Brussels Airport will add eight staffed arrival border-control posts in December, raising the total to 20, as processing delays linked to the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) remain excessive. Six additional automated gates are planned for early 2027, while non-European travellers have faced waits of up to five hours during peak periods.
EES biometric registration has made processing for visa-required passengers two to three times slower during morning arrival peaks. The system requires covered non-EU short-stay travellers to provide passport, facial-image and fingerprint data. Some passengers who previously used automated gates must now use staffed counters, adding pressure to the arrivals border-control area.
Brussels Airport is working with Belgium’s Federal Police and public authorities responsible for the EES technology. Additional police officers are being recruited and trained, and the airport is seeking broader eligibility for automated gates, a pre-arrival registration application and the ability to suspend biometric collection temporarily when queues become excessive.
The airport has installed 60 pre-registration kiosks for non-Schengen travellers, but they remain unavailable because of technical problems involving suppliers working for public authorities. No operational date has been confirmed. The EES has been fully operational at external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026, but unresolved technology and processing issues continue to limit the intended capacity gains.