E.U. Access: New system gives truckers a hard time
The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is fueling anger among truck drivers, who are already frustrated by visa procedures. So much so that the Moroccan Association of Intercontinental Road Transport (AMTRI) called for an unlimited strike starting tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5. The strike was suspended at the last minute following a meeting with the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, which promised to address the truckers’ grievances and raise them through diplomatic channels.
At the heart of the protest are “the restrictive implications linked to the implementation of the EU’s digital entry and exit system for foreign nationals.” These complications were also at the center of a meeting held on Monday, April 20 in Agadir.
Introduced gradually since October 12, 2025, the system has been fully operational since April 10, 2026 at all border crossing points, replacing passport stamping through the widespread use of electronic registration.
Still Wishful Thinking for Now
As a reminder, the new mechanism consists of electronically recording, for the first time, the passport data of third-country nationals, their biometric data (photo and fingerprints), as well as data relating to their entry and exit for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Subsequent entries and exits will only require simple verification. Ultimately, travelers entering or leaving the EU will simply scan their passports themselves, since European authorities will already have all the relevant information.
The use of automated border checks is supposed to make travel smoother. But for now, this remains wishful thinking.
In practice, the new system is already causing bottlenecks and endless queues, particularly at the port of Algeciras in Spain, where travelers must wait long hours before boarding. One transport operator, who said he spent three hours last week before leaving Barcelona airport, explained that a similar situation had occurred in Dubai before the system became fully operational. Transport operators also fear the consequences of the new system on Operation Marhaba 2026, which is expected to begin in a few weeks.
The headache of the 90/180-day rule
“In principle, a person holding a tourist visa must not stay more than 90 days within a 180-day period. This is the 90/180-day rule. To re-enter, they must wait several days. However, European authorities make no distinction between tourists and professional drivers engaged in international road transport, as well as businesspeople who need to travel more frequently because of their work. Several drivers have already been turned back from Spain. The maximum 90-day stay within European territory remains problematic,” explains a member of the Transport and Logistics Federation.
He added that several meetings have already been held with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport, and that the issue has already been raised before joint commissions — to no avail. The 90/180-day rule had been introduced in 2016(1), but border authorities had largely turned a blind eye until the new Entry/Exit System came into force in April 2026.
Hassan EL ARIF
