Holidaymakers have reportedly faced severe delays at Lisbon Airport, with local Portuguese press reporting wait times of over two hours just to present documents and gain entry into the country. According to Portuguese broadcaster Sic Noticias, similar delays were experienced by travellers last week, with some waiting more than three hours at the border.

The extreme delays are believed to be due to a new passenger control system installed at the airport two weeks ago. The Internal Security System had already issued a warning that travellers would face longer wait times than usual.

Arrivals at Faro airport are also reportedly experiencing similar delays, but these are expected to last only another week, according to government officials. Portugal’s Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, noted that “new ‘entry and exit system’ machines started working” and assured that “steps are already being taken” to address the increased wait times.

He further stated that investments “in new servers, new machines, guarantee that in the next two weeks the situation will tend to be regularised”. This comes after reports of police officers fainting due to heightened stress levels caused by the chaos at Portugal’s airports, according to local media title Diario de Noticias.

Carlos Oliveira, a leader of the Police Professionals Union Association, has voiced concerns over the new security system’s sluggish response times, stating that “it takes more than a minute when it should take two or three seconds.”

The system is said to be causing delays primarily for passengers from non-Schengen area countries. Mr Oliveira remarked: “We are not against this system at all, but it would be good if professionals were involved and given proper training. But things went the other way.”

He further commented on the need for adequate preparation, saying: “This required not only timely programming but also a need to provide training to those who will execute this software. When these new systems are introduced, local entities, namely the PSP, which works daily with this service, should be consulted.”

Additionally, police officers are reportedly experiencing deteriorating working conditions, with shorter breaks and fewer days off. The union has also issued a warning that despite the professionalism and resilience of its members, they should not be put in a position where their reputation and status suffer due to issues beyond their control.

At present, the UK Foreign Office has not issued specific warnings about delays at Lisbon or Faro airports. Nonetheless, it does point out that Portugal adheres to Schengen area travel regulations for British passports, which include certain requirements for travellers’ passports.

Your passport must have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago. It should also have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue).

If these rules are not adhered to, travellers will be denied entry into the country. A comprehensive guide and warnings for British nationals travelling to Portugal can be found here.