Britons traveling to Europe this summer are facing new problems at the border as the European Union’s digital entry system causes delays and confusion.
The Entry Exit System, known as EES, requires many non-EU travelers to register when entering and leaving the Schengen area.
The system records passport details, photographs and fingerprints. It also aims to track how long visitors stay in the Schengen area.
EES has been fully active since April. However, many UK travelers say they have faced long queues, faulty machines and unclear instructions.
Some passengers have reported waits of several hours. Others say the delays have caused stress and raised fears about missing flights and other connections.
Airports and airlines had called for the system to be paused during the busy summer travel period. European authorities rejected those calls.
Border officers can reduce some EES requirements when queues become too long. This temporary measure is due to expire next month.
Travelers have also reported problems with their digital records.
Martin Farrall, a retired university professor from Warwickshire, said his EES record failed to show that he had left the Schengen area.
Martin and his wife entered Europe by ferry through the Netherlands in May. They later returned to the UK from France in June.
He said border officers did not stamp their passports when they left. After returning home, he checked his travel allowance and found that the system appeared to show that he was still inside the Schengen area.
Martin feared the error could make him appear to have stayed beyond the allowed limit. He contacted French authorities but said he did not receive a quick response.
His online record later changed. However, he said the information for him and his wife did not appear to match despite their having the same travel history.
Other travelers have faced problems at airports.
Nadia, from Greater Manchester, said her experience at Frankfurt airport was very different from a trip to Tenerife.
She said the queue at Frankfurt was extremely long and there was little information for passengers. She also said people were unsure about which line they needed to join.
Nadia said her fingerprints were not taken during one visit. She believed staff may have relaxed the process because of the long queue.
She also questioned how well the systems of different EU countries communicate with each other. She said travelers should not need to provide the same information again after already completing registration.
Students with long-stay visas have also reported confusion.
Evie, a British student in Munich, said airport staff sometimes directed her toward the EES line because she had a British passport.
She said she then had to explain that she had a German student visa. She believes airports need clearer signs about who is covered by the new system.
Older travelers have faced their own problems with the technology.
Kevin, 75, said he and his wife struggled with the fingerprint machines during a trip to Lanzarote.
He said some machines were not working and other passengers became frustrated when their fingerprints would not register.
The couple eventually completed the process with manual help. Kevin said he could see other travelers becoming anxious as they waited.
Another traveler, a retired IT worker named Martin, said he had trouble using the fingerprint system at Schiphol airport.
He said the screen did not always respond to his fingers. He also believed older people with dry skin could have more trouble using the scanners.
Problems have also affected travelers with disabilities.
Ed Griffiths, a retired IT specialist, said his wife has impaired vision and struggled to follow the instructions on an EES machine at Prague airport.
The couple spent more than an hour waiting after the machines failed to register their details. Staff eventually allowed his wife to pass without completing all parts of the process.
Ed later faced another problem in Milan. The system did not appear to recognize his previous registration, forcing him to wait again for manual assistance.
He said a later visit to Vienna went much faster when an officer helped supervise the machines.
The experiences show that EES is still causing problems for some UK travelers months after its full rollout.
For holidaymakers, the new system means more time may be needed at airports, ports and other border points.
Travelers may also need to prepare for fingerprint scans, photographs and possible technical problems.
The EU system is designed to improve border control and track visitor stays. However, the experiences of British travelers show that its rollout has not been smooth.
As the summer travel period continues, passengers are being urged to allow extra time at borders and follow local instructions.
For many UK travelers, the main concern is now whether the new digital system can become faster and more reliable before the next major holiday season.
