MAI Luís Neves Opens Extra Manual Border-Control Boxes at Humberto Delgado From 29 May, Promises PSP Reinforcement in July After Lisbon and Porto Queues Cross Two Hours

The Ministério da Administração Interna (MAI) opens additional manual border-control boxes at Aeroporto Humberto Delgado from Thursday 29 May 2026, scales the number of e-gates at the same terminal, and routes new PSP officers into airport border posts 'a partir de julho', the ministry confirmed on Tuesday 19 May, after wait times to clear Schengen entry checks in Lisbon and the Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro in Porto crossed the two-hour mark over the weekend of 17-18 May. Internal Affairs Minister Luís Neves told reporters the measures aim to 'reforçar a capacidade de resposta operacional e reduzir os tempos de espera', though the ministry has not yet published the exact number of new boxes or PSP officers.

What Triggered the Reinforcement

The bottleneck originates in the EU-wide Entry/Exit System (EES), the biometric border architecture that began phased rollout across the Schengen perimeter in late 2025 and replaces the manual passport stamp for short-stay third-country nationals. The PSP's border unit — Unidade Nacional de Fronteiras — is the operational authority for the EES rollout in Portugal and currently runs the dual-track combination of legacy stamping and biometric enrolment. Technical failures on departures at Lisbon on Saturday 16 May and a return of constraints across Lisbon and Faro on Sunday 17 May pushed the issue onto the ministry's desk, with Porto crossing the 'duas horas' threshold on Monday.

The Ryanair Pressure

Low-cost carrier Ryanair escalated the issue through social-media channels on Monday 18 May, repeating its formal request that the Government suspend the EES 'até setembro' to ride out the summer peak. The Government rejected the suspension request that same day, with the Council of Ministers' position confirming that 'a recolha biométrica pode ser interrompida em períodos limitados' at peak hours but that wholesale suspension is incompatible with the EU regulation. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro had publicly criticised the ministry's airport-management posture the previous week.

The PSP Operational Frame

The MAI used Tuesday's note to clarify that 'a PSP é a autoridade competente para o controlo de fronteiras' at Portuguese airports — a deliberate underline after the dismantling of the SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) in 2023 pushed border-control duties onto the PSP's Unidade Nacional de Fronteiras. The ministry's plan stacks three measures: new manual boxes on 29 May, additional e-gates whose count has not been disclosed, and the PSP staffing reinforcement in July. The September peak is the next test, when Portugal sits inside the EU's full-perimeter EES enforcement window.

What This Means for Expats

Schengen vs non-Schengen lanes: EU/EEA/Swiss residents keep automatic e-gate access on their TR or CRUE; only the biometric EES enrolment applies to short-stay third-country visitors who do not already hold a Portuguese residence permit.
Timing the morning rush: the structural delays land on the early-morning Schengen-arrival window between 06:30 and 09:30 and again on the late-afternoon departure peak; build a 90-minute cushion at Humberto Delgado for non-Schengen carriers through the summer.
Faro and Porto: the ministry's note focuses on Lisbon but the reinforcement covers 'os principais aeroportos', with PSP confirming Faro and Porto will see proportional staff adds in July.
What happens next: the full PSP staffing number is expected before 1 June. Subscribers booked on early-morning departures should monitor airline advisories through the rollout window.