UK passport waits at Rome airport rose from 7 to 20 minutes after new EU entry system began

The Bbc reported that the time for UK nationals to clear passport control at Rome's Fiumicino airport has risen from seven minutes to 20 minutes since the introduction of the EU's Entry Exit System. The system requires non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival.

Rome's Fiumicino airport spent €12m on standalone automated kiosks for the process, which has been phased in since October.

The airport later integrated registration into passport e-gates for UK nationals, a change that Ivan Bassato, the airport's Chief Aviation Officer, said improved things significantly. Children under 12 must still register with a border officer. Bassato stated the airport is absolutely not okay with waits of one or two hours.

He called for removal of duplication in the process and wider use of the EU's pre-registration app, which only Sweden and Portugal currently employ. At Faro airport in Portugal, Superintendent Pedro Oliveira said the system has experienced bugs and server complications. He noted that what used to be a ten-minute queue sometimes takes longer, though waits of over an hour remain very rare.

The airport has recruited more border officers, and children under 16 must have biometrics recorded by staff rather than machines. A meeting earlier this month between airports, airlines, and the European Commission did not result in changes allowing proactive suspension of the system during busy periods.

The European Commission stated that disruption from the system is limited in most EU airports.