Flying through Schiphol? Expect longer passport queues

New EU border checks are expected to lengthen passport queues at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport for travelers using non-EU passports this summer. The cause is the Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces traditional passport stamping with an EU-wide digital registration. The system became mandatory on April 10, 2026, and for first-time entries requires logging passport data, facial information, and biometric details including fingerprints. While registered travelers can have their information stored for up to three years, initial registration at peak times can take several minutes, adding up when multiple long-haul flights arrive. Schiphol has expanded capacity with 161 self-service kiosks, additional Marechaussee desks, and more staff, but industry groups ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe and IATA warned that waiting times have already reached up to two hours and could rise to four hours or more. The article notes EU and Dutch passport holders can generally use eGates, but staffing may shift when queues build at non-EU kiosks.