Elderly Britons Face Additional Airport Delays as Biometric Kiosks Reject Fingerprints

Elderly travellers from Britain are experiencing significant delays at European airports due to biometric kiosks failing to read their fingerprints, according to recent reports. These self-service machines are part of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU visitors to provide a facial scan and fingerprints upon entering and leaving the region.

Passengers, including those over 80 years old and those with worn or damaged fingerprints, have encountered repeated rejections at kiosks in Spain, Austria, and Italy, among other locations. The issues have led to lengthy queues, with some travellers spending up to six hours waiting in manual processing lines. Angela Evans, an 80-year-old passenger, had to resort to a manual queue after her fingerprints could not be registered by multiple kiosks at Palma de Mallorca Airport.

Similarly, Barbara and Ian Gardner faced similar challenges at Salzburg and Naples airports, respectively. Experts note that fingerprint recognition can become problematic as people age, due to skin losing elasticity and ridges becoming less distinct. The EES, designed to enhance security and curb overstays, began phased implementation in October 2025 and became fully operational in April 2026.

While EU regulations acknowledge that some individuals cannot provide usable fingerprints, passengers' experiences suggest that the exemption process is not effectively preventing delays. Airlines have expressed concerns that unresolved operational issues could cause significant disruption at busy European airports during peak travel seasons.