Portugal becomes 2nd country to adopt EES app as deadline for full rollout approaches

Portugal will allow third-country travelers to pre-register for the EU’s biometric border scheme, the Entry-Exit System (EES), through an app developed by Frontex. With the full EES rollout just over two weeks away, Portugal becomes only the second country, following Sweden, to offer the Travel to Europe app.

Portugal says that the app will first be available at Lisbon Airport, expanding to other airports in the coming weeks.

Developed with the help of Inverid (Signicat) and its face biometrics partner iProov, the platform allows travelers to enter their personal and travel details before arriving at the border. Once the process is complete, users receive a QR code that can be submitted at self-service border control kiosks.

Portugal is one of the European countries that has been severely hit by queues after introducing the EES. At the beginning of the year, Lisbon Airport decided to put EES biometric checks on hold for three months after passengers faced 7-hour border delays.

Other countries have also reported long queues, especially during peak travel seasons. The issues are expected to rise once the EES completes its six-month rollout period on April 10th. By that date, all 29 Schengen area countries must have EES operational at every border crossing to record the entry of all third-country nationals by collecting their biographical data, facial images and fingerprints.

Questions are rising on whether the deadline will be met. European authorities announced earlier this month that three unnamed countries are lagging behind in deploying the EES.

France said in mid-March that technical issues are hindering its ability to fully roll out the EES, Connexion France reports. The country’s two largest airports, Paris Orly and Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, have previously urged a postponement of further EES rollouts until after the tourist season.

Spain is planning to roll out the system as planned and has reportedly launched a 24-hour stress testing of biometric kiosks at major airports, including Madrid-Barajas Terminal 4S, Barcelona-El Prat Terminal 1 and Málaga-Costa del Sol. The country, however, is facing a strike of ground staff at 12 major airports during the Easter holidays.

In February, European air travel organizations warned that the EES could lead to serious travel disruptions during the summer tourist season and requested the option to partially or fully pause the system through October 2026. The lack of adoption of the Travel to Europe app is cited as one of the main reasons for the expected disruptions, according to a letter published last month by ACI Europe (Airports Council International), A4E (Airlines for Europe), and IATA (International Air Transport Association).

The European Commission has allowed EU countries to partially suspend Entry-Exit System (EES) operations, but only for 90 days after the full rollout in April.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  digital travel  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  Frontex  |  identity verification  |  iProov  |  Portugal  |  Signicat  |  Travel to Europe