Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni has delivered a reassuring message to British holidaymakers: you won't be spending your precious vacation time stuck in a border queue, even during peak summer. Speaking to the BBC, Kefalogianni said the Greek government doesn't want visitors to be "burdened" by bureaucratic procedures when entering or leaving the country. She confirmed that British visitors will not face biometric checks at the border at any point during the summer season, with the country aiming to keep frontier checks under two minutes.
This assurance comes as the EU's new digital border system - the "entry-exit system" (EES) - rolls out. The system requires short-term visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area to register biometric data (fingerprints and a facial scan) each time they enter or leave the Schengen zone. While some airports handle this smoothly, others have seen queues up to three hours. Last month, over 100 passengers missed their EasyJet flight from Milan's Linate airport to Manchester, with the airline calling the passport queues "unacceptable." Ryanair passengers from Milan Bergamo to Manchester suffered a similar fate.
Greece insists it has "successfully started the full operation" of the system, though it quietly suspended biometric checks on UK visitors in early April after long queues at Corfu airport. Kefalogianni claims this isn't a violation of EU rules - which allow temporary suspensions during severe congestion but prohibit blanket exemptions for specific nationalities - but rather a "facilitation" of the procedure so visitors "are not burdened." The EU, however, says it's in contact with Greece "to clarify the situation and recall the existing rules."
Meanwhile, Portugal and Italy have confirmed they won't follow Greece's lead in exempting British nationals, despite unconfirmed reports suggesting otherwise. Adding to the holiday drama, concerns over jet fuel shortages - sparked by the US-Israel conflict with Iran disrupting Gulf supplies - have made tourists hesitant. Kefalogianni acknowledged the trend but noted Greece offers a "very good balance" of price and quality. The UK government has told holidaymakers there's "no need" to change travel plans, as no shortage currently exists and contingency plans are ready.