BRITISH travellers have been exempted from the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric checks in Greece this summer.
The decision means British passport holders arriving in Greece will not need to provide fingerprints or facial biometrics, despite the system being rolled out across the Schengen zone from April 10.
Instead, British visitors will continue to pass through border control as before, rather than undergoing the digital registration now required elsewhere in Europe.
The unexpected move, which is intended to ease airport congestion and prevent long queues at border control, is sure to be gratefully received by UK holidaymakers.
The EES process, which can create bottlenecks that can add potentially hours to a passenger’s journey, has previously raised concerns about severe delays.
It is with this in mind that Greece is choosing its own course to avoid the chaos that has been witnessed at various European locations over the past week.
Officials say the move is designed to ‘ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience’.
While other parts of Europe are struggling to fully implement the system, Greece has chosen to prioritise visitor experience over strictly following Brussels’ timeline.
The EES replaces traditional stamping with a digital system that logs biometric data to track the length of stay for non-EU visitors, primarily to enforce the 90-day rule. However, its implementation has been disrupted by delays and technical issues.
With other major destinations like Spain dealing with complaints about passport control queues since Brexit, it is possible that other Mediterranean countries may follow Greece’s lead if this policy succeeds.
Spain’s Interior Ministry has been approached for comment.
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