Greece’s recent decision to suspend the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) for UK tourists is triggering a domino effect across Mediterranean holiday destinations.
Portugal and Italy are now preparing to abandon the new biometric checks to prevent severe airport delays and protect their tourism sectors ahead of the busy summer season.
Greece first to scrap controls for UK tourists
The Greek government led the wave by officially pausing the EES rules for UK nationals until September. Following a rollout widely criticized as disorganized, Athens intervened to bypass the mandatory facial scans and fingerprinting for non-EU citizens. The Greek Embassy in London confirmed that as of April 10, British passport holders are completely exempt from biometric registration at all Greek border crossing points.
This strategic move safeguards a critical revenue stream. British tourists inject approximately €3.5 billion into the Greek economy annually. In 2025 alone, 4.89 million UK nationals visited the country, representing a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year. The Greek National Tourism Organization noted the exemption guarantees smoother arrivals, maintaining Greece’s competitive edge against rival hotspots.
Those rivals are now responding. Fearing that Greece will absorb a larger share of the lucrative UK market, Portugal has begun waving passengers through immigration when queues become unmanageable. Industry sources indicate Italy will implement a similar policy before the May school holidays, allowing UK tourists to enter using traditional passport stamps. Travel experts predict Spain, France, and Croatia may soon adopt similar workarounds, potentially causing the EES framework to collapse entirely.
What is the new system
The EES became fully operational last month across 25 Schengen states, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Designed to strengthen external border management, the system mandates biometric data collection for third-country nationals. However, the initial launch had severe technical issues with member-states having significant staff shortages, resulting in massive airport bottlenecks.
Travel industry leaders have fiercely criticized the EU initiative. Ryanair Chief Executive Neil McMahon urged the EU to suspend the checks until September, describing the rollout as a half-baked IT system deployed during the busiest travel period. McMahon noted that passengers are enduring hours-long queues and missing flights.
Analysts suggest that if multiple EU member states collectively ignore the EES requirements, the European Commission will have little practical recourse, as the financial benefits of steady tourism traffic far outweigh any potential regulatory penalties. For now, the Association of British Travel Agents advises travelers to utilize the EES mobile app to pre-register data where the system remains active.
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