The Greek Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the European Union\u2019s new Entry-Exit System, which began operating at Greek airports and other entry points on April 10, is in full effect for non-EU citizens, including travelers from the United Kingdom. The system replaces traditional passport stamps with biometric data collected through photographs and digital fingerprints.
Greek officials visiting the U.K. had earlier suggested the biometric requirement would be waived this summer for British travelers, an important market for Greece\u2019s tourism industry. The U.K. Foreign Office\u2019s current travel guidance reflects that earlier signal, stating that \u201CGreek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travelers as part of EES.\u201D
But European and Greek authorities later clarified that suspension of the system is permitted only during periods of high passenger traffic at specific entry points and does not apply to any country or nationality. \u201CWe have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure,\u201D the Foreign Ministry said in response to a question from The Associated Press.
Last week, Greek police described the digital entry system as being in \u201Cfull operation,\u201D but said they would take \u201Call necessary measures to ensure the smooth flow of visitors \u2026 making full use of provisions in (European) Union legislation.\u201D That provision allows busy airports to shut off scanners when needed during the early stages of implementation, meaning many travelers are still likely to pass through without biometric checks this summer.
Nearly 38 million people visited Greece last year, spending 23 billion euros \u2014 roughly $25 billion \u2014 in a country whose total economy measures 204 billion euros. Germany sent the largest number of visitors at nearly 6 million, followed by Britain at 4.9 million. Private tour operators fear that additional airport checks could discourage travel from the U.K., especially late bookings, and widen the disparity with EU citizens who can move within the bloc without passport checks.