Paris Airports · EES Border System
How long is the wait
at customs right now?
The EU's Entry/Exit System went fully live on April 10, 2026, and Paris airports are feeling it. This page tracks crowd-sourced wait times at CDG, Orly, and Beauvais, updated as reports come in. If you're flying soon, check back before you go. Updates on Mondays and Thursday during off-peak travel periods. Updates on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays during peak travel peiors.
Current Status
Peak hours: 06:00–09:00 and 16:00–19:00 CET · First-time EES registration takes significantly longer than repeat crossings · Budget 3–4 hrs before departure for exit processing
Traveler Reports
What is EES?
Biometrics replace stamps
Physical passport stamps are gone. Every non-EU traveler now has fingerprints and a facial photo captured digitally at the border — on arrival and departure.
Who it affects
Americans, Brits, Australians, Canadians — anyone from outside the EU/Schengen zone traveling for short stays. French residents with long-stay visas or carte de séjour are exempt.
First time is slowest
Your first EES registration takes the longest. Biometric data is stored for three years, so subsequent crossings are theoretically faster — once the system stabilizes.
Pre-register if you can
The EU's official "Travel to Europe" app (iOS/Android) lets you pre-enter passport details and a facial image up to 72 hours before arrival, reducing booth time.
Practical Tips
- 01 — Arrive 3–4 hours before departure if flying out of CDG or Orly this spring or summer. Airlines are not holding flights for EES queues.
- 02 — Download the "Travel to Europe" app and pre-register before you fly in. Even partial pre-registration speeds up the booth process.
- 03 — Biometric passport holders can use self-service kiosks. Standard passport holders must queue for a manned booth — plan for longer waits.
- 04 — Avoid the 6–9am wave at CDG if you can — transatlantic overnight flights all land in the same window, maxing out kiosk capacity simultaneously.
- 05 — Global Entry does not help here. EES is a separate EU system. Pre-clearance programs from other countries have no bearing on EES processing.
- 06 — Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting but still need a digital photo taken. Factor this into your family's processing time estimate.
Report Your Wait Time
Just flew through Paris? Tell me what you experienced, arrival or departure, time of day, how long you waited. I read every submission and update the tracker above as reports come in.