The new border control system has caused major border delays for UK holidaymakers since its launch – and Greece has suspended it for UK tourists ‘without repercussions’
Simon Calder spoke out about potential changes in EU border rules this summer(Image: BBC)
Travel expert Simon Calder has suggested that holidaymakers could witness significant changes this summer, as key destinations favoured by British tourists may follow suit in switching off a controversial new border system that has been causing widespread disruption. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated IT system, was implemented on April 10, 2026.
The system replaces manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, entering the Schengen Area for short stays. It captures biometric data — fingerprints and photographs — at border checkpoints, and applies to 90-day, visa-free, or short-stay visa travel.
Reports have painted a chaotic picture, with queues stretching to three and four hours and some passengers missing flights altogether due to lengthy delays. Calder, a regular face on BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain, explained that Greece’s recent decision to suspend the system — without facing any consequences from EU authorities — could prove significant for other hotspots popular with British tourists, including Spain, Portugal and Italy.
He wrote in a blog: “It’s over two weeks since the Greek government said, ‘Ah, we’re not going to bother with all those biometric things for the British holiday makers who are coming over. There’s loads of them. We’d rather they had a nice easy time at the airport and got to the beach.’
“I thought, ‘Well, they’ll never get away with that. There’s nothing in the rules for the EU entry exit system that allows them to do it.’ But it seems they have, and I think that will encourage other governments, perhaps Portugal, Italy, Spain to say, ‘We’re not going to bother either. Let’s stagger through to the end of summer and perhaps take another look at the digital border scheme in the autumn.'”
He warned that British holidaymakers heading to Europe this summer face what he described as ‘frontier roulette’, adding: “You simply don’t know what’s going to happen. It might be that they’ll want the four fingerprints from your right hand and a facial biometric and that you will be asked to do that multiple times. Or they could just say, ‘Look, we’ll just have a Look at your passport, skim off the important details, and we’ll call that quits’. All you can do is hope for the best, be prepared for delays and disruption, and do what you’re told. Ryanair is among the many transport companies which are calling for the entry exit system to be suspended for the summer.”
“There is no doubt that while some places are doing it really well, many others are having a tough time. And it’s ultimately British holiday makers who are going to suffer more than anyone else. So, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if we get an announcement really quite soon from Brussels saying, ‘Hi, all right, we’re going to give up for now, but we’ll have another crack in the autumn.'”
He explained that in the month since the EES was rolled out, it’s been far from smooth sailing: “It’s nearly a month since we were told the entry exit system is working at all frontiers right across the continent and it’s all going to be great. Well, it certainly hasn’t been.
“We’ve seen people missing planes because the outbound cues to get your fingerprints done and your facial biometrics have simply taken too long. There’s an awful lot of time being wasted trying to comply with the rules and all the evidence I’m seeing is that the best thing that could happen in line with what lots of travel companies are asking for is oh just suspend the whole thing and have another look in the autumn when it’s quieter.
“The key thing to remember as a British holidaymaker in Europe is that you face frontier roulette. You’ve got no idea whether the frontier officials will demand your fingerprints from your right hand and your facial biometrics or they might just say we’re going to skim the important details from your passport and we’ll be happy with that. The whole system seems to be unravelling with individual countries, notably Greece saying we’re not doing this anymore
“And I think quite it soon. Europe is going to have to say it’s not actually working. We’re going to have another go. For now, let’s just relax things over the summer. But there’s simply no guarantees.”
Last month Ryanair revealed that passengers requiring its airport check-in or bag-drop facilities will need to complete the process 20 minutes earlier than before. The airline confirmed it will close these services a full hour before a flight’s scheduled departure – up from the current 40 minutes – to allow passengers additional time to navigate security and passport controls.
The move is designed to cut down on the “very small number of passengers” who end up missing their flights due to lengthy queues, the carrier explained.