Brussels Airport: 3-Hour Border Delays for Non-EU Travelers
Non-European passport holders at Brussels Airport are facing border control delays of up to three hours at the B-pier, while travelers with European passports pass through e-gates with minimal disruption. The bottleneck, reported on July 16, 2026, has sparked parliamentary debate and renewed concerns about Belgium’s international accessibility.
Context
The delays stem from a confluence of factors, according to Brussels Airport spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens. The newly implemented EU Entry/Exit System (EES) — a digital border management system requiring biometric registration for non-EU nationals — has significantly slowed processing at manned control booths. This is compounded by peak summer travel volumes and an influx of international visitors attending the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium.
Children under 12 with European passports are also caught in the queues, as they cannot use the automated e-gates and must pass through manned counters alongside non-EU adults.
Key Developments
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the issue was raised in the Belgian Chamber by MP Kjell Vander Elst (Anders.), who called for e-gates to be made available to travelers from low-risk, visa-free countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
“At many other European airports, this is already happening,” Vander Elst said. “This way, agents can focus on manual controls where they are really needed.”
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) responded that e-gates may be expanded to third-country nationals once technical provisions are ready, and announced that two additional border control boxes will open at Brussels Airport in the short term.
A Long-Standing Problem
Border delays at Brussels Airport are not a new phenomenon. MP Michael Freilich (N-VA) documented waits of up to four hours as early as June 2024, warning of reputational and economic damage to Belgium. The situation has worsened with the phased rollout of the EES, which began on October 12, 2025.
In late March 2026, the system caused severe disruption, with nearly 600 passengers missing their flights in four days and wait times peaking at 3.5 hours at arrivals. Minister Quintin called the situation “unacceptable” at the time and suspended biometric registration — a move also taken by the Netherlands and France.
A software glitch in February 2026 disabled all 24 e-gates in non-Schengen arrivals, causing 90-minute queues and forcing manual passport checks. The airport has 36 new e-gates on order for EES biometric enrollment, but they are not yet operational.
Analysis & Implications
The persistent delays highlight a growing tension between EU-level border security ambitions and national-level operational capacity. The EES, designed to track overstays and enhance security through fingerprint and facial recognition, has created a two-tier travel experience at Brussels Airport: EU passport holders move freely while non-EU travelers face hours-long waits.
For Belgium, the stakes are high. As a hub for EU institutions, NATO, and international business, excessive border delays undermine Brussels’ status as a global city. The Tomorrowland festival — which draws hundreds of thousands of international visitors each July — amplifies the problem, creating a poor first and last impression for tourists.
Across Europe, similar challenges are emerging. Airports Council International (ACI Europe) has urged the European Commission to ease EES implementation during peak summer periods, while Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has reported queues of up to five hours. The European Commission has so far rejected calls to suspend the system, instead offering temporary six-hour pauses at high-pressure transit hubs.
What’s Next
Minister Quintin’s promise of two additional border control boxes offers some immediate relief, but questions remain about whether this will be sufficient during peak periods. The timeline for expanding e-gates to low-risk third-country nationals — and for the 36 new e-gates on order to become operational — remains unclear.
With the Tomorrowland festival now underway and summer travel at its peak, the coming weeks will test whether Brussels Airport can manage the strain. For non-EU travelers, the advice remains unchanged: arrive early and prepare for delays.