The EU’s new Entry/Exit System went fully live on 10 April 2026. On the very same day, Greece did something worth knowing about. It waved British travellers through.
No fingerprints. No facial scans. No first-time kiosk process at the border.
From Corfu to Crete, UK passport holders now head straight to passport control and use the standard lanes or e-gates, while travellers from many other non-EU countries go through the full EES process. For your clients, it means a simpler, faster arrival at the start of a Greek holiday.
The Quick Facts
- Exemption started 10 April 2026, confirmed by the Greek National Tourism Organisation in London.
- Applies to UK passport holders only, arriving into Greece.
- No end date has been published, so it’s reasonable to assume it runs through the summer.
- Greece has described the move as keeping UK arrivals “smoother and faster” during peak demand.
- Schengen 90/180-day rules still apply, along with passport validity requirements.
A Small Change With a Big Ripple
Greece relies heavily on the British summer market. With EES going live right at the start of peak booking season, there was real concern across the industry about long airport queues as biometrics were captured for the first time. Rather than risk that friction, Greece chose to protect the arrival experience for its biggest visitor group.
The Independent’s Simon Calder described it as Greece “going its own way”, and GreekReporter framed the decision as a move to “reduce waiting times and decongest airports”. Travel Weekly covered the GNTO briefing in London in detail.
The practical result? Two queues at Greek airports this summer. One moving quickly for British passport holders. One moving at the new EES pace for everyone else.
For Your Client Conversations
This is a helpful one to have up your sleeve, especially for clients weighing Greece against another Med option.
- For nervous travellers: “Greece has confirmed Brits are exempt from the new EU biometric checks, so your arrival should be quicker than in many other European spots this summer.”
- For clients weighing Spain vs Greece: “One practical difference right now is that Greece has kept arrivals simpler for UK passport holders. Same sunshine, less faff at the border.”
- For groups, families, or older travellers: This is where the exemption really lands. No first-time biometric capture means less waiting with tired kids or clients who find airports stressful.
- For clients already booked: A quick reassurance note before they travel is a lovely touch and sets the tone for a smooth holiday.
Where This Might Come in Handy
Greece was always going to have a strong summer. This could make those Greece chats feel a little easier for clients who’ve been hesitating. If you’ve had wobbly enquiries for Spain, France or Italy, this might be one to bring back into the mix, as long as the flights and inventory work for them.
It’s also a lovely moment for trust. Clients who feel you’ve explained the “boring bits” clearly tend to relax into the rest of the planning.
One watch-out: clients on multi-country itineraries will still face full EES procedures in other Schengen countries. A twin-centre with Athens and Rome, for example, means biometrics in Rome. Worth briefing upfront so there are no surprises.
A Small Reminder For Busy Weeks
Here’s the thing about stories like this. It’s not really about Greece. It’s about being the agent who knew first, explained it clearly, and turned a potentially confusing headline into something reassuring.
Your clients won’t read Travel Weekly or The Independent’s travel pages. They’ll see a confusing headline, worry about queues, and quietly put the booking off. A quick note from you changes that entirely.
So if Europe comes up in a client chat this week, this is a lovely little detail to have ready.
That’s often where the confidence comes from for clients. And where the next booking quietly starts.
