Serbian travelers hit by long delays and biometric checks under EU EES

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), fully implemented on 10 April, has caused kilometre‑long queues at border crossings for Serbian citizens, who are classified as third‑country nationals. At checkpoints, travelers must exit their vehicles, stand in separate lanes and have their faces photographed and fingerprints scanned each time they cross, often multiple times on a single trip. Waiting times of up to four hours have been reported, leading to missed flights, trains and hotel reservations.

Travelers describe the procedure as demeaning. Biljana from Vršac said, “They treat us like livestock, not humans,” adding that children were taken from their seats to be photographed. Similar complaints were voiced by other Serbian motorists.

In response to the congestion, Greece announced a temporary suspension of EES for Serbian nationals until 30 August, aiming to ease the backlog at its borders.