# EES at Alicante (ALC) — Status & Wait Times | EESQueue > Is EES live at Alicante (ALC)? Current status, kiosk info, first-entry wait estimates and known issues for Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, Spain. Source: https://eesqueue.com/airport/alicante-elche-miguel-hernandez-airport - [Home](https://eesqueue.com/) - [Airports](https://eesqueue.com/ees-airports) - Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC) # Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC) — EES status & queues Alicante, Spain · Live Est. entry wait ~13 min moderate right now · from flights Est. exit wait ~2 min quiet right now · from flights Busiest hour 09:00 36 flights scheduled No live reports yet — these figures are modelled from today’s flight schedule (busier hours mean longer queues), not measured. Seen the real queue? Report it below. [Compare all airports →](https://eesqueue.com/ees-wait-times) ## When it's busiest Scheduled flights — departures plus arrivals — across a typical Sunday, a proxy for how busy the border is likely to be. Expect the biggest crowds around **09:00**. QuietModerateBusyPeakBusiest hour Flights here run **8 min** late on average, and 10% land 15+ min behind schedule (last 30 days, 306 flights tracked). [Compare flight volume across EES hub airports →](https://eesqueue.com/ees-flight-volume) **Current known issues:** 1-2 hr queues at peak; kiosk malfunctions force manual fallback; added immigration staff; named by Ryanair on 4 Jul 2026 among Europe's seven worst EES airports; Spanish police union (SUP) warned Mar 2026 EES pushing ALC "to breaking point" — queues regularly 500-strong since Oct 2025 rollout, only ~104 of 130 officers regularly on frontline passport duty, union says 10-15 more needed; ground-handling strikes hit Mon/Wed/Fri Jun-Jul 2026 during peak windows EES live since 2026-04-10 Self-service kiosks Not disclosed **EES has been live at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport since 2026-04-10.** First-time registration — passport scan, four fingerprints and a facial image — takes roughly 5 minutes per traveller. Self-service kiosks handle biometric enrolment — use them rather than the staffed-booth queue where you can. Returning travellers already enrolled clear in about a minute via facial-recognition gates. ## What happens at the EES kiosk - **Approach a self-service EES kiosk or booth.** At most major Schengen airports, follow the signs for "Non-EU / EES Registration" after disembarking. Kiosks are typically placed before the staffed immigration booths. - **Scan your passport.** Place your passport photo page down on the reader. The kiosk scans the MRZ (machine-readable zone) and confirms your identity. Make sure your chipped biometric passport is intact — damaged chips trigger a manual fallback. - **Provide fingerprints.** Place four fingers (excluding the thumb) flat on the scanner when prompted, first right hand then left. Children under 12 skip this step. - **Capture facial image.** Look straight at the camera with no hat, sunglasses, or face covering. Neutral expression. The kiosk validates the image against your passport photo. - **Answer any border questions.** Most travelers are waved through. Some are directed to a staffed booth for standard purpose-of-visit and length-of-stay questions. Have proof of onward travel and accommodation ready. - **Collect receipt and proceed — no passport stamp.** The kiosk prints a small entry receipt. Your entry is now recorded digitally; no physical stamp is added to your passport. Keep the receipt for your records until you exit the Schengen Area. ## Tips for Alicante ### EES is at the border, not at domestic transit Once inside Schengen, moving between member states (e.g. Paris to Rome) does not trigger a new EES check. EES only applies at external Schengen borders. ### EES applies even if your airline did not brief you Some airlines still show outdated pre-EES information during check-in. Plan around EES yourself — your airline’s guidance is not the final word on what happens at the border. ### Your first entry takes the longest First-entry biometric enrolment typically runs 3–7 minutes. Returning entries within your 3-year record drop to 30–60 seconds. Plan your first post-April-2026 trip with extra buffer. ### Use self-service kiosks when available Self-service EES kiosks are almost always faster than the staffed booth queue. Major hubs have 20+ kiosks per terminal; use them unless directed otherwise. Planning multiple trips? Make sure you stay inside 90 days per 180 with the [Schengen 90/180 calculator](https://eesqueue.com/schengen-calculator). See also the [Spain EES guide](https://eesqueue.com/spain-ees-guide). ## Other EES airports in Spain [Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/madrid-barajas-airport) · [Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/barcelona-airport) · [Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/malaga-costa-del-sol-airport) · [Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/palma-de-mallorca-airport) · [Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/tenerife-sur-airport) · [Gran Canaria Airport (LPA)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/gran-canaria-airport) · [Ibiza Airport (IBZ)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/ibiza-airport) · [Valencia Airport (VLC)](https://eesqueue.com/airport/valencia-airport) ## EES FAQ ### What is EES? The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an EU-wide digital border system that replaces passport stamping for non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area for short stays. It records each traveler’s name, passport data, date and place of entry and exit, and biometric data (four fingerprints plus a facial image) at a self-service kiosk or staffed booth on first entry. ### Do I need to use the kiosk every time I enter? Yes for the biographic and exit check — but only the first entry requires full biometric enrolment. On subsequent entries within the 3-year retention window, the system reuses your stored biometrics; most airports use facial recognition at a fast lane, which typically completes in 30–60 seconds. ### How long does first-entry EES registration take? Typically 3 to 7 minutes per traveler on first entry, depending on the airport, kiosk availability, and language selection. Families and groups should expect longer total times. Airports with pre-registration apps (Finland, Netherlands, some French terminals) can shorten this to under 2 minutes. ### What about returning travelers? Returning travelers who have already been enrolled typically spend 30 seconds to 1 minute at the border. Most Schengen airports now route returning EES travelers through dedicated facial-recognition gates, which are faster than the old manual stamping queues. ### Is EES the same as ETIAS? No. EES is a border check: you complete biometric registration at a kiosk or booth on arrival at a Schengen airport, land crossing, or port. ETIAS (expected to start in late 2026, becoming mandatory in 2027) is a separate online travel authorization you apply for before your flight — similar to the US ESTA. Visa-exempt travelers will eventually need both: ETIAS approved in advance, and EES registration on arrival. Last verified: 2026-07-12. Estimates are for planning only — verify with the airport and the [official EU EES page](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en) before travel.