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PedroB wrote on Mon Nov 10, 2025 9:51am:
We arrived into Alicante on Friday night (UK passports) about 8:00pm. Luckily we were near the back of the plane and 1 off the first off. When we got to the usual border control part on entry we were ushered to the new biometric machines which are lined up just outside the part where you would no...
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...rmally queue to go through the older machines then get stamped. I would guess that there are about 20 off these machines but not all working! At the biometric machine you scan your passport get you picture taken for facial recognition and your finger prints taken. All fairly straightforward, there is a disclaimer on the machine saying if you consent to your details being stored, not sure what happens if you select’NO’! Then you go through to the normal part and put your passport down again, get you picture checked and gate opens to let you through to the guy stamping the passports. When I looked back whilst at the second machines the queue disappeared up the corridor so I don’t know how far back it went. The biggest issue I noticed was people not putting there passports in to the machines correctly and that there as only 1 member of staff supporting each area of machines. Also it didnt help that there was only 1 guy stamping the passports which probably caused the biggest hold up for us. At no point were we asked if we had already done the first machines in the past(I know they are just new but we could have done) allowing you to bypass this step. I got the feeling that if 2 or 3 flights arrive at once then an hour wait could easily be correct but there has always been that chance. So I would say the new machine add on an extra step but not so much cause further delays as you are moving from one step to the next if that makes sense. More staff helping the people who struggle to use the machines is what is required and more people stamping passports! But that’s more cost!
Thanks PedroB, very useful. We have a visitor coming out on the 21st, so i'll tell her to run from the plane to immigration! I would say the delay could be significant if 2 or more flights lane together from the UK but I did read that the authorities can bypass the EES checks if the wait becomes excessive.
In my experience there are usually 2 or 3 helping at the e-gates and more than one stamping passports so perhaps Friday was exceptional.
We leave on the 25th Nov. so would be interested in knowing of pitfalls, if any, at departure for non-EES registered UK passport holders (we arrived pre-EES go live).
Rgds,
Aitch.
