According to a fresh warning from Wizz Air, during the summer peak season, it is advisable to arrive at some European airports earlier than usual, up to three hours before departure, as the EU's new Entry/Exit System, or EES, may cause longer border control queues. The news initially focused primarily on British passengers, but the lesson is also important for Hungarian travelers: the system affects every non-EU citizen arriving or departing for a short stay, and delays may occur not necessarily at security checks, but at passport control.
The topic has come to the forefront now because, according to a June 1st report by Euronews, Wizz Air's British management asked British customers traveling home from Europe to be at the airport three hours before their flight's departure instead of the usual two hours. According to the airline, some passengers missed their flights due to passport control queues related to the EES. Meanwhile, ACI Europe, the airport professional organization, warned that waiting times in some places could increase to several hours, especially when the summer travel wave puts pressure on check-in, security checks, and border crossing simultaneously.
What is the EES, and who does it affect?
The EES is the European Union's digital border registration system. According to the European Commission, the system launched with a gradual introduction on October 12, 2025, and will be fully operational at the external borders of the Schengen area from April 10, 2026. The goal is to replace paper-based passport stamping with digital records: the system records the entry and exit of non-EU citizens arriving for short-term stays, as well as any refusals of entry.
The system does not directly transform the Schengen travels of Hungarian citizens, as different rules apply to EU citizens. However, many Hungarian travelers may encounter the effects of the EES. This could happen if someone travels with a British, American, Serbian, Turkish, Ukrainian, or other non-EU companion; if they go on vacation with a non-EU family member; if non-EU passenger queues at an airport impact general terminal traffic; or if the return journey is from an airport where exit checks are mandatory before the path to the gates.
According to a recent summary from the European Parliament's research service, the EES has already recorded more than 52 million entries and exits during its implementation phase and has logged more than 27 thousand entry refusals. According to the document, the system registers a passenger in approximately 70 seconds on average at full capacity. This may not seem like much on its own, but during peak times, with many first-time registering passengers, few open booths, or technical glitches, queues can quickly build up.
Why could this cause summer airport delays?
The EES is not simply a new question at the counter. The first full registration may involve biometric data: capturing a facial image and fingerprints, verifying travel document data, and then digitally logging the entry or exit. The process works most smoothly at airports where there are enough automated kiosks, well-organized queue management, and properly trained staff. Where any of these are missing, border control can become a bottleneck.
The problem is particularly acute in the summer schedule. With low-cost airlines, including Wizz Air, many passengers travel with only carry-on luggage and online check-in, which normally speeds up the airport process. However, the EES is not linked to the airline's check-in system, but to the border crossing. Because of this, it may happen that a passenger arrives on time, has their boarding pass, passes through security, but ends up in a longer queue when exiting or entering Schengen.
The three-hour arrival suggestion is therefore useful, but it does not solve everything in every situation. An analysis by The Independent on June 2nd pointed out that at several airports, check-in counters or baggage drop-off points only open two to two and a half hours before departure. For those traveling with checked bags, simply arriving early does not always provide a full advantage, because they must first drop off their luggage. In contrast, passengers with carry-on luggage can often head toward security and passport control sooner.
What does this mean for Hungarian travelers?
From a Hungarian perspective, the news is practical for several reasons. Firstly, Wizz Air is a highly prominent airline in the Hungarian market, and many Hungarian passengers use the company's flights not only from Budapest, but also from Vienna, Milan, Rome, London, or other European airports. Secondly, mixed itineraries are common among Hungarian tourists: for example, starting from Budapest or Vienna, transferring in Western Europe, and then returning home with a non-EU companion.
Those departing from Budapest airport should continue to follow the current recommendations of the airline and the airport, but it is worth looking at the entire route, not just the first leg. If, for example, the return journey involves Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, or Vienna, the border control situation may be different. To check departure and arrival data on the day of the flight, the Budapest airport online flight information can be useful, and for departures or arrivals in Vienna, the VIE live flight information.
It should also not be forgotten that the EES is primarily linked to the Schengen external border. A Budapest-Rome or Budapest-Milan flight is a Schengen internal route on its own, but at the airport during the same period, there may be a large number of passengers exiting or entering Schengen. During peak times, this can affect the entire operation of the terminal: longer queues may form at passport control, boarding may slow down, and gate changes or delays may spread to multiple flights.
How should one prepare?
The most important thing is that the traveler should not start from a general rule, but from the specific combination of airport, airline, and route. Wizz Air's three-hour advice primarily concerned British customers traveling home from Europe, but the logic behind it can apply to all non-EU passengers: the first EES registration and the exit check may take more time than the previous passport stamping.
- Online check-in: where possible, it is worth doing in advance so that time is not wasted at the airport because of the boarding pass.
- Luggage: for checked bags, check when baggage drop-off opens, as arriving too early does not always mean immediate progress.
- Travel documents: for non-EU passengers, it is especially important that the passport is valid and that visa or visa-waiver conditions are in order.
- Transfer: for separate bookings, a larger time buffer is needed, as the two airlines may not necessarily assume joint responsibility for a missed second flight.
- Airport transport: during peak times, transfers should also be planned earlier; in Budapest, for example, pre-arranging airport transfer and taxi can reduce uncertainty.
Why is this not just a matter of convenience?
EES delays are not simply about the passenger standing in line longer. Airport processes build upon each other: if someone gets through border control late, they can easily miss boarding, even if the flight technically departs on time. If multiple passengers are stuck in line, the airline may decide to wait, but there is no guarantee, especially in the low-cost model operating with tight turnaround times.
The issue is even more sensitive for family and group travels. A family consisting of a Hungarian citizen and a non-EU family member may not necessarily pass through the same queue, or at least must expect different processing times. Therefore, it is advisable for the group to arrive together but be prepared separately: everyone should have a charged phone, water, a copy of booking details available offline, and enough time to reach the gate.
For business travelers, the EES poses a risk in a different way. On short, one-day trips, it is common for passengers to count on the latest possible arrival, as they do not want to spend unnecessary hours at the airport. In the current summer situation, this can be a riskier strategy, especially for London, Milan, Rome, Paris, Madrid, or other high-traffic airports. Those traveling for an important meeting, wedding, cruise departure, or concert should not calculate with the last possible flight.
What should we look out for in the coming weeks?
According to the European Parliament's research service, technical issues, border control capacity, and the limited use of pre-registration tools can also cause disruptions during the EES implementation. However, the regulation allows for temporary flexibility: until September 2026, member state authorities may partially suspend the collection of biometric data in cases of extraordinary, excessive waiting times. This, however, does not mean that the passenger can know in advance where the check will be faster or slower. This very unpredictability justifies the larger time buffer.
In the coming weeks, Hungarian travelers should regularly check three things. First, the airline's own travel notifications, as check-in and gate closing rules may differ by company. Second, the current information from the departure airport, especially if the route involves a Schengen external border. Third, the flight status, as a small delay in practice can even provide a useful buffer, while a gate change or early boarding can further reduce the room for maneuver.
Summary
In the long term, the EES promises safer and more accurate border registration, but in the first full summer season of 2026, there may still be noticeable adaptation costs. Wizz Air's three-hour advice is not a universal panacea, especially with checked luggage, but an important signal: the old, routine airport time planning is no longer sufficient on many routes. The safest strategy for Hungarian travelers now is to prepare online, leave for the airport earlier, allow extra time for passport control, and not organize overly tight transfers or ground programs during the summer peak season.
Sources: European Commission EES information, European Parliament Research Service 2026 summary, as well as early June reports from Euronews and The Independent on the Wizz Air warning and airport waiting times.