Airports warn of non-Schengen delays

Wednesday, 10 June 2026 06:30

Non-EU travellers arriving at Swiss airports are facing much longer immigration queues, as Europe's new biometric Entry/Exit System bites.

The EES requires every non-Schengen visitor to scan their passport and provide four fingerprints at a kiosk on arrival.

Zurich Airport reports waits of over an hour at peak times, and Geneva is also seeing delays.

UK and US travellers already holding a Swiss or other Schengen residence permit are exempt.

With the summer holiday rush approaching, officials warn delays are likely to get worse.

More from Bitesize News

Ski resorts popular this summer

Many of us are choosing to have our sumer vacations in ski resorts - as they’re cooler.
Heatwaves force construction rethink

Three heatwaves in a matter of weeks are pushing architecture schools to rethink how they train the next generation.
Customs warn of bringing back fake goods

Swiss customs are reminding holidaymakers what not to bring back this summer.
Swiss firefighters replaced in France

The 34 firefighters from French speaking Switzerland deployed to fight the French wildfires are back home, exhausted after a week of fighting fires of rare intensity.
Cities remain dangerous for cyclists

Cities remain particularly dangerous for cyclists, according to a new analysis of federal accident data.
Govt looks to cut forest protection

The Federal Council is scrapping the CHF 25 million a year that Parliament voted to help forests adapt to climate change, despite two clear parliamentary decisions.