Australians planning to escape the cold with an overseas trip may have to wait a little longer than they'd hoped to get some sun.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller portal recently advised Australians travelling to Europe that they may face four- to six-hour delays at some airports due to delays with the European Union's (EU) digital Entry/Exit System (EES).
The recently-introduced EES is a digital identity record for non-EU nationals that allows travellers to visit the Schengen area — which consists of 29 European countries that share common border rules — without going through border controls or getting a visa for each country.
The system became fully operational across all participating 29 countries at the end of April, and has caused delays as travellers register biometric information, including facial photographs and fingerprints.
The Smartraveller alert warned the delays have caused travellers to miss flights, and urged upcoming visitors to consider delays when booking their travel.
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"Queues to access EES self-service kiosks are long. Be prepared to stand for an extended time. Take food and water if needed," the alert reads.
"If you have mobility or health concerns that limit how long you can stand, talk to airport support staff."
The EES is only available for short stays. Travellers who enter or exit a border for the first time will be expected to have their fingerprints and photo taken, while answering questions from the customs officials.
British travellers were warned to arrive three hours early for flights home as they encounter the new system as well.
The UK boss of budget airline Wizz Air, Yvonne Moynihan, told the BBC the impact of the new checks was "fragmented across Europe" and there had been long queues at "usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France".
A European Commission spokesperson told the BBC the EES was working well at "almost all border crossing points".
Last year, Australians spent an estimated $280 million on European summer holidays.
And while Foreign Minister Penny Wong earlier in the year warned Australians to "think very carefully about their travel plans" amid war in the Middle East leading to major hubs shutting down, demand for European flights has remained strong.
Dean Long, CEO of the Australian Travel Industry Association, said that Europe is "absolutely still on the table for Australians."
"The pathway might look different for some at the moment due to the restricted Middle East traffic, but there are reliable, well-serviced routings through Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo," he told SBS News last month.
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