Lisbon, March 30, 2026 (Lusa) - Wait times at Lisbon Airport border control returned to normal on Monday morning, following a Sunday morning peak where passengers arriving in the Portuguese capital faced delays of up to two hours.

According to a status update provided by the PSP (Public Security Police), as of 11:15 a.m., the maximum wait time for arrivals stood at 38 minutes, while departures saw a mere two-minute wait, with all service counters reported as fully operational.

Arriving passengers faced waits of approximately 50 minutes, at 08:15 a.m., and a 40-minute delay for those departing.

The police advised travellers to arrive at the airport earlier to ensure a smoother journey, suggesting using self-service kiosks to complete preliminary questionnaires.

The police further recommended that passengers should keep their passports open at the identification page and have their boarding passes ready while queuing; non-EU citizens were encouraged to pre-register their trip via the Travel to Europe mobile app within 72 hours of departure.

Additionally, eligible passengers were recommended to use automated e-gates to speed up entry procedures.

Lisbon Airport previously experienced significant disruption during the Christmas and New Year periods, with passengers waiting several hours at border control.

These delays led the government to temporarily suspend the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU citizens, though the system has since been reinstated.

The EES is currently being implemented across the European Union, with full implementation across all member states expected by April.

The PSP has deployed a contingency plan, including 30 additional border-trained officers in Lisbon and a temporary reinforcement of 15 officers in Faro, to manage the anticipated surge in passenger numbers over the Easter period.

SO/MYAL // AYLS

Lusa