Greece said its biometric screening system for non-European Union travelers is fully operational and rejected reports that British visitors would get a formal exemption from it during the summer travel season.
In a response to a question from The Associated Press, Greece’s Foreign Ministry said it had “not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure,” a formulation the ministry used after earlier talk of a possible waiver circulated.
The ministry’s position came as the EU Entry-Exit System, or EES, continues its Europe-wide rollout. Greek authorities said the system began operating at Greek airports and other entry points on April 10, replacing passport stamps with biometric data collected through photographs and digital fingerprints.
The EES framework includes a limited ability to suspend parts of the process during implementation. Greece said busy airports will be allowed to shut off scanners when needed this summer, but officials said the measure is tied to operational periods and locations rather than to the nationality of travelers.
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. Greece said that means any scanner shutdowns are about managing congestion during peaks, rather than creating country-wide exemptions.
Still, the practical outcome for travelers may vary. The AP reported that many travelers are likely to pass through airports without the new biometric checks because EU rules allow temporary suspensions during the early stages of implementation.
Last week, Greek police described the digital entry system as being in “full operation,” while also saying they would take “all necessary measures to ensure the smooth flow of visitors” and use provisions in European Union legislation.
The change matters for travel planning. Private tour operators fear that additional airport checks could discourage travel from the U.K., particularly late bookings, and they said this could widen differences between visitors from the United Kingdom and EU citizens, who can move within the bloc without passport checks.
The scale of tourism is a key context for Greece. Nearly 38 million people visited Greece last year, spending 23 billion euros ($25 billion) and supporting the country’s 204 billion-euro economy, with Germany providing the largest number of visitors at nearly 6 million, followed by Britain with 4.9 million.
For UK travelers, the situation has also been shaped by guidance from London. The U.K. Foreign Office told travelers that “Greek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travelers as part of EES,” adding: “Follow the advice of authorities on the ground.”
Greece’s Foreign Ministry response on Thursday indicated that, as of that point, Greece had not received further clarification that would support a broader, nationality-based waiver for British travelers this summer.