Brussels Airport is ready for new EU Entry-Exit System

Brussels Airport is getting ready for the implementation of the new European Entry-Exit System (EES), which came into effect across the Schengen area yesterday, 12 October 2025. The system will apply only to non-EU nationals entering or exiting the Schengen zone for short stays. It will not affect Belgian citizens or travellers from other EU and Schengen countries.

The EES is an EU-wide automated border control system that will register third-country nationals crossing external Schengen borders. It will collect biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints, along with passport information and entry/exit records. The goal is to strengthen border security and replace the manual passport stamping process with a fully digital system. In Belgium, the Federal Police are responsible for implementing and operating the EES.

To support the new system, Brussels Airport has installed:

• 12 new border control boxes at the Arrivals area
• 33 cameras at border control points to capture facial images
• 61 self-service kiosks for pre-registration of third-country nationals
• 36 new e-gates for automated border processing

In addition, the airport will provide personnel to guide passengers through the new system and help streamline operations.

As of the system’s introduction, passengers from outside the Schengen zone will no longer be allowed to use the e-gates at departure. Brussels Airport is in discussions with authorities to allow selected third-country nationals to use the e-gates both at departure and arrival, in an effort to reduce queues and improve efficiency.

Also read → Belgium air travel faces major disruption on October 14 amid national strike

Full implementation of the EES is expected by 10 April 2026, with a gradual rollout starting this October. The success of the system will depend heavily on having enough trained border control officers to manage passenger flow and ensure reasonable waiting times.

For EU and Belgian nationals, there are no changes: they can continue using existing e-gates and are not required to register any additional data.

2.3 million passengers at Brussels Airport in September, an increase of 1%

Brussels Airport welcomed 2,272,761 passengers in September 2025, an increase of 1% compared to September 2024. However, this increase could have been greater had it not been for the cyberattack that affected Collins Aerospace, the external service provider for Brussels Airport’s check-in and boarding systems. This incident led to the cancellation of a number of flights between 20 and 28 September. Thanks to the alternative systems put in place and the efforts of the entire airport community, the vast majority of flights during this period were still able to be operated. The brand-new check-in and boarding system, which was originally scheduled to be deployed in November 2025, was fully rolled out in record time and is now being used by all airlines.

The airport experienced 3% growth across the first three quarters of this year (the period January to September), with 19 million passengers to date. In addition to the cyberattack, this figure was also negatively impacted by five days of national strikes this year, targeting federal government projects. In total, since the beginning of the year, more than 230,000 travelers have been unable to take their flights due to these union actions.

The share of departing transfer passengers in September was 14%, a figure comparable to September 2024.

The top 10 countries in September were respectively Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Türkiye, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, France and Switzerland.

The article Brussels Airport is ready for new EU Entry-Exit System first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

The post Brussels Airport is ready for new EU Entry-Exit System appeared first on Travel Daily News