Your flight lands on time. You’ve booked a rental car for early afternoon, the confirmation is in your inbox, and the plan is simple: bags, desk, keys, beach. Then you reach passport control, and a queue stretches back from the booths that wasn’t there on your last trip.
That queue is a car hire problem, not just an annoyance. It sits between you and the pickup desk, the rental company can’t see it, and flight-tracking software doesn’t account for it. If you’re travelling from outside the EU, it’s worth building a plan around it before you leave home.
EES in Plain Terms
EES, the Entry/Exit System, is the EU’s automated border-registration system for non-EU visitors on short stays. It replaces the manual passport stamp with an electronic record. The first time you cross after it starts operating, border staff capture your photo and fingerprints. After that, the system matches you against what’s on file.
It applies to travellers from visa-exempt countries such as the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, so UK visitors and Canadian visitors are directly affected. If you travel on an EU passport, including an Irish one, you use the separate EU lane and none of this applies to you.
It’s no longer new. EES became fully operational at the external borders of all 29 participating countries on 10 April 2026, so what you’ll meet at Tenerife South is a system that has been running for months, not a pilot. In theory, it’s quick. The slowdown comes from volume: when several flights carrying many non-EU passengers land close together, the terminals can’t process everyone at once, and that is exactly the arrival pattern at the south of the island.
Why a Border Queue Is Different From a Flight Delay
Rental companies are used to late flights, and most advice says to give them your flight number so they can track it. A border queue breaks that logic. Your flight was punctual, so tracking shows nothing wrong, yet you can still lose an hour or more between landing and the desk. Our guide to flight delays and car hire pickup covers the late-flight case; this is its quieter cousin.
Most airport rental companies work on a grace period: a window after your booked time during which the car is held without penalty. It is usually measured from your scheduled pickup time, not from when you clear the border, so every minute in the queue comes out of your buffer.
How Much Grace Do Rental Companies Give?
There is no official standard, and the figures below are reported ones. We haven’t tested them, so treat the table as a guide to ask about, not a guarantee.
| Company type | Reported grace period | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Local Canarian companies, such as Cicar and Autoreisen | Often described as around three hours | Typically the most flexible; Cicar is the one company on this page we have rented from ourselves, but the grace figure comes from reports, so confirm it |
| International brands, such as Avis and similar | Often described as around an hour | Can be tighter, particularly for early-morning or late-night collections |
| Budget agencies and brokers | Varies, often shorter | The terms depend on the supplier behind the booking, so check the voucher |
The practical point: if a border queue takes an hour of your buffer, a rental with a one-hour grace period has nothing left, while one with three hours still has room. When you compare options, our overview of the best-reviewed car hire companies is a good place to start, and the grace period belongs on your list of questions alongside price and deposit.
South or North: Where the Queues Are Worse
Most flights from the UK and other non-EU countries land at Tenerife South, so border pressure concentrates there, especially during the busy morning and midday arrival periods. Tenerife North mainly handles domestic Spanish and intra-European routes, where this is rarely an issue.
Your route usually decides the airport for you, but if you have a choice, our North versus South comparison is worth reading, and the airport guides for renting at Tenerife South and renting at Tenerife North explain what to expect once you reach the desks.
A Plan for Arrival Day
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| At booking | Ask the company what its grace period is, and write down the answer or keep the email |
| At booking | Choose a pickup time with room to spare rather than the earliest possible slot |
| Before you fly | Save the rental company’s phone number and your booking reference where you can reach them offline |
| On the plane | Don’t plan a tight chain of commitments after landing: a restaurant booking, a first-night check-in deadline or a transfer on a fixed time |
| In the queue | If it looks long, call or message the rental company before you reach the desk, not after |
| At the desk | Mention the queue; local firms are often more flexible about stretching a window than brokers are |
As a rough guide, allow 60 to 90 minutes beyond your normal baggage-claim estimate for a morning or midday arrival in busy season. That’s a precaution, not a measurement: queues vary widely day to day, and some travellers pass through quickly while others wait much longer.
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If this is your first crossing since biometrics began being collected, expect it to take longer than a repeat visit, since your data will already be on file afterwards. Even so, the length of the queue on any given day depends on how busy the terminal is, not only on your own status.
If the Window Runs Out
First, call. Many companies will hold a car if they hear from you early and have a plausible reason. A call from the queue, while you are still waiting, is far more persuasive than an explanation after the window has closed.
If you do lose the slot, ask what the company can offer: a later collection, a different car or a re-booking. What happens next depends on the terms of your booking, and a broker voucher may leave you negotiating through two parties. Keep notes of who you spoke to and when. If a charge or a refusal follows that you think is unfair, our complaint and dispute guide shows how to take it up.
If long desk queues are your concern after the border one, the self-service pickup guide covers a way to skip some of the waiting. And once you’re through and behind the wheel, our driving in Tenerife guide is a useful read before the first drive out of the car park.
What About ETIAS?
ETIAS is a separate thing. It is a pre-travel online authorisation for the same group of visa-exempt travellers, and it is not part of the border queue. It also isn’t something you can apply for yet: the official portal confirms that no applications are being collected and that a start date will be announced only several months before launch. Earlier forecasts pointed to the last quarter of 2026, so you may still see that date quoted elsewhere, but the official status is what counts. Check the EU’s own ETIAS page before you travel, rather than relying on this guide or any other third-party site.
Questions From Non-EU Visitors Before They Land
Can I do anything in advance to speed up the EES check?
The check happens at the border itself. EU authorities have discussed an optional pre-registration app, but whether it’s offered at your airport is something to confirm on the official EES page, and you shouldn’t plan around skipping the process.
Does EES apply to children?
Yes, though the rules for fingerprint capture differ for younger children. Check the official EES information for the current age details.
Will my second visit be faster?
Generally yes, because your data is already on file. The overall queue still depends on how busy the terminal is on the day.
Is this the same as ETIAS?
No. EES is the border check on entry and exit. ETIAS is an advance online authorisation and is not yet in operation.
I’m travelling on an EU passport. Do I need to worry?
No. EU passport holders use a separate lane and EES doesn’t apply to them.
How long should I allow between landing and my pickup time?
There’s no exact figure, and queues vary. A cushion of one to one and a half hours beyond your usual baggage-claim estimate is a sensible precaution for a morning or midday arrival at Tenerife South in busy season.
What should I have ready in the queue?
Your passport, the rental booking reference and the company’s phone number. If your phone data might be patchy after landing, save a screenshot of the confirmation so you can show it at the desk and quote it on a call.
Is it worth choosing a later pickup time on purpose?
Often, yes. A pickup an hour or two after your landing time costs nothing with most companies and gives you slack for the border, baggage and the walk to the desks. It can also be cheaper than waiting at the desk for a late-flight rebooking.
A Buffer That Costs Nothing
You can’t shorten the queue, but you can make it irrelevant. Book a pickup time with room in it, ask about the grace period before you pay, and keep the company’s number within reach. Then a long border queue becomes a story you tell at the pool.