Skip to content
LisTransferLisbon travel guide by GetVoolo

First time through the EES at Lisbon Airport: step by step

Facts checked by Roshid on 9 October 2026

The first time a non-EU visitor enters Portugal since the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) started, they are registered with their fingerprints and a photo instead of getting a passport stamp. Here is what happens at Lisbon Airport step by step, on the way in and on the way out. For why the queues got so long and what has changed since, see Lisbon Airport passport control.

Do you need to register?

EES applies to non-EU nationals coming for a short stay, which means up to 90 days in any 180-day period, whether or not they need a visa.

Who is registered in the EES
TopicRegistered?
Holiday or business visitor with a UK, US, Canadian, Brazilian or Australian passportYes
Visitor with a Schengen short-stay visaYes, photo only (your fingerprints are already on file from the visa)
EU, EEA or Swiss citizenNo
Holder of a Portuguese residence permit or long-stay visaNo
Non-EU family member of an EU citizen, with a residence cardNo
UK national living in the EU under the Withdrawal AgreementNo, but only with the specific Withdrawal Agreement residence document

Before you fly

  • Your passport: any valid passport is accepted. You need a biometric passport, the kind with a chip, only to use the self-service kiosks or the app.
  • The "Travel to Europe" app (optional): the EU's app lets you start your border check up to 72 hours before you arrive. For Portugal it covers the entry questions, and it gives you a QR code to scan at the self-service kiosks. Portugal joined it in March 2026; using it is not compulsory, but the government recommends it.

Arriving at Lisbon, step by step

  1. Follow the signs for passport control and the queue for non-EU passports.
  2. Self-service kiosk, if you have a biometric passport: scan your passport, look at the camera, put your fingers on the scanner and answer the questions, or scan the QR code from the app. The kiosk sends everything to the officer you see next.
  3. The officer's desk: you still see a border officer, from the Portuguese police (PSP). The officer confirms your identity and may ask about your trip, such as how long you are staying and where. Without a kiosk, the officer takes your fingerprints and photo at the desk instead.
  4. No stamp: your entry is recorded electronically. You can ask the officer how many days you are allowed to stay.

If the kiosk will not read your passport, or your passport has no chip, go to the officer's desk: you are registered there. If you refuse to give your fingerprints or photo, you are refused entry.

How long it takes at Lisbon

No live waiting times are published, and they vary a lot with how many flights land at once. The longest reported waits have been on busy weekend mornings and holiday weekends:

  • 29 March 2026: arrivals peaked at about two hours around 08:30, then fell below an hour, according to ANA and the PSP.
  • 16 May 2026: waits at departures passed an hour because of technical problems. ANA advised passengers on flights outside the Schengen area to come to the airport earlier.
  • From 29 May 2026: Lisbon added border desks and e-gates. It now has 34 desks and 31 e-gates in arrivals and 18 of each in departures, and 48 more PSP officers.

Leaving Lisbon

  • Flying out of the Schengen area, for example to the UK, the US or Brazil: before your gate you go through passport control, where your face or fingerprints are checked and your exit is recorded. Allow extra time for this.
  • Flying to another Schengen country, for example Madrid or Paris: there is no border check in Lisbon. Your exit is recorded when you finally leave the Schengen area.
  • If your entry was never registered, for example because you arrived while Lisbon had EES suspended, you may be registered when you leave.

Your next trips

Once you are registered, later crossings only compare your face or fingerprints with your file, which is quicker. With a biometric passport and a clear file you can usually use the self-service equipment, where it is available, without going to an officer. Occasionally your data is taken again.

Your file is kept for three years and a day after your last exit, and for five years if no exit was ever recorded. So if you come back within three years, you do not register from scratch.

Counting your 90 days

The rule has not changed: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted together across all the countries using EES. What has changed is that the system now counts for you. Passport stamps were abolished on 10 April 2026, when EES became fully operational at every border.

You can check how many days you have left with the EU's online tool, or ask the border officer. If you stay longer, you are added to a list of overstayers. Depending on the country, that can mean a fine, removal or being refused entry later.

ETIAS

ETIAS, the online travel authorisation that visa-free visitors will need, is not running yet. The official EU site says no applications are being collected, and that the start date will be announced several months before it begins. Until then you do not need to apply for anything.

Sources