Festive season EES chaos continues round Europe, however particularly at Malaga

The rollout of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires biometric checks for non-EU travellers, has not turn into any extra fluid and continues to trigger main disruptions at airports throughout the continent, with Malaga-Costa del Sol significantly hard-hit through the busy Christmas interval.

Passengers have reported waits of as much as two hours or extra at passport management, usually resulting from understaffing, malfunctioning kiosks, and guide processing. Ryanair has responded by emailing clients, to encourage them to reach on the airport not less than three hours earlier than flights in Spain, warning of “longer queues” brought on by the brand new system.

System nonetheless in path mode has clearly failed

EES remains to be in trial mode and never working in any respect European airports. Within the case of Malaga, it’s abundantly clear that the experiment has failed, with one social media user calling on Paco de la Torre, Mayor of Malaga, to personally step in to finish the chaos.

At Malaga, frustration is mounting. One passenger, posting on X on Wednesday, 24 December 2025, described “complete chaos” with queues exceeding two hours and solely two officers manually checking passports, sharing images and movies of the snaking traces. “Malaga airport passport management for EU in addition to non EU passport holders is in complete chaos with 2 hours or extra of ready in queue. Solely two officers checking manually EU passports.”

Issues throughout European worldwide airports

It’s not splendid in different European airports both. Posts are showing from Germany  with comparable messages. “I can now verify the EU entry-exit system in Berlin is a complete farce. Automated kiosks not working, all registrations being carried out manually, with solely two border police desks open. Been queuing for 40 minutes and hardly moved. EU passport lane fully clear,” says Jaime Kay.

Tilly Mary Shiny says, “New #EES system at European airports wants critical overview. It doesn’t work and causes ridiculous delays. I’m caught within the queue from hell and other people round me are lacking connections.”

In line with the Portugal Post, 80 further law enforcement officials had been drafted in at Lisbon for a 15-day shift which has introduced down the typical wait to 60 minutes as an alternative of the three to six hour wait passengers had been struggling earlier than, and now the airport has briefly suspended the EES machine checks till after the Christmas interval.

A Spanish complainant on Fuengirolasequeja highlighted a current scene the place “not less than 200 folks” risked lacking flights as a result of just one officer was working manually whereas 20 machines stood unused, branding it “a humiliation” that might drive vacationers away.

All nationalities struggling as airports mismanage EES

The problems lengthen additional than simply British holidaymakers returning dwelling. Non-EU travellers from varied international locations face the biometric registration, and even some EU passengers have been caught in combined queues, together with Spanish travellers at Malaga airport, because the queues will not be being managed appropriately by the airport administration with clear signage and separate queues for non-EU ID holders and people who have already had their biometric particulars recorded.

Whereas Malaga, Alicante and Tenerife have seen the worst delays in Spain, stories of prolonged waits have additionally surfaced at airports in France, Portugal and elsewhere.

Airways warning passengers to reach 3 hours earlier than flight

Airways and airports insist teething issues are being addressed, however with peak journey ongoing, passengers are suggested to heed Ryanair’s warnings and permit plenty of further time. When will this initiative be retired and rethought? The EES might be obligatory in any respect European worldwide airports come April 2026.