Greece suspended EES checks for Brits arriving this summer time amid airport chaos.
Greece suspended EES checks for Brits arriving this summer time amid airport chaos. (Picture: Getty)
The European Union has reportedly been left infuriated by Greece after the nation suspended the brand new Entry/Exit border management system (EES) for the summer time, following chaos at its airports. Following the system’s launch on April 10, well-liked vacation locations throughout Europe have been tormented by lengthy queues, delays and missed flights.
Nonetheless, barely per week later, the Greek Embassy stated in an replace on its web site on April 17 that British passport holders arriving in Greece wouldn’t need to undergo the biometric information for a minimum of the summer time. This has made the nation much more enticing to UK holidaymakers, prompting competing locations akin to Italy and Portugal to contemplate doing the identical for his or her arrivals. In Spain, authorities are dealing with strain to observe swimsuit after it allegedly made minor tweaks to the system which have achieved little to alleviate the problems, prompting airways to ramp up strain for a suspension till after the height season.
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The EES requires Brits to scan your passport and supply a facial photograph and fingerprints (Picture: Getty)
The EES digitally registers non-EU nationals every time they cross the exterior borders of the Schengen Space for brief stays. It replaces the outdated handbook passport stamping methodology. Upon your first entry, you’ll use a self-service kiosk to scan your passport and supply biometric information – a facial photograph and fingerprints. As soon as registered, your actions, together with the dates and areas of entry and exit, will probably be mechanically logged, and travellers is not going to be required to re-enter their biometrics for as much as 3 years.
Nonetheless, regardless of calls from the journey business for EES to be lifted, the European Fee – the EU’s major government physique – has confirmed that neither Portugal nor Italy will probably be suspending digital border checks for Britons, the Majorca Day by day Bulletin reported.
Ryanair is main the cost to have the complete system lifted till after the height vacation season. Its Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, stated: “It is senseless that nations, like Spain, are persevering with to implement the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) when they’re clearly not prepared to take action. On account of this half-baked system roll out, passengers are being compelled to endure extreme passport management queues, and in some instances, lacking flights.
In accordance with the EU rulebook, the one authorized exception to the brand new system included within the roll-out is the chance to pause biometric assortment for six-hour home windows throughout exceptionally busy occasions – a flexibility that may be utilized till September below sure circumstances.
The assertion on the Greek Embassy’s web site on April 17 learn: “Replace for British passport holders travelling to Greece. Within the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES), as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing factors.”
There was no additional element of how lengthy the exemption would final, however, commenting on the announcement, Britain’s ambassador to Greece, Eleni Skarveli, the UK director of the Greek Nationwide Tourism Organisation, stated: “The exemption of British passport holders from biometric registration at Greek border crossing factors, efficient from 10 April 2026, is predicted to considerably scale back ready occasions and ease congestion at airports.”
She added: “The Greek Nationwide Tourism Organisation stays dedicated to making sure a seamless and welcoming journey for all guests from the UK.”
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