"Greek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travellers as part of EES," the UK government advised on 20 April, while warning travellers to "follow the advice of authorities on the ground."
Hellenic Police: full deployment, local management
On 20 April the Hellenic Police said it had "started to fully deploy EES" and that Greece "will use all necessary measures to manage traffic at border crossings in accordance with the regulations." The statement frames the Greek approach as operationally flexible: the system is being introduced, but authorities intend to balance application of the Entry/Exit System with on-the-ground traffic-management decisions.
UK travel advice and the biometric carve-out
The UK government's updated travel advice — released the same day the Hellenic Police announced full deployment — explicitly reported that Greek authorities had indicated they would not collect biometric data for UK travellers under EES, while urging travellers to follow local instructions. Independent travel correspondent Simon Calder was quoted in coverage noting that EES regulations allow "flexibility to suspend biometric data collection at specific places for limited periods of time." At the same time, the European Commission "does not expect blanket exemptions for citizens of specific countries for extended periods."
Airlines and airports: delays, remedial offers, and industry pressure
The compulsory application of EES from 10 April has coincided with operational friction. Since then, some British travellers missed flights because of border-control delays: around 100 passengers scheduled on an Easyjet flight from Milan Linate to Manchester on 12 April, and a smaller number on a Ryanair service from Milan Bergamo to Manchester on 16 April. Easyjet said in a statement: "The issues some passengers have experienced are unacceptable and so we continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed, so our customers' travel plans are not impacted." The airline also said it will transfer passengers delayed by EES to other flights it provides for free; a Register staffer and family who were delayed travelling from Paris to London Gatwick on 10 April were offered replacement flights that were not available until 15 days later and instead travelled by Eurostar.
Airport operator group ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe — which includes Easyjet, Ryanair and International Airlines Group — said some passengers have waited "two to three hours" at borders. The heads of those organizations stated: "Border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive. This is essential not only in the coming weeks, but throughout the peak summer travel season."
European Commission numbers and the state of the rollout
The Entry/Exit System went live in October last year and produced visible crowds at launch, including "launch-day queues at Prague's international airport." Many countries phased in the system, but its use became compulsory on 10 April. The European Commission reported that, as of 10 April, EES had registered more than 52 million entries and exits, refused entry to more than 27,000 individuals (about 0.1 percent of those trying to enter) and identified more than 700 as security risks. The EU has also built a Travel to Europe app to let those required to use EES undertake some of the process in advance; so far only Sweden and Portugal accept its use.
How travellers, airlines, and border authorities are responding
- Travellers: Those affected faced missed flights and long waits; they have been advised to follow local authorities and, where available, use advance processing tools such as the Travel to Europe app (noting that only Sweden and Portugal accept it so far).
- Airlines: Easyjet, Ryanair and other carriers are offering to rebook or transfer delayed passengers and are publicly pressing border authorities to use permitted flexibilities or suspend biometric collection when queues are excessive.
- Border authorities: The Hellenic Police describe a full deployment but signal willingness to manage traffic and apply measures locally; the European Commission, however, has warned against extended blanket exemptions for citizens of particular countries.
Greece's decision to signal a pause on collecting biometric fingerprints and photos for a specific group — at least as reported by the UK government — exposes the tension embedded in EES: it is a European-wide security and migration-management tool that, in practice, must be reconciled with the realities of airport throughput and peak travel demand. The European Commission's headline statistics show broad use and some returns in security terms, but the last weeks demonstrate that operational frictions can rapidly cascade into missed flights and industry pushback. Whether the Greek approach becomes a temporary traffic-management measure or a model other states will emulate remains a question the Commission's stance suggests it does not want answered by blanket national carve-outs.
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/04/24/greece_ees_rules/
