EES checks have been causing big delays at borders across Europe, with travellers reporting hours of queues as they wait to pass through border control.
It’s been reported that some countries, including Greece, have been suspending EES checks. Find out more about the current situation and what to expect if you’re travelling to Greece soon.
What is EES?
EES stands for Entry/Exit System, the EU’s new digital system for monitoring the movements of non-EU nationals.
It will replace passport stamping with a biometric system, either using facial recognition or a fingerprint scan, to identify passengers alongside their passport.
You can read more about EES below.
Has Greece Stopped EES Checks for UK Passport Holders?
Many European countries have been experiencing significant delays at border crossings – basically the full launch of EES has not gone as smoothly as hoped.
As a result, several airports across numerous countries, including Greece, have been switching EES checks off, depending on passenger volumes and wait times.
Is Greece still running EES checks?
Greece isn’t currently carrying out EES border checks for passengers holding UK passports.
This news was announced on 17 April by Eleni Skarveli, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, and is reflected on the Greek entry requirements section of the FCDO website.
She said the scrapping of EES checks for now is designed to ‘significantly reduce waiting times and ease congestion’, giving travellers a better experience.
We saw this reflected in reports from the Holiday Expert community – from our survey of your experiences of EES in the days after launch, those of you who flew to Greece reported no EES checks happening when you arrived.
What happens now for UK passport holders arriving in Greece?
When UK passport holders arrive in Greece they won’t be asked for fingerprints or facial scans – known as biometric checks.
Instead, they’ll have their passport stamped on entry and exit – as has been the case since Brexit.
Practically, this should make queues shorter and processing times quicker. That said, you should still be prepared for unexpected delays – especially at peak times.
Why has Greece stopped EES checks for UK passport holders?
Greece has stopped EES checks for practical reasons.
Popular island airports like those on Crete, Rhodes, and Corfu are already very busy during peak season.
Adding full EES checks for every traveller could make things even busier, causing big delays, missed transfers for cruises, boats or connecting flights – and generally giving holidaymakers a bad impression.
The UK is a valuable market for Greece’s tourism, so they’re focusing on keeping arrivals as smooth as possible.
Will Greece start EES checks again for UK passport holders?
A fully functioning EES system across all countries in the Schengen Area is still the goal; this is just a suspension to ensure a smoother flow of travellers at entry points to Greece.
But as it stands, you can expect no EES checks in the near future.
However, we’d advise signing up for FCDO alerts for Greece because this could always change back just as quickly.
Is this just a suspension for UK passport holders or for all third-country nationals like the US, Canada and Australia?
There’s been some confusion over who the suspension applies to as most of the updates have been specifically about UK passport holders, rather than all third-country nationals.
Some reports, including The Independent, suggest that travellers from countries like the US and Australia may still be required to use EES kiosks, indicating the current exemption could be UK-specific rather than universal.
But as is often the case, the proof will be in the pudding…
Can Greece face repercussions for stopping EES checks for UK passport holders?
In theory, Greece can face repercussions from the EU for stopping EES checks.
EES is meant to be a unified system across the Schengen Area, and it not being implemented properly in a location could raise concerns at an EU level.
However – in practice there has already been flexibility during the EES rollout.
Numerous airports in various countries have been switching EES checks on and off to ease delays.
Industry bodies have actually asked the European Commission to let EU member states switch the process on and off should they need to during the 2026 summer holiday season.
However, there is a big difference between doing this for a few hours to regulate a queue, and doing this as a blanket suspension for an entire nation.
It remains to be seen what the EU will do in response.
Will this happen anywhere else in Europe?
It’s possible other countries might come forward with an announcement, and follow what Greece is doing, but it’s unclear at the moment and they may be waiting to see if there is any fallout from Brussels.
But ultimately, the EES is an EU-wide system, and all countries are expected to implement it fully.
Greece Stops EES Checks for UK Passengers - Final Thoughts
For now, the fact that Greece has stopped EES checks for UK travellers is definitely good news if you’ve got a Greek holiday booked!
While EES will ultimately apply across Europe, Greece’s approach will ease headaches at the border in the short term.
As always with travel, be ready for changes to happen at short notice. But if you’re heading to Greece this summer, EES delays should be one less thing to worry about.
