Ryanair has issued an ‘important’ alert to passengers with upcoming bookings, warning of a major change at European borders.

In emails to customers, the airline explained that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been in place at all Schengen Area external borders since April, and as a result, passport control may now take longer for some travellers.

Who is affected?

The change applies to anyone holding a non-EU, non-EEA or non-Swiss passport who is flying into or out of the Schengen Area.

Crucially for Irish travellers, that includes flights between the Schengen Area and Ireland and the UK.

Ryanair said commonly affected routes include flights between the Schengen Area and countries such as Ireland, the UK, Cyprus, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, Egypt and Israel.

Affected passengers may need to scan their passport, provide fingerprints and have a facial image taken at passport control. Because of these more extensive checks, longer queues are likely to form, particularly at busy airports, and potentially before security too.

Who is NOT affected?

EU, EEA and Swiss passport holders are not affected, and neither is anyone flying within the Schengen Area – for example, from Spain to Italy or from Germany to France.

What you should do

If you’re affected, Ryanair advises arriving at the airport early to allow for queues, having all your travel documents ready, and following signs marked ‘EES / Passport Control.’

The airline also moved to manage expectations on responsibility, telling passengers: ‘If you are denied entry, this will be due to EU policy, not Ryanair’s rules.’