Government requests suspending EU border entry/exit system beyond September

Portugal and seven other European Union (EU) countries, along with Switzerland, have asked the European Commission to allow the temporary suspension of the entry/exit system at external borders to be extended beyond September, at a time of mounting pressure.

“The planned end of the partial suspension on 6 September is a cause for serious and legitimate concern, shared not only by several member states, regardless of their level of preparedness, but also by the entire transport sector”, writes Portugal’s internal administration minister, Luís Neves, and his counterparts from eight countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Switzerland) in a letter sent to the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Magnus Brunner.

In the letter, to which the Lusa news agency gained access on Thursday, the ministers request that, “taking into account the concerns expressed by all stakeholders and the potential impact on public order arising from these exceptional circumstances”, the European Commission extend this mechanism, which provides that, in the event of technical system failures, member states may temporarily resort to alternative procedures such as manual registration and passport stamps until normal operations are restored.

“We would welcome the Commission providing, before 6 September 2026, concrete written assurances regarding this specific flexibility”, state Luís Neves and his counterparts.

In the letter, Portugal and the other countries assure that they remain “fully committed to the full implementation of the Entry/Exit System, which is essential for improving border management and strengthening the security of the Schengen area”.

“We reaffirm that commitment without any reservation”, the European ministers state, whilst acknowledging “important lessons” from the first eight months of the border system’s implementation.

“Experience to date has shown that significant difficulties may arise in exceptional circumstances, and these risks should not be underestimated”, the letter reads.

In recent months, several passengers have complained of prolonged waiting times at border controls in Portuguese airports, particularly in Lisbon, a situation linked to the implementation of the system and a lack of human and technological resources.

The Government has, however, announced an increase in staff numbers, new document checkpoints and more electronic gates (e-gates) at the main airports – measures aimed at reducing waiting times during the peak tourist season.

These “significant advances” are mentioned in the letter, which advocates maintaining this “time-limited and exceptional flexibility to resort to the partial suspension mechanism”, which will only be used “when necessary and duly justified”.

The Entry/Exit system for electronically recording the entry and exit of third-country nationals into the Schengen Area, replaces manual stamps with biometric and digital records. It became fully operational in April 2026 and was launched in October 2025.

This stance comes at a time of increased pressure due to the rise in passenger numbers over the summer.

Associations representing European airlines and airports have already called on the government to suspend the system during the summer due to “unsustainable pressure”.

In response to these associations, the European Commissioner responsible for the matter assured them, without going into detail, that the European Commission “will now redouble its efforts to help member states that continue to face difficulties”.