People travelling to Greece from the UK have been given an update about changes to the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES). The news should come as a relief to Brits who were worried about how the new system may impact their time travelling through airports.
The EES officially launched in parts of Europe on April 10, and the system has forced many Brits to wait hours at the EU border. In some cases, passengers have missed flights after waiting too long to be processed.
The scheme has been met with criticism from several nations, including Greek authorities, which have pushed back enough to pause the process for British tourists altogether. Instead of digital registration, incoming flights with UK passengers will undergo manual passport stamping to avoid long airport queues, ensuring a smoother entry process
As reported by the Independent, Greek tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni said: "In the very beginning of the season, we faced some delays in the whole process at the airports. We really want our travellers to have the best experience and we understand that any inconvenience in getting into Greece or exiting would create frustration.
"We really don’t want anyone to have to face a lot of bureaucracy, so we have managed to facilitate the system in order for British citizens not to have any burden, especially at the airports. So it’s just a very easy way to come in and exit the country. Up to now, it’s been like a minute or so just to come in and out."
The Independent's Simon Calder claims the move was expected to trigger an immediate demand from the European Commission for Athens to fall into line, but no action has yet been taken (as of May 11).
As part of the interview with the publication, Ms Kefalogianni said: "We are part of the Schengen area. We aim to always abide by the rules, but at the same time, we want our visitors to feel very welcome.
"Having a bureaucratic burden at the airports, we understand, is not really a fuss-free situation. So we just made sure that our visitors have a fuss-free experience, that’s all potential visitors need to know."
The EES is an automated system that digitally registers non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for short stays (up to 90 days in a 180-day period). It replaces manual passport stamping with biometric checks (fingerprints and facial images).
The EES records your name, type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and photo), and the date/place of entry and exit. The digital record is valid for three years, meaning you only have to provide biometrics every three years, not on every visit.
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As of April 10, 2026, EES is in operation at the borders of 29 European countries. The announcement made by Greece today (May 11) applies only to the United Kingdom
In Cyprus and Ireland, despite being countries of the European Union, passports will still be stamped manually. This is because neither country is part of the Schengen area.
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