Since 6 September, Portuguese airports have been carrying out mandatory biometric data collection from 100% of passengers coming from countries outside the Schengen area or the European Union. This collection is part of the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), which began operating in October 2025 in a phased manner. Previously, it was possible to suspend biometrics when queues formed, but that possibility no longer exists.
The collection is proceeding without constraints at most Portuguese airports, with the exception of Faro Airport, where "greater pressure" is being recorded. According to Chief Superintendent João Ribeiro, Deputy National Director of the PSP and head of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF), the factors affecting Faro include weather conditions, air traffic delays and peaks in flight concentration, as happened last Thursday when more than 10 flights landed in 25 minutes, essentially with British passengers.
Processing time has increased significantly: where it previously took between five to 15 minutes, now it takes between 15 to 30 minutes. João Ribeiro considered this time "quite acceptable." The serious problems that occurred for months at the beginning of the year, with passengers waiting several hours, have been resolved since May with investment in technology, reorganization of airport areas and the reinforcement of 360 personnel at air borders.
UNEF currently has 1,504 police officers working on airport security and border control, distributed across the main airports. Despite this reinforcement, João Ribeiro stated that they are "at 80% of recommended capacity" and that it is necessary to invest in more technical human resources, specialized in detecting false documents and anticipating migratory risks. The European Commission has allowed that, until December, biometrics do not need to be applied when there are technological problems, given that some countries are still creating conditions for the EES.
