Travellers Endure 4-Hour Queues at Lisbon Airport as Upgrades Loom

Visitors stepping off a long-haul flight at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport have lately been greeted not by the aroma of a pastel de nata but by passport queues that sometimes snake for hundreds of metres. After weeks of mounting criticism, the Portuguese government finally issued a public apology, promising that relief is on the way—but admitting the fix will not be instantaneous.

Quick takeaways before you fly

• Waiting times have topped 4 hours on the worst mornings, mainly for non-Schengen passengers.

• Officials blame a shortage of PSP border agents, teething problems with a new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and ageing e-gates.

• A temporary Frontex contingent and 500 new police graduates should reinforce checkpoints from mid-2025.

• ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal is expanding arrival and departure halls; 70 % more e-gates are promised by June 2026.

• Travellers are urged to reach the airport 3 hours early, especially for early-morning flights.

How a routine stamp became a half-day ordeal

Portugal switched off its old passport-stamp routine on 12 October 2025, when Brussels mandated the digital EES register for all non-EU arrivals. The system captures fingerprints and a facial image, cross-checks several Europe-wide security databases and only then opens the barrier. Each first-time registration takes about 90 seconds—an eternity when two Airbus A330s land simultaneously.

The human-resources hole no kiosk can fill

Lisbon airport was designed for 22 M passengers a year but is processing roughly 36 M. Yet the number of PSP officers on the border beat has hardly budged. Internal union data suggest that in early-2024 more than one-third of the roster was on medical leave. The Ministry of Internal Administration says 500 cadets finish training in July 2025, with a “significant slice” redeployed to airports. Until then, overtime and borrowed agents from Porto and Faro remain the stop-gap.

Technology upgrade—or downgrade?

Frequent fliers complain the RAPID e-gates now open at a glacial pace. Technicians blame firmware conflicts between the ageing gates and the freshly installed VIS4EES and PASSE+ platforms. Several units have been taken offline for reconfiguration, precisely when they are needed most. The government has set aside €24 M to modernise the software layer and to buy next-generation biometric kiosks capable of four-finger scans in under 12 seconds.

Concrete, cables and a tight deadline

In parallel, ANA has launched a €200 M expansion of Terminal 1, adding 10 new jet bridges and 10 remote stands. For the border zone itself, the blueprint foresees a 30 % jump in manned counters and a 70 % surge in automated gates by June 2026. Works inside Terminal 2, already underway, should wrap up by April 2025, with a pilot of seamless biometric boarding on domestic flights.

Reputational bruises for Portugal’s golden goose

Tourism accounts for nearly 15 % of GDP, so delays that trend on social media can sting. APAVT, the main travel-agency association, warns that early-morning chaos risks “undoing years of investment in the Portugal brand.” Hoteliers in Lisbon’s historic quarters report an uptick in late check-ins and missed dinner reservations. Cruise operators docking in Lisbon have likewise asked for priority lanes to keep shore excursions on schedule.

What passengers can do right now

Arrive at least 3 hours before departure if your flight leaves between 05:00 and 10:00.

Use the EU lane if you hold a Portuguese or other Schengen passport; children under 12 still require manual checks.

Have the EES pre-registration QR code (if issued by your airline) ready on your phone.

Pack patience—and perhaps download a podcast longer than the flight to Porto.

Dates worth circling in your diary

• April 2025 – Terminal 2 expansion finishes.

• July 2025 – First batch of 500 new PSP agents join airport duty.

• October 2025 – Second EES software patch expected, aimed at halving transaction times.

• June 2026 – Target for full border-hall redesign and 42 processing “slots”.

If the timetable holds, next summer’s arrivals should step into Lisbon’s sunshine in minutes rather than hours. Until then, the government’s apology will have to compete with the thrum of rolling suitcases in a queue that no visitor forgets.