Portugal says no airport border control halt for now
Portugal said it is not planning, for now, to suspend the EU entry-exit system at airports, as long queues raise concerns over travel flows and economic activity.
Portugal’s government said it is not planning, for now, to suspend the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) at the country’s airports, clarifying its position after Prime Minister Luís Montenegro left that option open earlier on Sunday. Long border queues are affecting airport operations and, according to the prime minister, the country’s economic activity.
In a reply shared with ECO, the Internal Administration Ministry said Portugal has applied the EES since the start of its gradual rollout on October 12, 2025, and remains committed to operating it in line with EU law, with “no suspension of this system planned for now”. Earlier in the day, in comments reported by Lusa, the ministry had used firmer wording, saying no suspension was planned, while Montenegro said the government could take tougher measures if needed.
According to the ministry, temporary and limited suspensions of biometric data collection are already being used at peak times when queues become excessive. In those cases, passport checks continue, while the collection of facial images and fingerprints is resumed once waiting times return to reference levels. Operational management lies with the PSP police force, which is responsible for airport border control.
The ministry said recent disruption at Portuguese airports, especially Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport, has been caused by a mix of factors including occasional IT failures, works in some operational areas and heavy passenger volumes concentrated into short periods. According to Lusa, waiting times on Sunday morning exceeded two hours at Porto airport and reached more than 90 minutes at Lisbon and Faro.
The government said an expansion of border control infrastructure at Lisbon airport is due to enter into operation on May 29, increasing the number of manual control booths and e-gates. From July, more than 300 additional PSP staff are also due to be assigned to border control. Airlines, particularly Ryanair, have been calling for the system to be suspended during the summer.
Originally published at Eco.pt
