The new European biometric registration regime, the Entry/Exit System (EES), has been causing major delays at the Geneva airport, as thousands of tourists flock to Switzerland’s ski slopes.
The EES, rolled out in Switzerland in October and Novrmber 2025, digitally registers travellers from countries outside the EU and EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein).
As reported by public broadcaster RTS, tourists from third countries “have faced interminable queues at Geneva Airport in recent weeks,” adding that the EES is “putting pressure on customs and the airport.”
As a result, scores of non-EU/EFTA foreigners – particularly from the UK – “have sometimes had to wait up to two and a half hours to enter the country.”
And while the influx of travellers is typical during this time of year, when many are heading to the resorts in the Swiss Alps, “these waiting times are exceptional,” the RTS reported.
Mitigating measures
Airport officials confirm that bottlenecks have formed at peak travel periods due to the new border control process, but say they are working to resolve the problem.
For instance, the number of agents in the arrivals hall has been doubled to better manage the passenger flow and provide information.
As for problems with baggage handling – prolonged waits at the border are creating luggage pile-ups – “a dedicated team has been deployed to address this,” airport authorities said.
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Elsewhere in Europe as well
This problem is not unique to Geneva airport, but is widespread in other countries as well.
Three groups representing the aviation industry – Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – wrote to the European Commission arguing that the EES “continues to cause significant delays for passengers” with “persistent excessive waiting times of up to 2 hours at airport border control”.
The groups attribute the delays to “chronic border control understaffing, unresolved technology issues, especially with regard to border automation, and the very limited uptake of the Frontex pre-registration app by Schengen states.”
READ MORE: Europe’s airlines and airports fear summer travel chaos
