The European Union has indefinitely postponed the launch of its ETIAS travel authorization as the Entry/Exit System triggers airport queues.
It is not the first instance that the European Travel Information and Authorization System has experienced delays. Currently, there is no confirmed date for its rollout.
At the same time, the EU’s EES is already transforming border crossings.
Overall, the sytem has already caused longer processing times at a number of major European travel hubs. In some cases, travelers have had to wait for up to two hours.
Consequently, passengers face a strange time this summer as the ETIAS stays on hold, while the EES creates problems.
ETIAS faces another delay
ETIAS will eventually require eligible visa-exempt visitors to secure authorization before traveling to participating European countries.
The requirement will affect travelers from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
However, the EU currently accepts no ETIAS applications.
“ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point,” the EU states.
Moreover, European authorities have not announced a new launch date.
The EU says it will announce the specific starting date several months before ETIAS becomes operational.
Once launched, ETIAS will cost €20 for travelers who must pay the application fee.
An authorization will remain valid for three years or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first.
It will cover visits lasting up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
For now, travelers should not submit ETIAS applications or pay websites claiming to process them.
EES is already changing European border controls
While ETIAS remains delayed, EES has already entered operation.
The EU began partially introducing EES in October 2025. Authorities then completed its rollout on April 10, 2026.
The system digitally records eligible non-EU travelers entering and leaving participating European countries.
Additionally, it records passport information and biometric identifiers, including fingerprints and facial images.
The technology aims to replace traditional passport stamping while giving border authorities more accurate entry and exit records.
However, those additional procedures can increase processing times.
Munich Airport acknowledges that EES implementation increases border processing times. Therefore, it has installed 119 self-service registration kiosks at selected checkpoints.
Still, infrastructure improvements have not prevented significant delays across several major airports.
Airport waiting times have doubled in some cities
Overall, recent figures show how sharply border queues have increased since EES became fully operational.
Research reported by IamExpat compared airport waiting times using Qsensor data and publicly available passenger information.
At Munich Airport, the average maximum queue increased from 31 minutes in 2025 to 60 minutes in July 2026.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt’s average wait increased from 60 minutes to 120 minutes.
Amsterdam Schiphol also recorded queues reaching 120 minutes, compared with 80 minutes during the previous year.
Schiphol has separately reported average waits between one and two hours for arriving non-EU passport holders.
The airport called those delays unacceptable.
Furthermore, Schiphol has deployed additional employees to direct passengers, answer questions, and provide assistance during congestion.
German airports have also faced operational problems.
A Frankfurt Airport spokesperson told the Financial Times that EES was contributing to “departure delays and further operational disruptions.”
As a result, airlines and airports have pressed European authorities to ease the requirements during the busy summer season.
EES and ETIAS serve different purposes
The similar acronyms can easily confuse travelers, but EES and ETIAS perform different functions.
EES operates at the border and records the movements of covered non-EU travelers.
By contrast, ETIAS will require eligible visa-exempt travelers to obtain authorization before their journey.
Therefore, travelers should not assume the ETIAS delay means Europe has suspended its new border procedures.
EES remains operational, and affected passengers may need to register biometric information when crossing an external Schengen border.
However, EU citizens are not subject to EES registration.
The procedures also vary depending on the traveler, border crossing, and whether biometric information has already been registered.
Consequently, not every passenger should expect a two-hour queue.
Still, the latest airport figures show travelers should account for possible delays when planning connections.
What travelers should do now
Travelers heading to Europe currently do not need ETIAS authorization.
Currently, they should monitor official EU information for the eventual launch date.
At airports, non-EU travelers covered by EES should also prepare for additional border procedures.
For example, Munich Airport advises passengers to arrive earlier than usual and keep their travel documents ready.
The airport also recommends using available self-service systems to help reduce processing times.
Travelers with connecting flights should consider potential immigration delays when choosing their itineraries.
However, current problems differ substantially among airports and travel periods.
Europe faces a difficult next step
The ETIAS postponement gives European authorities more time before adding another major requirement for international travelers.
However, it also extends years of uncertainty surrounding Europe’s new digital border framework.
EES has already demonstrated the operational challenges involved in processing millions of travelers through biometric systems.
Meanwhile, ETIAS will add another digital layer once authorities finally launch it.
European officials are expected to provide advance notice before ETIAS applications become mandatory.
Until then, travelers face a simpler requirement before departure but potentially slower processing after arrival.
For Europe, the challenge now involves making its digital border ambitions work without turning immigration halls into bottlenecks.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
