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  "path": "/2026/06/01/greece-backtracks-ees-border-check-exemption-british-holidaymakers-28600039/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-01T09:29:23.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Travel",
    "Europe Travel",
    "European Union",
    "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office",
    "Greece",
    "Summer",
    "Travel Advice",
    "Travel News",
    "rejected reports",
    "exempt from biometric screening system",
    "part of a Europe-wide rollout",
    "Greece’s tourism industry",
    "‘burdened’ by bureaucracy",
    "Metro Deals",
    "Get deal now",
    "exempt from biometric registration",
    "matched UK government advice",
    "AP",
    "Crete",
    "queue from hell at Milan’s Linate airport",
    "easyJet",
    "including the UK",
    "supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "The ancient Parthenon temple on Acropolis hill in Athens, one of Greece’s top attractions (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nNobody seems to know what’s going on with Greece’s borders this summer — not even its most senior tourism officials.\n\nGreece has rejected reports that British passport holders will be exempt from biometric screening system at its airports during peak season.\n\nThe EU’s new Entry-Exit System, or EES, began operating at Greek airports and other entry points on April 10 as part of a Europe-wide rollout, replacing passport stamps with biometric data collected through photos and digital fingerprints.\n\nGreek officials visiting the UK had suggested the requirement would be waived this summer for travellers from Britain, an important market for Greece’s tourism industry.\n\nGreece’s tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said the government did not want visitors ‘burdened’ by bureaucracy and promised that Brits would be ‘fast-tracked’ through the system.\n\nGreece broke its own tourism records in 2025: 37.98 million international visitors and €22.4 billion in revenue, according to data from the Bank of Greece (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)\n\n##  Best of Best of Metro Deals\n\nGet exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher\n\n**Bannatyne Spa** : Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off.\n\n Get deal now\n\n**Mystery Escape** : Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages.\n\nGet deal now\n\n**Beach Retreat (Lanzarote)** : 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%.\n\nGet deal now\n\nThe Greek Embassy went further. It said that as of April 10, 2026, British passport holders were exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossings.\n\nEleni Skarveli, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, said the move would ‘ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece’ and slash waiting times.\n\nHe said that Brits would no longer need to complete extra EES procedures.\n\nThat position even matched UK government advice.\n\nThe Foreign Office told travellers that Greek authorities would not collect biometric data from UK visitors under the new system.\n\nCurrent travel guidance from the FCDO states: ‘Greek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travellers as part of EES. Follow the advice of authorities on the ground.’\n\nFteri beach in Kefalonia, Greece, recently voted the most beautiful in Europe (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)\n\nHowever, European and Greek authorities later clarified that suspension of the system will be permitted only during ‘periods of high passenger traffic’.\n\nExemptions do not apply to any country or nationality, they added.\n\n‘We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure,’ a spokesperson for the Greek Foreign Ministry told AP.\n\n**Metro** has approached the Greek Foreign Ministry, the Greek Tourism Ministry and the UK Foreign Office for comment.\n\nGiven that thousands of UK travellers arrive daily on islands such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes, the idea of scrapping EES checks had been welcomed.\n\nIt also led some to believe other Mediterranean countries could follow suit for the busy summer period.\n\nPOLL\n\nPoll\n\n### Do biometric border checks put you off travelling?\n\n  * YesCheck\n\n  * NoCheck\n\n\n\n\nTravellers already reported queues of up to two hours at passport control since EES started rolling out in some European countries late last year.\n\nBut airline groups have warned that these waits could double to four hours as holiday traffic increases into the summer season.\n\nLuke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta, the travel agent and tour operator association, said: ‘What we have said to customers is that, because of the checks, you might need to prepare for delays with extra water and snacks.’\n\nIn April, holidaymakers were left vomiting and fainting in a queue from hell at Milan’s Linate airport.\n\nAround 100 easyJet customers were stranded due to delays caused by new EU border checks.\n\nOutrage erupted after passengers were left in hours-long queues at Milan’s Linate Airport in April (Picture: Will Scott/TikTok)\n\nThe airline said the disorder was ‘outside of our control’ and even delayed takeoff by almost an hour to try to give passengers extra time to board.\n\nStill, plenty of Brits were forced to find alternative routes home after some only discovered they had missed their flight once it had taken off without them.\n\n## What is the EU’s new Entry/Exit system?\n\nThe entry and exit system (EES) is a digital system that replaces passport stamping at border control across the European Union.\n\nPeople with passports from non-EU countries, including the UK, are required to use the system once it launches.\n\nMost travellers from outside the EU, known as third-country nationals, will be required to register their passport details and biometric data when crossing into an EU country for the first time.\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nBiometric data includes fingerprints and facial pictures. Borders are likely to be kitted with self-service kiosks where passengers can input this information.\n\nThis data, as well as the entry and exit details, will be stored for subsequent visits.\n\nFuture visits will only require a verification of the biometric data, which can speed up the process.\n\nBorder officials will then also ask extra questions about accommodation, whether travellers have enough money for the trip, insurance and a return ticket.\n\nChildren are not exempt from the checks, although children under 12 do not need to give fingerprints; however they will also need to have their face scanned.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Greece backtracks on EES border check exemption for British holidaymakers"
}