Greece says new biometric checks are active for non-EU travelers, but some could pass without scans

Tourists visit the Acropolis hill with he 5th century B.C. Parthenon, in Athens, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece says a new biometric screening system at airports for non-European Union citizens is fully operational, rejecting reports of a formal summer exemption for British travelers. But busy airports will be allowed to shut off scanners when needed this summer, officials say.

“We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure,” the Foreign Ministry said Thursday in response to a question from The Associated Press.

The EU Entry-Exit System, or EES, began operating at Greek airports and other entry points on April 10 as part of a Europe-wide rollout, replacing passport stamps with biometric data collected through photographs and digital fingerprints.

Greek officials visiting the U.K. had earlier suggested the requirement would be waived this summer for travelers from Britain, an important market for Greece’s tourism industry.