Prague Airport, in cooperation with the Police of the Czech Republic, will expand and modernise the border control area for arriving passengers in Terminal 1. The reason for this is the need to increase capacity, particularly during peak hours, and to reduce passenger waiting times. As part of the modernisation, five new passport control desks and four EasyGoGate (EGG) self-service gates will be added, with the equipment supplied and installed by the Police of the Czech Republic. Work is set to begin in the first half of September 2026, with completion planned for the end of April 2027.
“By expanding border control, we are responding to the growing pressure on capacity, which has become even more evident since the European Entry/Exit System was introduced in October last year. Our goal is to speed up border control while providing a more comfortable experience for passengers as they wait. The new passport control desks and self-service gates will enable the airport to handle peak traffic more effectively and help reduce waiting times,” says Martin Kučera, a member of Prague Airport’s Board of Directors.
Five new arrivals passport-control booths and four new EasyGoGates (EGG) will be installed in Terminal 1; the Police of the Czech Republic is responsible for their delivery and installation. The project also includes expanding the passenger waiting area before border control and modernising the ventilation system throughout the passport control area. The project represents a total investment of approximately CZK 290 million, covering construction work, engineering and design services, the client’s technical supervision, and occupational health and safety coordination.
Prague Airport has worked closely with the Police of the Czech Republic on the expansion of the passport control area from the very start of the project. “The upgrades and alterations to the border control area at Terminal 1 will help further strengthen the security of the Schengen Area’s external border. The project has been continuously coordinated with us from the very outset to ensure that the new elements fully comply with all established security standards and legislative requirements,” says Col. Tomáš Jelínek, M.A., Head of the Foreign Police Inspectorate at Václav Havel Airport Prague.
Although the work will be carried out in stages to minimise the impact on airport operations and maintain border control capacity as much as possible, temporary limitations on passport control may occur and queues may form during the renovation. EU citizens can proceed directly to the passport control desks and EGG self-service gates for European passport holders, as they are exempt from EES registration. During one stage, three passport control desks will be temporarily closed. This stage is therefore scheduled for a period when passenger traffic is at its lowest and the proportion of passengers from countries outside the Schengen Area is lower. During the remaining stages, restrictions will be limited to the area immediately before border control. Passenger flows through border control will remain unchanged, with routes simply adjusted around the areas where work is under way. As in the past, the “Red Team” will play a key role in keeping passengers moving smoothly, coordinating passenger flow ahead of border control and responding to changing conditions as needed.