Immigration Showdown at Lisbon Airport Spins Into High-Season Headache

A summer crush of travellers is once again testing Lisbon’s main airport. Hours-long immigration lines have prompted an unusually public spat between the company that runs Portuguese airports and the union representing the border police, raising fresh doubts about how quickly the new electronic control systems promised by the government can restore normality.

Waiting four hours to meet the passport officer

Arriving passengers from outside the Schengen zone are reporting queues stretching well beyond two hours, sometimes close to four, at Humberto Delgado Airport. Airport operator ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal says it has been tracking those delays for weeks and insists its priority is “the welfare of passengers”, many of whom miss onward connections in the time it takes to reach the passport booth.

A war of words between airport management and police

That consumer-friendly language infuriated the Associação Sindical dos Profissionais da Polícia (ASPP/PSP), which represents officers assigned to the border posts. The union accuses ANA of lobbying the Interior Ministry to “relax controls” as a short-cut to shorter lines, something it views as incompatible with Schengen security rules. ANA “categorically denies” exerting any pressure and reminds critics that border checks fall exclusively under state authority, not private operators. For foreign residents and frequent visitors, the dispute matters because it could determine whether extra staff are brought in—or, conversely, whether inspections remain as meticulous as they are today.

Government promises relief, but timing slips

Infrastructure minister Miguel Pinto Luz had pledged in early June that the bottlenecks at both Lisbon and Faro would ease within a fortnight once a new digital platform went live. That deadline has come and gone with little visible improvement, in part because the biometric hardware and databases are still being fine-tuned. Officials caution that the transition period is always the slowest, yet insist the VIS4EES and PASSE+ systems will ultimately speed identification while tightening security.

The bigger picture: Europe’s next-generation border regime

Portugal is racing to align with an EU-wide overhaul that will culminate in ETIAS, the electronic travel authorisation many non-EU nationals will need from 2026. The same biometric kiosks now being installed in Lisbon and Faro are designed to feed that database: fingerprints, photos and a record of each entry and exit. For nationals of visa-waiver countries, the familiar 90-day in 180 rule will continue to apply, but enforcement will become fully automated. Immigration lawyers warn that those who regularly pop in and out of Portugal without counting days should start doing the maths.

Why staffing still matters despite new technology

Automated gates are not a silver bullet. They require trained officers standing by to handle exceptions, families with minors, and travellers whose documents trigger an alert. The union says its members are “exhausted” and under-compensated for the surge in traffic that began once pandemic restrictions vanished. Until more officers are posted—or the passenger load evens out—peak-season visitors should be prepared for lengthy waits even after the electronic gates open.

Tips for beating the queue if you cannot avoid peak hours

Seasoned expats suggest scheduling arrivals mid-week and outside the 07:00–11:00 and 16:00–20:00 waves, when long-haul flights from the Americas and Africa land simultaneously. Having boarding passes and residence cards ready, and steering clear of the line reserved for EU passports if you do not hold one, can shave precious minutes. Above all, allow plenty of connection time if you are transiting to the islands or elsewhere in Europe.

What happens next

The Interior Ministry has called both sides to a closed-door meeting aimed at cooling tempers and reviewing staffing levels for the rest of the tourist season. Until a compromise emerges, the showdown at Humberto Delgado offers a reminder that Portugal’s push for cutting-edge border controls is colliding with old-fashioned labour disputes—and that passengers may be caught in the middle.