New Passport Control Machines Installed at Tenerife South Airport
Machines for passport self-control at Tenerife South Airport. / El Día
Tenerife South Airport has installed 24 passport control machines at its border checkpoint, which are set to become operational “soon,” as confirmed by the Delegation of the Government in the Canary Islands. This equipment will enable passengers arriving from outside the Schengen area to automatically complete the mandatory registration of their entry to the Island through biometric recognition, thereby expediting their entry into the country. Specifically, half of the devices are located at Gate A, while another dozen are situated at Gate B.
Improving Passport Control
With the forthcoming activation of this machinery, the aim is to streamline passport control at the southern airport, which has experienced significant saturation since January 1, 2021. This date marked the impact of Brexit, when the United Kingdom officially exited the European Union. Notably, the UK remains the most important tourist market for Tenerife. However, as a result of its departure from the EU, British citizens are now required to undergo passport control upon entering the country.
Service Disruptions
Frequent congestion at the border checkpoints of Tenerife South Airport has persisted for the past four years without a definitive solution. In November, the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Ashotel) publicly reported that “over 30 biometric passport self-control machines are installed in the areas surrounding Gates A and B, but are not operational.” Their activation is a key demand from both authorities and business and trade union representatives.
While the issue has gained attention in UK tabloids spotlighting the challenges faced by British nationals upon arrival in Tenerife, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, stated in Congress on the 11th that the delays experienced by travellers at the Tenerife South border checkpoint are a “temporary discrepancy” that is “attributable to the airlines.” In the Lower House, he recalled that his ministry had increased the staffing of the National Police assigned to these facilities by 32 personnel last July. He also mentioned that they were in discussions with Aena to prevent further occurrences of such delays. These are the same arguments he presented in December 2024 in response to a query from Coalición Canaria MP Cristina Valido.
Not Isolated Incidents
The queues at passport control have increased in frequency over the past year. The nationalist MP informed the minister that such delays occur not only during peak seasons, which is about to commence. June was particularly problematic for this service, and on May 28, one of the most notable incidents occurred, with over 500 individuals stuck for several hours in the border control area at Tenerife South Airport due to the staff’s inability to complete the process swiftly amid the simultaneous arrival of flights from non-EU countries.
The 24 biometric recognition machines now operational at the Tenerife South border checkpoint represent progress in addressing the issue, but further action is required. This month, the first of the periodic follow-up meetings to review the service’s performance, as agreed upon by the central government, Cabildo, Aena, and the National Police last June, should be convened.
