British holidaymakers heading to Greece this summer are set to dodge controversial new EU border checks, after Athens pulled the plug on fingerprinting and facial scan requirements.
The move comes as Brussels presses ahead with its sweeping Entry/Exit System (EES), which mandates that all non-EU visitors submit biometric data at airports and border crossings across the bloc.
The scheme, designed to replace traditional passport stamping and monitor the 90-day visa-free rule, has already sparked warnings of crippling delays.
Tourists have been told that queues could stretch up to four hours under the new regime, which is now fully operational.
But in a bid to avoid disruption at the height of summer getaway season, Greece has, for now, opted out.
Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, said the decision would ‘ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece’ and would ‘significantly reduce waiting times’ while easing congestion at airports.
The EES rollout has not been without incident elsewhere. At Milan Linate Airport last Sunday, more than 120 easyJet passengers were left stranded after lengthy hold-ups at border control caused them to miss their flight to Manchester.
Among them were teacher Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie, whose return from a family ski trip descended into frustration.
After queuing for over an hour on arrival in Italy and heeding advice to arrive early for departure, they reached the airport nearly three hours before take-off – only to be caught in further delays.
They ultimately watched their plane depart without them.
Faced with a £330 rebooking fee for a flight five days later, the family instead paid around £1,600 for an alternative route via Luxembourg.
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Hume said he felt ‘gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer – much poorer’.
Of the 156 passengers due to board the Manchester flight, just 34 made it on board, leaving 122 behind. EasyJet later issued an apology.
Back in the UK, complications persist at key ‘juxtaposed’ border points in Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras, where expensive EES kiosks remain disconnected from French border police systems.
The disruption is expected to continue until at least September.
Greece’s decision is widely seen as a strategic move to protect its vital tourism sector, which relies heavily on British visitors flocking to hotspots such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes – destinations that can each receive more than 2,000 UK arrivals per day during peak season.
With no confirmed end date for the exemption, speculation is mounting that other Mediterranean countries could follow suit.
Travel experts say the change may already be influencing holiday plans.
A spokesman for ABTA noted: ‘Because of the war in the Middle East, Europe is seeing a big increase in interest as a holiday destination this year.’
The organisation expects Greece to rank as the fifth most popular destination for Britons this summer, behind Spain, France, Italy and the United States.
‘I think it’s too early to say what this change might mean for the number of people visiting, particularly as decisions on where to go are based on a number of factors,’ the spokesman added.
Still, some travellers appear to have made up their minds.
‘Greece for me this summer then, was thinking of Tenerife, but no way I’m putting up with those queues and chaos,’ wrote one user on X.
Another said: ‘I work in the travel industry, already had customers worried about this new system, believe me, Greece will benefit from this stand!’
While a third declared: ‘Perfect – off to the Greek islands this summer – common sense prevails!’
