A nationwide UK survey released on 17 May 2026 found that 59 % of British holiday-makers expect ‘significant’ queues at EU borders this summer because of the new Entry/Exit System (EES). The findings, published by The Independent, come as Brussels Airport registers trial-run wait times of up to two hours for non-EU travellers during peak arrivals.
![Poll warns of Entry/Exit System delays as Brussels Airport braces for summer crowds]()
For travellers trying to make sense of the new procedures, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance on Belgium’s entry rules and can coordinate visa and document preparation ahead of departure, helping to minimise surprises at the EES kiosks. Their Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) consolidates requirements, processing times and real-time alerts, making it easier for both holiday-makers and corporate mobility teams to plan journeys with confidence.
EES, fully operational in the Schengen Area since 10 April, replaces passport stamping with biometric capture. Every third-country national entering Belgium must now provide four fingerprints and a facial image; the data are stored for three years. Brussels Airport opened six automated kiosks in April but insiders say at least 20 are required to process holiday peaks without bottlenecks. Airlines and travel-risk consultants fear business passengers will be caught in family-holiday backlogs. Advantage Travel Partnership has already urged corporates to book fast-track security and advise staff to arrive three hours before departure when flying out of Brussels between late June and early September. The Belgian Interior Ministry insists the system will eventually cut processing times, but unions representing the federal police report that only a quarter of the 240 additional officers promised for the border have been hired so far. For employers moving staff to Belgium—even on short-term projects—the message is clear: allow extra buffer time on arrival to register biometrics, schedule meetings later in the day, and monitor Brussels Airport’s real-time queue tracker. Frequent-traveller programmes that store templates in the EU’s Registered Traveller framework are also worth considering; although Belgium is not yet enrolled, officials say a pilot could launch by year-end.
For travellers trying to make sense of the new procedures, VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance on Belgium’s entry rules and can coordinate visa and document preparation ahead of departure, helping to minimise surprises at the EES kiosks. Their Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) consolidates requirements, processing times and real-time alerts, making it easier for both holiday-makers and corporate mobility teams to plan journeys with confidence.
EES, fully operational in the Schengen Area since 10 April, replaces passport stamping with biometric capture. Every third-country national entering Belgium must now provide four fingerprints and a facial image; the data are stored for three years. Brussels Airport opened six automated kiosks in April but insiders say at least 20 are required to process holiday peaks without bottlenecks. Airlines and travel-risk consultants fear business passengers will be caught in family-holiday backlogs. Advantage Travel Partnership has already urged corporates to book fast-track security and advise staff to arrive three hours before departure when flying out of Brussels between late June and early September. The Belgian Interior Ministry insists the system will eventually cut processing times, but unions representing the federal police report that only a quarter of the 240 additional officers promised for the border have been hired so far. For employers moving staff to Belgium—even on short-term projects—the message is clear: allow extra buffer time on arrival to register biometrics, schedule meetings later in the day, and monitor Brussels Airport’s real-time queue tracker. Frequent-traveller programmes that store templates in the EU’s Registered Traveller framework are also worth considering; although Belgium is not yet enrolled, officials say a pilot could launch by year-end.
