Spain’s Entry/Exit System: A Comprehensive Overview
- Teh EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now in place at numerous Spanish airports, but ther are reports of it causing several issues at some arrival terminals, with...
- The EES system came into effect on October 12th 2025 and airports across the EU have until April 10th, 2026, to roll it out fully.Madrid was the first...
- The idea is to collect biometric data from non-resident, non-EU passengers by using special machines which take passengers' fingerprints and photos, among other information.
Teh EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now in place at numerous Spanish airports, but ther are reports of it causing several issues at some arrival terminals, with long queues, delays and machines that are not working properly.
The EES system came into effect on October 12th 2025 and airports across the EU have until April 10th, 2026, to roll it out fully.Madrid was the first airport to implement it on October 12th, followed by other airports over the last two months.
The idea is to collect biometric data from non-resident, non-EU passengers by using special machines which take passengers’ fingerprints and photos, among other information.
READ ALSO: ‘Damaging’ – Hoteliers urge Spain to fix long queues for EES checks at airports
While some airports in Spain seemed to roll it out seamlessly, it is indeed still an issue at others.
In fact, it’s been such a change that even Spanish hospitality bosses are complaining.
The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and tourist Accommodation (CEHAT) has urged spain’s interior Ministry to immediatly bolster police numbers at Spanish airports and ensure the full operation of new EES control systems.
According to the group, the long queues and waiting times at passport control have become “a structural problem that seriously damages tourists’ experiences as well as Spain’s image as a top-level tourist destination in a highly competitive environment.”
CEHAT points out that this problem, denounced on numerous occasions by hotel associations in different parts of the country, is particularly troublesome at airports with a high influx of international passengers, such as Málaga, Tenerife South or Lanzarote, among other prominent tourist destinations.
READ MORE: Which airports in Spain are having problems with the EES launch?
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The Local asked our readers what their experiences of EES had been so far and here are the results.
It’s safe to say that many have had their issues arriving in Spain, with several airports seemingly forced to skip the new EES protocols to avoid long queues.
Pete, from the UK, said that “on the whole it’s been fine, but there was one time the queues out of Málaga got really long and in the end they just had to process without the EES to work do
Here’s a summary of the issues reported with the new EES (Entry/Exit System) rollout at Spanish airports, based on traveler accounts:
* Machine Malfunctions: Multiple travelers reported the fingerprint scanning machines failing to recognize their fingerprints, forcing them to use manual passport control.
* Limited Machine Usage: A recurring complaint was that a important number of EES machines were not operational or were switched off,leading to bottlenecks. Some airports appeared to only have a small fraction of the machines functioning.
* Long Delays: The combination of malfunctioning and unused machines resulted in significant delays at passport control, with wait times exceeding an hour in some cases.
* Staff Confusion: Travelers observed airport staff appearing equally confused and unprepared regarding the new system and it’s implementation, including how to handle exemptions.
* Inconsistent Implementation: Reports suggest a lack of consistent application of the system across different airports (Alicante, Barcelona, Gran Canaria).
* Questioned Value: some travelers expressed skepticism about the effectiveness and cost-benefit of the EES system given the reported issues.