Greece drops EU entry and exit biometric rules for UK travellers to cut airport hassle

British passport holders heading to Greece this summer are now exempt from new EU biometric requirements.

All travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries are required to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border points under the new entry and exit system (EES), which was fully operational as of April 10.

Holidaymakers were warned of airport delays of up to four hours because of the EU’s new biometric entry and exit checks, but now, Greece is removing the requirement for UK citizens.

Eleni 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.

Given that thousands of UK travellers arrive daily on islands such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes, the move has been welcomed, and some believe other Mediterranean countries could follow suit, to avoid chaos.

Even as Greece drops the requirement, other countries could still see heavy delays for travellers.

Luke 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.’

Travellers already reported queues of up to two hours at passport control since EES started rolling out in some European countries late last year.

But airline groups have warned that these waits could double to four hours as holiday traffic increases into the peak summer season.

There are also concerns over IT glitches (remember the Crowdstrike outage), strikes and staff shortages during holiday periods.

What is the entry and exit EES system?

The entry and exit system is a digital system that replaces physical passport stamps at border points across the European Union.

People with passports from non-EU countries, including the UK, are required to use the system once it launches.

Most 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.

Biometric data includes fingerprints and facial pictures. Borders are likely to be kitted with self-service kiosks where passengers can input this information.

This data, as well as the entry and exit details, will be stored for subsequent visits.

Future visits will only require a verification of the biometric data, which can speed up the process.

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