Readers’ experiences of the EU’s new EES border checks vary depending on where in Switzerland they are travelling to and from. Help us build a picture of any problem airports or places where queues are minimal. Share your experience in the comments section and we’ll add them to this article.
The European biometric registrations scheme, the Entry/Exit System (EES), has been causing major delays at Swiss airports.
The system is intended for travellers from outside Schengen – that is, nationals of countries other than those in the EU or EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein).
For them, entering the Schengen zone through Switzerland (as through any other member country, for that matter) involves undergoing a digital border control process which checks their identity and registers their arrival.
They need to have their passport scanned, and have their face photographed as well as provide four fingerprints at a kiosk intended for this purpose at Switzerland’s three international airports: Zurich, Geneva, and Basel.
READ MORE: Travel to Switzerland: Your questions answered about EES and ETIAS
EES has, like in Switzerland, needed an adjustment period. The new rules and systems have caused delays in airports across Europe.
In Geneva, the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (BAZG), which is responsible for passport controls, said the EES system is generally working well, though waiting times have increased.
A spokesperson for Zurich Airport reported that wait times in EES-bound queues sometimes exceed an hour.
However a reader of The Local Switzerland reached out to share their own experience at Zurich Airport, not only the long delays but the sort of confusion and disorganisation that a scan of social media shows has been felt by many travellers arriving in the country in recent weeks.
“We flew into Zurich Airport two days ago and queued for almost two hours. This was despite having completed the photos [and] fingerprints many weeks ago on a previous visit,” Pam Windsor said.
“There is no clear entry route for those who have done this apart from the self service line but having used the machines we were told to join the queue. Just a waste of time and added to the wait. There needs to be a clear queue for those who have completed the EES and one for the rest,” she explained.
“We imagined there would be new machines for those like us and a quick swipe and we would be done. That is not the case… The only positive was the smiling border guard that we eventually reached. Credit to them in the face of an endless queue.”
“Please Zurich, sort it out for us and them?” she added.
READ ALSO: New EES border system at Swiss airports causes longer waits for passengers
We are asking readers to help build a picture of what’s happening on the ground at airports in Switzerland. Experiences seem to vary depending on where people travel to and from and the time or day of travel.
Please help other readers by sharing your own experiences in the comments below. We are especially interested in the experience of non-EU residents in Switzerland.
TELL US your own experience in the comments section below, with details about where and when you travelled to and from in Switzerland. Thanks to all readers who have left comments.
