Government

Swiss airports warn of delays due to EES rollout

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February 12, 2026

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European aviation and travel groups are warning that the rollout of the EU's biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), which relies heavily on self-service registration kiosks, could overwhelm passport control at some European airports, including those in Switzerland. After a four-month soft launch in which only about 35% of non-EU travelers were enrolled, airports in Spain, France and Italy have already experienced queues stretching up to three hours. Beginning April 10, all third-country nationals will be required to use kiosks for fingerprinting and facial scanning.

The concern centers on kiosk capacity and passenger familiarity, according to a VisaHQ report. Industry groups warn that if every arriving non-EU traveler must complete first-time biometric enrollment at kiosks, processing times could spike dramatically during peak periods. At Zurich Airport, estimates suggest a fully loaded long-haul aircraft could take an additional 50–70 minutes to clear border control when all passengers require kiosk registration, potentially cascading delays across terminals.

Aviation bodies are urging the European Commission to allow temporary "stand-down" options, such as pausing kiosk-based enrollment during peak times, to prevent severe bottlenecks.

In the longer term, EES kiosks promise benefits, including fully digital tracking of stay limits and faster identification of overstays. But until staffing levels, kiosk throughput and software performance stabilize, Swiss airports and employers are bracing for disruption.