Last updated: 13 August 2026.
Germany runs full biometric border checks under the EU Entry/Exit System, and has done since EES became fully operational across the Schengen area on 10 April 2026. The question now is not whether EES applies to you, but how long the queue is on the day you travel.
Here is where things stand at Frankfurt and Munich, what EES means at Germany’s land borders, and how much buffer to build into a booking.
Is EES suspended in Germany?
No. There is no national suspension, and biometric registration remains the rule wherever EES applies in Germany. What does happen is narrower: an individual crossing point can switch biometric capture off for a few hours when queues become unmanageable, and Frankfurt is one of the German hubs where that has been reported.
That comes from a temporary derogation in EU law, Regulation (EU) 2025/1534, which lets a border post stop collecting fingerprints and facial images for up to six hours at a time, renewable. It combines the initial 90-day window after 10 April with a 60-day extension, and expires on 6 September 2026.
- National status: Fully operational at German airports and seaports, with no suspension announced.
- A pause is not an exemption: Your entry or exit still enters the EES database and your document is still checked. Only the fingerprint and photo step is skipped, so your 90 days in any 180 keeps counting.
- What it means for you: Plan as if your fingerprints and photo will be taken, because a pause is a same-day call at one crossing point that you cannot rely on.
What happens on 6 September 2026
Germany is one of nine countries pushing to keep the mechanism alive past that date. Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland wrote to European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner on 7 July 2026, calling the scheduled end date “a source of serious and legitimate concern”.
The Commission has not confirmed an extension, and its published position is that blanket exemptions lack legal underpinning. For a country-by-country view, see Wego’s EES suspension and pause tracker.
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) border waits
Peak border waits at Frankfurt averaged around 120 minutes in July 2026, roughly double the 60 minutes recorded in July 2025, according to Financial Times analysis with queue-data firm Qsensor. That is a peak average, and off-peak crossings clear considerably faster.
- Arrival buffer: Fraport advises three hours before departure for non-EU passengers and for anyone flying outside the Schengen area.
- Kiosks: Frankfurt is rolling out self-service EES kiosks in stages, so they are not yet at every border control point.
Munich Airport (MUC) border waits
Munich is holding up noticeably better. Peak waits there reached about 60 minutes in July 2026 against 31 minutes a year earlier in the same dataset, and Munich has not been named among the hubs switching capture off.
- Kiosks: Munich has 119 self-service registration kiosks at selected control points, part of why its queues have stayed shorter.
- Families: Children under 12 do not give fingerprints, and Munich processes them and passengers with reduced mobility manually at staffed counters.
- Timing: The airport asks passengers on non-Schengen flights to arrive earlier than usual, without publishing a figure.
Other German gateways
Smaller airports register the same data with fewer counters. Berlin Brandenburg (BER) has had kiosks since January 2026 and warns of longer waits, but publishes no figures.
Do German land borders and trains use EES?
No. Every one of Germany’s nine land borders is an internal Schengen border, so the Federal Police register EES only at external crossing points, meaning airports and seaports.
- By road or rail from a neighbour: No EES registration, and no biometric enrolment.
- Separate ID checks still apply: Germany’s temporary internal border controls run into autumn 2026, so you can still be asked for a passport or national ID. That is an identity check, not an EES enrolment.
Cruise and ferry arrivals from outside the Schengen area do count, because German seaports are external crossing points.
How to plan around German border queues
Buy yourself time at the booking stage rather than on the day. EES adds a one-off biometric enrolment on your first entry, and that first-timer step is where the queues form.
- Pad your connections: A non-Schengen arrival into Frankfurt clears EES at Frankfurt, so a tight long-haul to short-haul transfer is the itinerary most likely to break. Compare fares across a wider connection window before you book.
- Choose your hour: Waits swing with the arrival banks and with how many desks are staffed, so a flight outside the busiest slots cuts your exposure cheaply.
Check your flight’s live status with the Wego flight tracker, and Wego’s guide to EES border queues in 2026 tracks the picture airport by airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EES suspended in Germany right now?
No, and no national suspension has been granted.
If Frankfurt skips my fingerprints, was I still registered?
Yes, and your passport was still checked. Expect to give biometrics on a later crossing instead.
How early should I arrive at Frankfurt or Munich?
Three hours at Frankfurt, per Fraport, and earlier than your usual timing at Munich.
Do I need to register for EES before I fly?
No advance registration exists. ETIAS, the separate travel authorisation, has been delayed with no replacement start date and is collecting no applications.
Sources
- European Commission (EES status)
- Bundespolizei (airports and seaports only)
- Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (German airport operation)
- Fraport (Frankfurt arrival guidance)
- Frankfurt Airport (staged kiosk rollout)
- Munich Airport (kiosks and exemptions)
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport (kiosks and waits)
- heise online (Frankfurt switch-offs)
- Euronews (FT and Qsensor wait times)
- Euronews (nine-country letter)
- ZDFheute (internal border controls)
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
