306 new EU Border Control Systems installed across Canary Islands airports
Airports across the Canary Islands are preparing to roll out the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which will automate passport checks for travellers from non-EU countries, including the UK. The new border control procedure officially launches this Sunday and will be gradually phased in until its full implementation on 10th April 2026.
The system will replace the traditional passport stamping process with digital registration. Travellers will have their passports scanned, fingerprints taken, and facial photos captured, while entry and exit data, including time and location, will be automatically logged.
British tourists, the largest group of non-EU visitors to the Canaries, are expected to be the most affected.
To support the change, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior has invested €83 million nationwide to equip airports with the necessary technology. Across the Canary Islands, 306 automated systems have been installed, along with 113 manual control points and 208 ABC (Automated Border Control) gates.
Most of the equipment is already operational in six of the eight airports, excluding La Gomera and El Hierro.
- Gran Canaria Airport: 34 manual points, 84 automated units, 55 ABC gates
- Tenerife South (Reina Sofía): 31 manual, 84 automated, 48 ABC gates
- Tenerife North (Los Rodeos): 9 manual, 16 automated, 5 ABC gates
- Lanzarote (César Manrique): 26 manual, 72 automated, 48 ABC gates
- Fuerteventura: 9 manual, 32 automated, 36 ABC gates
- La Palma: 4 manual, 18 automated, 16 ABC gates, plus one police-controlled kiosk
While the rollout is expected to improve security and streamline border management in the long term, Canarian business leaders have expressed serious concerns about the short-term impact on tourism.
Santiago Sesé, president of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Chamber of Commerce, warned that airports “do not currently have the infrastructure or staffing levels needed to manage such a major transition.” He cited frequent crowding and long queues, especially at Tenerife South Airport, since Brexit, noting that the new system could “make an already difficult situation worse and harm the first impression visitors have of our islands.”
Sesé urged the government to invest further in airport upgrades, stressing that “our airports are not prepared for the volume of passengers we’re receiving” and warning that “the lack of adaptation to the post-Brexit reality” risks damaging the Canaries’ competitiveness against other tourist destinations such as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Share:
