lisbon — Portugal has begun trialling the Travel To Europe app at its main airport to let non-European travellers pre-register Entry/Exit System (EES) data before arrival, Frontex developed the app and Portuguese police authorities say the move is timed to reduce summer congestion. The app is currently available for passengers flying into the country’s main airport in lisbon and will be expanded to other international Portuguese airports in the coming weeks. Portuguese police authorities said the tool is optional and does not replace standard border control but can process information in advance to simplify entry.
Expanding details: how the app works and where it will run
The Travel To Europe app, developed by the EU border agency Frontex, allows travellers with biometric passports to complete an entry questionnaire and submit personal details in advance; in lisbon the initial trial lets passengers fill the questionnaire and enter their personal information only. Users can log a planned entry on the app within 72 hours of travel, choose the border entry point and expected time of arrival, submit journey details, and where applicable scan the passport chip and take a selfie. Once registration is complete the app generates a QR code that border officials scan on arrival, transmitting information immediately and enabling use with self-service kiosks when available, said Portuguese police authorities.
The rollout in lisbon follows an earlier trial in Sweden; Portugal is the second EU country to trial the app. The collection of biometric data under EES was temporarily suspended in Portugal after large queues at international airports, with wait times at times reaching seven hours at lisbon. All EU borderpoints are expected to be fully compliant with EES by April 10 (ET), with a grace period allowing temporary suspension of controls if long queues form, said the Portuguese authorities.
Lisbon rollout and limits
In lisbon the app initially limits functionality compared with Sweden: Swedish users can pre-register passport data by scanning the travel document and upload a facial image alongside the questionnaire, while Portuguese trials start with questionnaire and personal details only. Travellers can add several co-travellers to the same journey; once registered on the EES database they will not be required to use the app again until re-registration is needed because their passport expires or they have not entered the EU for three years, whichever occurs first. Travellers can download the app for free and must hold a biometric passport to use it, said Portuguese police authorities.
Immediate reactions
Portuguese police authorities said: “Although use of the app is optional and does not replace standard border control procedures, it allows some of the necessary information to be processed in advance, making the experience of entering Europe simpler and more efficient for both travellers and the authorities responsible for border control. ” The authorities added: “This pre-registration can be used in the self-service kiosks, when they are available at border crossing points. ” Frontex has said the app will be trialled more widely; in 2025 Frontex said the app would be trialled at major entry points in France in 2026.
France had previously expressed interest in trialling the app, and Portuguese officials highlighted concerns that prolonged queues during the summer peak could leave passengers waiting for hours if EES processes are not smoothed out. As of March (ET) no further information is available on additional national rollouts beyond those already announced.
What’s next
Authorities expect the lisbon trial to extend to other international Portuguese airports in the coming weeks and to monitor queueing closely as the summer season approaches. Border officials and Frontex will oversee whether pre-registration reduces processing time at checkpoints and whether further features used in Sweden will be enabled in Portugal. Officials have flagged the April 10 (ET) compliance milestone for EU borderpoints and reserved a temporary suspension mechanism to manage any peak-time overflow. The lisbon trial will be watched by other states considering the app ahead of broader EES rollouts.
