Long Waiting Times at Portuguese Airports: A Concern for Travellers

Strategic Insights -

Travellers planning a trip to Portugal this summer are facing possible long waiting times at airports, according to reports. The chaos at Lisbon airport arrivals, where people have been waiting for over two hours to show their passport documents and enter the country, is being attributed to the new passenger control system that was installed two weeks ago. The situation is expected to become more complicated as the number of arrivals increases, particularly after July, when 500 PSP agents who will reinforce airports on the mainland and islands will complete their training.

Key Takeaways:

  • Long waiting times at Lisbon airport arrivals have been reported, with some travellers waiting for over two hours to show their passport documents and enter the country.
  • The new passenger control system that was installed two weeks ago has been blamed for the delays, with some passport scanners going down in an outage.
  • The situation is expected to worsen as the number of arrivals increases, particularly after July, when 500 PSP agents will complete their training to reinforce airports on the mainland and islands.
  • The UK Government has warned that from October 2025, travellers will see changes when they arrive in EU countries, including Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, due to the introduction of the Entry/Exit system EES.
  • The new digital border system, EES, will require British nationals travelling to the Schengen area to register their biometric details, such as fingerprints or a photo, when they arrive.
  • The UK Foreign Office has stated that EES is expected to start in October 2025, although it is not currently in operation.

Statistics:

  • 2 hours: The longest waiting time reported at Lisbon airport arrivals.
  • 3 hours: The waiting time reported last week, with some passport scanners going down in an outage.
  • 500: The number of PSP agents who will complete their training to reinforce airports on the mainland and islands in July.
  • October 2025: The expected start date of the Entry/Exit system EES.
  • 0: The current number of EES registrations in operation.

Sources:

  • BirminghamLive
  • Pinto Luz, Miguel, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing
  • ASPP/PSP, Police Professionals' Union Association
  • UK Government
  • UK Foreign Office