Jump to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBryony GoochSunday 13 September 2026 20:32 BSTWhy British holidaymakers face 'border roulette' this summer thanks to EU entry-exit systemAt least nine countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, have reportedly delayed the implementation of the European Union's Entry-Exit System (EES) to prevent border disruption and maintain traffic fluidity.The new biometric border control scheme requires non-EU citizens to provide fingerprints and facial scans, which previously caused severe queues and technical difficulties during summer travel.Despite the official 150-day grace period expiring on 6 September, Brussels has informally permitted member states to defer the checks until the required systems and software are fully operational.Airlines and aviation figures have strongly criticised the rollout, with Ryanair describing the situation as a shambles and urging the European Commission to extend the derogation until at least April 2027.The UK government has allocated over £30 million to upgrade infrastructure and increase processing capacity at key departure points including the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel, and Eurostar.In fullEU delays post-Brexit border checks in nine countries after airport chaosMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in