Portugal and Italy retain EU border checks for British travelers as Greece pauses

The European Commission confirmed that Portugal and Italy will not exempt British citizens from the EU’s Entry‑Exit System (EES), which requires biometric fingerprint and facial scans at border controls. While Greece has effectively suspended these checks for Britons to avoid summer travel disruptions, both Portugal and Italy said they will continue applying the rules.

The EES, introduced in October 2023 and scheduled to be fully operational on 10 April 2024, obliges short‑term non‑EEA visitors to register their biometric data on each entry and exit. Its rollout has caused long queues at several European airports, with passengers missing flights – for example, over 100 EasyJet travellers were delayed at Milan Linate and Ryanair passengers at Milan Bergamo en route to Manchester.

The Commission told the BBC it is “in contact with Greece to clarify the situation and to re‑reinstate the existing rules”, noting that temporary suspensions are permitted only in exceptional circumstances and not as a broad exemption for any nationality. Airlines are also coping with rising fuel costs and have reduced flights, urging travelers not to alter plans despite the border checks.