UK warns travellers of long queues at Copenhagen Airport

British travellers to Denmark should expect significantly longer wait times at passport control in Copenhagen Airport, the UK Foreign Office has warned, following delays of up to 75 minutes over the weekend due to new EU border checks.

The updated travel advice comes after the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces passport stamps with digital registration, went fully operational at the airport on 10 April. The system requires non-Schengen travellers—including Britons—to submit biometric data, increasing processing times, Copenhagen Police confirmed to Danish broadcaster DR.

Airport authorities reported understaffing at border control contributed to the weekend delays, though police declined to say whether additional officers would be deployed. “Passport control operates with the resources we’ve calculated based on flight traffic data,” a police spokesperson stated.

The EES, introduced across the EU last October, mandates that third-country nationals register personal details, provide fingerprints, and have their photo taken before entering the Schengen Zone. While the system enhances security by cross-checking criminal databases, it has slowed processing, police acknowledged.

Longer queues have been reported across major European hubs, with some airports seeing wait times rise by 70%, according to Airports Council International (ACI). In extreme cases, passengers have faced delays of up to three hours, prompting calls for the EU to suspend the system until November to avoid summer chaos.

The UK, US, Canada, and Australia have all advised citizens to allow extra time for Schengen entry due to the new checks.