Italy suspends EES biometric checks for 45 minute airport queues until Sept. 30

Italy eases EES checks at busy airports

Italy’s Interior Ministry has drafted an emergency decree that would let border police skip biometric Entry/Exit System checks and fall back to manual passport stamping when airport queues top 45 minutes. The measure is aimed at major hubs including Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa and Venice-Marco Polo and it still needs Cabinet approval before publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.

The hybrid setup would run nationwide until Sept. 30, giving authorities time to add more e-gates, train staff and test the EU’s “Travel to Europe” pre-registration app. Airlines would still send Advance Passenger Information, so overstay checks stay partly digital even when stamping replaces fingerprints and face scans.

Who gets the faster lane

The change affects non-EU travelers making short stays of up to 90 days in 180 who enter through air borders. That includes tourists and many digital nomads. Expat residents with permits or long-stay visas are exempt from EES anyway.

Italy moved on the draft May 5 after reports of waits of up to 2 hours for fingerprint and facial scanning. Similar exceptions have been announced in Greece and Portugal and the Italian fallback could be used more than once a day if queues build again. visa updates

What travelers should have ready

Carry a passport with at least two blank pages for stamps and keep boarding passes as proof of stay. It also helps to photograph each stamp in case you need a backup record later.

Plan extra time for connections at busy airports, especially while the system switches between biometric and manual processing. No extra fee applies when police make the switch. Read our full Italy guide for the complete picture.