EU Border Flexibility Rules Expire, Expecting Longer Airport Queues in Sweden and Denmark

Non-EU passport holders in Sweden and Denmark face potential border delays when travelling outside the Schengen area after the European Union ended its emergency flexibility rules for the Entry/Exit System on September 6, 2026. Border control authorities across Schengen countries can no longer pause biometric data collection to reduce airport congestion.

Under the rules of the Entry/Exit System, border officials must collect facial scans and fingerprints from non-EU citizens entering or leaving the Schengen zone. Travel industry representatives have warned that removing the temporary pause exemptions will likely result in longer queues at international border controls, including major transit hubs in Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Residents and visitors holding non-EU passports who fly from Sweden or Denmark to destinations outside the Schengen zone, such as China or the United Kingdom, need to allow extra time at border control. The official expiration of discretionary exemptions was reported by The Guardian.