"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."
"Tenerife South brought in the EES system on November 6th, but by the end of the month, they were still having teething problems. A video surfaced on November 21st showing chaos in the terminal, long queues and overcrowding. Since then, it seems like the situation has improved slightly, but travellers have still been complaining. According to recently-arrived passengers on the Tenerife Residents and Visitors Facebook group, some people still had long queues, while other people said the process was very quick."
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been deployed at multiple Spanish airports since October 12, 2025, with full EU rollout required by April 10, 2026. Madrid implemented EES first, followed by other airports over subsequent weeks. The system collects biometric data from non-resident, non-EU passengers, including fingerprints and photos. Implementation has been uneven: some airports operate smoothly while others experience long queues, delays and malfunctioning machines. Tenerife South introduced EES on November 6 and experienced overcrowding and long queues late in November, though conditions later showed mixed reports. Malaga Airport has also reported issues with EES procedures.
Read at www.thelocal.es
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