Belgium postpones biometric registration for third-country nationals at Brussels Airport
Belgium has postponed the registration of biometric data for third-country nationals entering the Schengen area. The measure, announced by the Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, follows significant queues and operational disruptions at Brussels Airport. The decision affects the gradual implementation of the European Entry/Exit System (EES) and aims to ensure border checks can be conducted under acceptable conditions for passengers.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been progressively implemented across the EU since 12 October 2025. It requires non-EU nationals to have their biometric data (fingerprints and facial images) registered when entering or leaving the Schengen area. The system is being introduced in phases by the Member States to allow adaptation to technical and operational challenges. In several EU countries, including France and the Netherlands, the registration of biometric data has already been postponed due to long waiting times and operational difficulties at airports.
On 29 March 2026, Belgian Ministers Quintin and Van Bossuyt announced that the registration of biometric data at Brussels Airport would be deferred. According to the Ministers, despite months of preparations and deployment of all available resources, the technological and infrastructure conditions required for biometric registration under normal and acceptable conditions were not yet met. The postponement is intended to prevent excessive queues and ensure passenger safety, while maintaining secure border controls.
Brussels Airport welcomed the postponement, noting that in the days prior, nearly 600 passengers had missed flights and cumulative delays had reached 21 hours due to EES-related processing times. The airport underlined that waiting times remain significant, partly because e-gate access for passengers from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore is currently suspended. Brussels Airport called on Belgian authorities to advocate for a more flexible and gradual rollout of the system, the rapid reinstatement of e-gates for certain third-country nationals, and full staffing of border posts by the federal police.
While the system is scheduled to become fully operational across the EU by 10 April 2026, the Ministers indicated that consultations with the European Commission would continue to define a realistic, coordinated schedule for EES deployment.
For further details, please read this press release (in English), this one in French, or this one in Dutch.