Prague Airport: New Border Control System Leaves Tourists Waiting for Hours

At Václav Havel Airport in Prague, passengers arriving from countries outside the Schengen zone are being forced to wait in hours-long queues for passport control at Terminal 1. The culprit is the new European EES system, which requires foreign nationals to submit fingerprints and undergo digital photographing.

Journalists who visited the arrivals hall shortly before 11 a.m. found a pair of American tourists who had just landed from New York. They said they themselves had waited around half an hour, but a sizeable crowd had already begun forming behind them — some passengers ended up waiting far longer. A young couple who had flown in from London spent more than two hours in line. Many travellers looked exhausted and were reluctant to comment on the situation, but they all agreed on one thing: the wait is simply too long.

What is the EES system?

The EES system replaces the traditional passport stamp with electronic data registration and has been in force at the external borders of the Schengen zone since 10 April 2026. It applies to third-country nationals arriving in the EU for short-term stays. On their first registration, travellers are required to provide biometric data — a digital facial photo and fingerprints.

Prague Airport has known it needed to implement EES since 2022, yet has still failed to build the necessary infrastructure. According to the airport's new director, Radomír Lasák, responsibility for this lies with the previous management. Until early September, countries were allowed to temporarily ease biometric requirements, but that grace period has now ended.

"We need to establish exactly why the necessary measures weren't prepared in time and who was responsible for specific decisions," said Václav Havel Airport spokesman Marek Zeman, as quoted by the Czech news agency ČTK.

Police deny staff shortages

Border checks are carried out by the Foreign Police, who reject claims that a lack of staff is behind the long waits.

"During peak periods, the Foreign Police deploy every available control desk and do everything possible to keep things moving. We are adjusting working hours and shift planning so that the greatest number of officers and resources are on duty precisely during the airport's busiest hours," said Foreign Police spokesman Josef Urban.

It remains unclear what concrete steps may emerge from the airport management's unscheduled meeting, set for Friday.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz