Greece has unilaterally decided to exempt British passport holders from the European Union's new biometric entry-exit system (EES) at its border crossing points, in a move aimed at preventing the kind of airport congestion seen elsewhere in Europe. The decision, announced by Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, means that British travellers will continue to receive a simple passport stamp rather than undergo biometric registration.
Ms Skarveli said the exemption is intended to “ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece” and “significantly reduce waiting times and ease congestion at airports”. The move comes after the EU’s 10 April deadline for all Schengen area frontiers to apply the EES, which requires fingerprint and facial recognition checks for third-country nationals, including Britons.
The Greek authorities are particularly concerned about the summer season, when small island airports can see upwards of 2,000 UK passport holders arriving and departing daily. The EES process can take five times longer than the traditional stamping method, raising fears of long queues. Greece’s decision is seen as a pragmatic response to staffing issues and a recognition of the economic importance of British tourists.
The move follows delays in implementing the EES at other border points, including the juxtaposed controls in the UK at Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras, where the system is not yet operational. An end date for the Greek exemption has not been set, but it is expected to last at least until the end of the summer season, and possibly longer.
