines at Milan-Linate.
Under the draft decree, officers will switch back to the traditional ‘stamp-in, stamp-out’ method whenever the live queue-time displayed in the control hall exceeds 45 minutes. The fallback can be invoked multiple times a day and will remain in force nationwide until 30 September 2026, giving airports time to install additional e-gates and test the EU’s forthcoming “Travel to Europe” pre-registration app.
![Italy to Suspend Biometric Border Checks at Busy Airports, Reverts to Passport Stamps Until 30 September]()
Airlines must still send Advance Passenger Information, so the underlying database continues to track stays for the Schengen 90/180-day rule even when no biometrics are taken.
For business-travel managers the hybrid regime means extra vigilance. Travellers should keep at least two blank pages in their passports for possible manual stamps, build longer connection buffers, and retain boarding passes as proof of time already spent in the Schengen Area.
To simplify these logistics, travellers and corporate planners can turn to VisaHQ, a digital visa and passport service that tracks the latest Schengen entry rules and prints customised checklists for each trip. Its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) allows users to verify document validity, request expedited passport renewals, and receive real-time alerts on EES derogations like the one described above—saving valuable time at the airport.
Companies relocating staff this summer are advised to route via quieter hubs such as Bologna or Verona where kiosks are less saturated, or to schedule arrivals outside the 07:00–11:00 long-haul rush.
The Italian move echoes similar derogations announced by Greece and Portugal this week and increases pressure on Brussels to provide longer transition periods. If successful, it could become a template for other member-states struggling with the biggest change to Schengen border procedures in a generation.
EES, which became mandatory on 10 April, records the fingerprints and facial images of every third-country traveller entering or leaving the Schengen Area. Airports say the kiosks needed for first-time enrolment occupy four times the floor-space of a manual booth and require intensive staff training—resources that have proved scarce in the run-up to the busy summer season.
During the May-Day long weekend more than 120 EasyJet passengers missed onward connections after being trapped in biometric lines at Milan-Linate.
Under the draft decree, officers will switch back to the traditional ‘stamp-in, stamp-out’ method whenever the live queue-time displayed in the control hall exceeds 45 minutes. The fallback can be invoked multiple times a day and will remain in force nationwide until 30 September 2026, giving airports time to install additional e-gates and test the EU’s forthcoming “Travel to Europe” pre-registration app.
Airlines must still send Advance Passenger Information, so the underlying database continues to track stays for the Schengen 90/180-day rule even when no biometrics are taken.
For business-travel managers the hybrid regime means extra vigilance. Travellers should keep at least two blank pages in their passports for possible manual stamps, build longer connection buffers, and retain boarding passes as proof of time already spent in the Schengen Area.
To simplify these logistics, travellers and corporate planners can turn to VisaHQ, a digital visa and passport service that tracks the latest Schengen entry rules and prints customised checklists for each trip. Its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) allows users to verify document validity, request expedited passport renewals, and receive real-time alerts on EES derogations like the one described above—saving valuable time at the airport.
Companies relocating staff this summer are advised to route via quieter hubs such as Bologna or Verona where kiosks are less saturated, or to schedule arrivals outside the 07:00–11:00 long-haul rush.
The Italian move echoes similar derogations announced by Greece and Portugal this week and increases pressure on Brussels to provide longer transition periods. If successful, it could become a template for other member-states struggling with the biggest change to Schengen border procedures in a generation.
