France and other EU nations reported significant operational hurdles on April 10, 2026, as the European Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational, enforcing the 90/180 day stay limit for non-EU travelers and triggering warnings of multi-hour queues at airports and borders.aerospaceglobalnews.comwww.diplomatie.gouv.frwww.connexionfrance.com The biometric system, which registers fingerprints and facial scans to replace passport stamps, faced technical glitches including faulty kiosks and database connectivity issues, particularly in France where many border points remain unprepared.www.visahq.comevrimagaci.org Travelers, especially from the UK, encountered manual processing at key hubs like Eurostar, Eurotunnel, and major airports, with some facing up to four-hour waits.

Aviation leaders from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe highlighted the strain, urging temporary suspensions of EES during peak summer travel to avoid undermining Europe's appeal, as queues have already caused missed flights. France's patchy readiness stems from ongoing hardware shortages at juxtaposed UK controls and data transmission problems, prompting calls for extended flexibility beyond the EU's allowance of partial suspensions for up to 90 days post-launch, plus a 60-day extension. The 90/180 tracking aims to automate overstayer detection but has exposed vulnerabilities in the system's rollout, originally delayed from 2020 due to technical woes and events like the 2024 Olympics.

The European Commission maintains close coordination with struggling member states, sharing best practices from smoother implementations while eyeing ETIAS rollout by late 2026 for visa-exempt pre-clearance. Industry experts like travel journalist Simon Calder predict weeks of inconsistent procedures, advising passengers to provide advance information and allow extra time amid the transition to digital borders. Despite teething troubles, officials emphasize EES's long-term benefits for secure, efficient Schengen management.www.eeas.europa.eu