British passport holders will not be required to undergo biometric registration upon arrival in Greece, according to a Greek government decision.
Athens has decided to exclude British citizens from the new European Entry/Exit System (EES), in order to reduce waiting times and decongest airports.
Approximately 4.89 million British nationals visited Greece in 2025, marking a 7.6 increase compared to 2024, according to Travel Tomorrow. In recent years, Greece has broken its arrival record every year.
An announcement on the website of the Greek Embassy in London reads as follows:
“Update for British passport holders travelling to Greece.
As part of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, from April 10, 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”
No further details were given on the duration of the exemption.
According to the Greek National Tourism Organization in London, the Greek government decision to exempt British citizens from biometric registration will ensure that their arrival in Greece will be smoother and faster.
A good measure for the Greek tourism market
In recent years, the Greek tourism market has sky-rocketed. The Greek government measure comes at a time of great concern for the tourism industry given the Middle East conflict. In addition, the full implementation of the EU EES at European level has raised fears of increased waiting times and operational pressures, particularly in popular tourist destinations with high arrivals outside Schengen.
This development is particularly important given that the United Kingdom is one of the most important inbound tourism markets for Greece, with millions of arrivals annually.
Avoiding additional border procedures enhances the competitiveness of the Greek tourism product, especially compared to other competitive Mediterranean destinations that may fully implement the biometric procedures of the EES.
At the same time, this move is interpreted as an effort by Greece to prevent possible operational problems during the first phase of implementation of the system, ensuring the smooth management of the increased arrivals of the summer period.
Importance of the EES implementation
The Entry/Exit System is one of the EU’s key tools for strengthening the management of external borders, by recording biometric data (fingerprints and facial photograph) for third-country nationals.
The increased numbers of third-country travelers has made the the EES crucial. However, its practical implementation has raised concerns at airports and ports, due to the technical and operational requirements.
In this context, the Greek decision to exempt British travelers may act as a “decompression valve”, at least in the short term, for a system that is still in the adaptation phase.
