If you are flying into Italy on a non-EU passport this month, budget extra time at passport control and keep your connections loose.
EES has replaced the passport stamp with a biometric record taken every time you enter or leave the Schengen area. Two things shape your wait in Italy right now: your arrival airport, and whether you route through Spain.
Last updated: 13 August 2026.
Is EES suspended in Italy? Current status
No. EES is fully operational at Italian border crossing points and has been since 10 April 2026, and there is no blanket suspension for the summer.
Italy has the same short-term flexibility as every participating country. Under EU Regulation 2025/1534, border police can pause the biometric part of the process at one crossing point for up to six hours at a time, renewable, when arrivals outstrip staffed positions.
That flexibility is currently set to expire on 6 September 2026. Italian reporting on 7 August 2026 named Milan among the European hubs already using it, alongside Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Brussels.
A pause is not a free pass:
- Your documents are still checked: Border police still inspect your passport and can question you.
- Your entry and exit are still recorded: The digital EES record is created either way.
- Your 90/180 clock still runs: Skipping the fingerprint scan does not stop your short-stay days counting.
- You cannot plan around it: No airport publishes a pause schedule; it is decided at the desk.
About the “45-minute manual stamping” rule you may have read
Several travel and visa websites report that Italy’s Interior Ministry lets officers revert to manual passport stamping at Rome, Milan and Venice whenever waits pass 45 minutes, running to 30 September 2026. Treat that as unconfirmed.
The threshold and the end date trace to a draft Italian emergency decree written up around 5 May 2026 by immigration-law and visa outlets. No Italian official source carries it: the Polizia di Stato EES page, revised 30 April 2026, publishes no threshold and no manual-stamping fallback, and neither the Interior Ministry nor the Gazzetta Ufficiale shows an adopted instrument.
The 6 September decision point
6 September 2026 is the date to watch, because that is when the partial-suspension mechanism is currently due to lapse.
On 7 July 2026, nine countries including Italy asked European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner to keep the flexibility beyond that date. The Commission has not confirmed an extension, and its published position is that blanket exemptions lack legal underpinning.
Neither outcome is decided:
- If the mechanism is extended: Peak-hour pauses continue and waits stay roughly where they are now.
- If it lapses: Every non-EU arrival goes through full biometric processing, with no pressure valve at the busiest hours.
Extra checks on arrivals from Spain this August
Italy suspended Schengen free movement with Spain for one month from 1 August 2026 over the migration situation at Ceuta, according to Il Post. This is not EES: ANSA reported that the Italian checks run at Fiumicino, Malpensa and Linate and target non-EU travellers rather than EU citizens.
Spain reciprocated under its own Orden INT/846/2026, from 8 August to 7 September 2026, and its scope is broader: all passengers regardless of nationality. An Italy to Spain itinerary can therefore meet a check in each direction this month.
What to expect at Italy’s main gateways
Waits are worst at first registration and in peak arrival banks, so the airport and the hour matter more than the date. Il Sole 24 Ore reported police union SAP saying the system handles 30 to 50 percent of passenger flow at border control.
| Airport | What is reported | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rome Fiumicino (FCO) | Among Italy’s most affected. ADR asked to pause biometric capture on peak days; no outcome published. | Widest buffer here. Also covered by the Spain checks. |
| Milan Malpensa (MXP) | Also among the most affected, and one of the hubs using the six-hour biometric pause at peak. | Do not count on a pause being active when you land. Also covered by the Spain checks. |
| Milan Linate (LIN) | Named by ANSA in the August checks on arrivals from Spain. | Mostly short-haul, so shorter queues, but Spanish routes carry the extra check. |
Rome Ciampino, Milan Bergamo, Pisa and Verona are the other gateways repeatedly named. For reports across Europe, see our live EES queue-time tracker.
What you’ll need to do at the border
Your first EES crossing is the slow one, and every crossing after that is a quick verification. The European Commission sets the same process across all 29 participating countries:
- Scan your passport: Your travel-document details are read and matched to your file.
- Give your fingerprints: Required if you are visa-exempt; short-stay visa holders only need the facial image.
- Have your photo taken: A facial image is captured at the kiosk or booth.
- Answer border questions: An officer may still ask about your stay and onward plans.
Follow the non-EU or “all passports” signage and start enrolment at a self-service kiosk rather than doing everything at the desk.
Who is exempt and who waits longest
EES applies to non-EU nationals on short stays, which covers most travellers from the Gulf, the wider Middle East and South and Southeast Asia. Your 90 days in any 180 are counted automatically, and Cyprus and Ireland sit outside the system.
Some groups move faster:
- Residents of Italy: Holders of a permesso di soggiorno are exempt whatever their nationality and use manned gates.
- EU passport holders and dual nationals: Travel on your EU passport to use the EU lanes and skip EES entirely.
- Returning EES travellers: Once enrolled anywhere in the Schengen area, re-entry is a verification rather than a registration.
The longest waits fall on first-time, visa-exempt arrivals landing in a peak bank at a busy airport.
How to cut your delay
Two decisions change your wait, and both are made before you book: which hour you land, and how much margin you leave.
- Pad an Italian connection: Treat three hours as the working minimum at Fiumicino or Malpensa if you clear the border between flights, and more in September if the flexibility lapses.
- Pick your arrival hour: Mid-morning and late-evening arrivals usually beat the banks when several long-haul flights land together.
- Prefer a direct routing this month: A connection through Spain adds a second document check on top of EES until early September.
- Have your documents in hand: Passport ready, plus return or onward ticket and accommodation details in case an officer asks.
- Check status before you leave: Use the Wego flight tracker to confirm timings, and compare routings on Wego before committing to a tight itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EES suspended in Italy right now?
No. Only short biometric pauses of up to six hours are permitted, and that flexibility currently expires on 6 September 2026.
Does Italy revert to passport stamps when queues pass 45 minutes?
That rule is not confirmed. The 45-minute threshold and its 30 September end date come from a draft Italian emergency decree reported by travel and visa websites, and no Italian official source shows it was adopted.
If my fingerprints are skipped, does my 90-day limit still count?
Yes. Your entry and exit are still recorded digitally during a biometric pause, and your document is still checked. Your 90 days in any 180 keep counting.
Are there extra checks on flights from Spain to Italy?
Yes, through August. Italy is running targeted Schengen checks on non-EU travellers arriving from Spain at Fiumicino, Malpensa and Linate, and Spain is checking arrivals from Italy until 7 September 2026.
Does EES apply if I live in Italy?
No. Holders of a permesso di soggiorno are exempt whatever their nationality. Show your residence permit at a manned gate rather than the kiosks.
Sources
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs (EES scope, 29 countries, full operation from 10 April 2026)
- Polizia di Stato (Italian EES page, revised 30 April 2026, no 45-minute threshold published)
- Affaritaliani (7 August 2026: Milan pausing biometric capture, mechanism valid to 6 September)
- Il Sole 24 Ore (8 July 2026: worst-affected airports, SAP 30 to 50 percent throughput)
- ANSA (1 August 2026: Spain checks at Fiumicino, Malpensa, Linate)
- Il Post (31 July 2026: one-month suspension from 1 August, non-EU citizens only)
- Euronews (31 July 2026: scope and Commission reaction)
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.
