The EU's new digital border checks could cause massive travel delays this summer, with passport control queues reaching up to five hours during peak times. Aviation groups say the new Entry/Exit System (EES) has reached a "crisis point", with major airlines including easyJet and Ryanair calling on the EU to delay its rollout during the peak summer travel season. However, EU officials have ruled out a blanket suspension.
Travel Insurance Gaps for EES Delays
Despite potential delays, UK travellers are being warned not to expect travel insurance to automatically cover them if they miss a flight due to the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), according to financial ratings company Defaqto. The new system replaces passport stamps for non-EU travellers with digital biometric checks, meaning British passport holders will need to provide fingerprints and a photo when entering the Schengen Area for the first time. It's now being introduced at airports across popular holiday destinations including Spain, Portugal and Greece, with some reports warning that border checks could take between two and three hours during busy periods.
Insurers Not Explicitly Covering EES Delays
Reports of passengers missing flights due to lengthy border queues have raised questions about whether insurers would cover the cost of disrupted journeys. Defaqto said no travel insurance provider currently states that delays caused specifically by the Entry/Exit System are covered under its policies. Because the checks form part of the standard immigration process, insurers are likely to expect travellers to allow extra time to clear border controls.
Anna-Marie Duthie, Travel Insurance Expert at Defaqto, said: "No travel insurance provider currently explicitly covers delays caused by the Entry/Exit System, largely because it is considered part of the normal border process. In practice, that means it remains the traveller's responsibility to allow extra time for potentially longer queues at the airport." She said responsibility for resolving disruption initially rests with the airline. "In the first instance, it’s the airline’s responsibility to sort any disruptions or delays of this nature. Only if they don’t provide a solution would the insurer step in."
Case-by-Case Claims Possible
Duthie said immigration or border queues are not normally treated as insured events, meaning long waits alone do not guarantee a successful claim. "If severe border delays directly result in a missed flight, cover may be available under a missed departure section, depending on the policy wording and the circumstances. Similarly, if disruption leads to a sufficiently long delay, some policies may provide a fixed delay benefit or, in more extreme cases, allow a traveller to abandon their trip." She added that insurers have yet to address EES delays directly in their policy wording. "This is a new issue and insurers have yet to specifically address EES delays in their policy wordings, so outcomes are likely to be decided on a case-by-case basis. If travellers are concerned about how their policy might respond, they should check with their insurer before they travel."
While some policies include cover for travel delay, missed departure or trip abandonment, whether an EES-related incident qualifies will depend on the wording of the policy and the specific circumstances of the claim. The advice comes as travellers prepare for the introduction of the Entry/Exit System, with passengers encouraged to leave extra time for border checks and understand what their insurance policy does and does not cover before they travel.
