The Commission says media reports are being monitored and confirms ongoing communication with Portugal and other Member States regarding the Entry/Exit System (EES). It emphasises that delays often stem from factors unrelated to the EES.

According to Brussels, “that is also the case here.”

In contact with Portugal

“The Commission will remain in contact with Portugal regarding this matter and will continue to provide the necessary support. The challenges faced in Portugal—including longer waiting times—are unrelated to any issues with the functioning of the Entry/Exit System,” the institution emphasises.

Commission data sent to Lusa shows that, on average, first-time registrations take just over one minute in most Member States.

Exceptional situations are resolved in accordance with procedures set out in EU legislation. Member States must ensure the correct implementation of EES; the Commission continues to provide support.

Entries recorded

Since October 2025, nearly 66 million entries and exits have been recorded in this new system, along with over 32,000 refusals of entry, of which more than 800 individuals were identified as posing a threat to EU security.

The EES is a digital system designed to electronically record the entry and exit of third-country nationals within the Schengen free-movement area, replacing manual passport stamps with biometric and digital records.

Provisions are in place allowing Member States, in the event of technical system failures, to temporarily resort to alternative procedures—including manual registration and passport stamping—until normal operations are restored.

In its response to Lusa, Brussels emphasises that "smooth border crossings must also be ensured by Member States through the deployment of an adequate number of border guards and automated solutions—such as self-service kiosks and electronic gates (e-gates)—as well as through the use of the 'Travel to Europe' pre-registration application."

"This is particularly important at border crossing points experiencing heavy traffic," it concludes.

This response comes amidst reports of long queues at the airports in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro.

Reinforcing staff

On 18 May, it was announced that the PSP (Public Security Police) will reinforce Portuguese airports with an additional 360 officers in July—a measure aimed at reducing waiting times for passengers arriving from outside the Schengen area.

The Schengen area is the most visited destination in the world, with 40% of all global international travel crossing its external borders.

The new European border control system went into operation in October 2025—in Portugal and the other countries of the Schengen Area—and since then, waiting times at air borders have worsened, particularly at Lisbon Airport, where passengers are sometimes forced to wait for several hours.

Surprise inspection

In December 2025, the European Commission conducted a surprise inspection of Portugal's air and maritime borders and identified "serious deficiencies" in border control, particularly at Humberto Delgado Airport.

The final report highlighted 14 critical shortcomings in human resources, equipment, and the systematic simplification of security procedures.