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Reports of two European countries changing their passport rules for British tourists have been refuted by the European Commission. Italy and Portugalwere suggested to be suspending border biometric checks.

This has already been adopted by Greece after the Entry-Exit System (EES) was rolled out in October 2025 and expected to be fully operational by April 2026. The new system has caused problems for Brits at border controls across Europe, with long waits delaying travellers and even causing hundreds to miss flights. The EESrequires those from outside the EU and European Economic Area to register biometric data when they enter and leave the free travel zone of the Schengen Area. The European Commission has confirmed that it is "in contact with Portugaland Italy, as with all Member States, on the implementation of the EES".

It went on to say that "the Portuguese and Italian authorities confirmed that they do not intend to exempt any nationality."

Greece scrapped the EES for British travellers, but the European Commission said they are "in contact with Greece to clarify the situation and recall the existing rules".

The commission said that it will not allow "blanket exemptions for nationals of specific third countries and for an extended period of time".

Rules do allow the EES biometric checks to be suspended for short periods at specific border crossings in exceptional circumstances.

This comes as airlines deal with rising fuel costs ahead of the holiday season, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. About 13,000 flights scheduled for May have been cancelled, the equivalent of about 1% of the month's flights.

Brits have been told not to change any holiday or travel plans they have for this summer, as there is currently no fuel shortage in the UK.