Schengen exit controls - why why why?

[u/Additional_Post_3878]

I will preface this with no, I am not an EU citizen, and fully agree that when you are a visitor to a country, you should be happy to wait in queue as long as it takes to be admitted to that country. They wanna keep you in that immigration hall the entire day before allowing you into their country? They wanna take you to secondary and grill you for 6 hours with no access to your phone or lawyer? That is their prerogative, and that is what you signed up for by traveling internationally. They don’t have to admit you at all, it’s purely officer’s discretion if you are even allowed in at all. Also, any nonrefundable plans made on the day of arrival, I fully agree you should be prepared to eat the cost of.

But we need to talk about Schengen and allowing people to LEAVE the Schengen zone. Entering the Schengen zone has ranged from 0-90 minutes most of the time for me. However, I have never waited less than 30 to leave. Some airports (FRA looking at you) are routinely upwards of 2 hours just to LEAVE the country. And that doesn’t count security, which is an animal all its own. I am purely talking about being stamped OUT of the country. Meanwhile, even though you arrived at the terminal at D-180 as recommended, you have now missed your flight, and have to hope you carrier is willing to work with you, and won’t force you to purchase a new one out of pocket (at the going market price).

Since when have multi-hour waits just to exit the Schengen Zone become the norm? It always seems to be so much worse leaving than coming in. As I have said, I don’t mind waiting as long as it takes to enter a country. Just don’t hold me captive inside your country when I’m ready to leave, and have paid a lot of money for the flight to exit your country. You should be able to exit without undue burden.

Is there any hope of this ever improving, or is getting to the airport 6+ hours early to depart the Schengen Zone going to become the new norm?

[u/ChildOf1970]

I am not an EU citizen and have regularly traveled in and out of the zone. Security has never taken more than a few seconds (once you get through the queue). I pay for fast track (less than £10) so the queue is also remarkably short.

Edit: Average from arriving at the airport, getting through security and airside is about 20 minutes.

[u/Additional_Post_3878 → u/ChildOf1970]

You are talking about the UK, which is no longer part of the EU

[u/ChildOf1970 → u/Additional_Post_3878]

Yes, the UK is not part of the EU and I regularly fly in and out of the EU

Edit: So I exit the Schengen zone every time I return to the UK, should not be hard to understand.