Border Crossings Accelerate at Evzoni

Serbian travelers heading to Greece for the summer season are reporting a marked improvement in border crossing times at the Evzoni checkpoint. After experiencing multi-hour delays during the first few days of the month, recent witnesses describe a much smoother process. According to updates from tourist groups, large bus queues are now handled more efficiently, with authorities occasionally suspending the new Entry/Exit System (EES) temporarily to revert to standard passport checks when congestion peaks.

One traveler shared their experience in a popular Greek tourism Facebook group, noting that their bus cleared the border in just 30 minutes at 2:10 AM local time. Despite the requirement for fingerprinting and photography under the new digital system, the group moved through quickly, sitting second in line. This update has provided relief to many Serbian citizens who were previously hesitant to travel due to fears of long waits.

Midday and Nighttime Offer Fastest Passage

Reports from the past 48 hours suggest that midday can also be an effective window for crossing, provided the EES system is temporarily paused. One group reported crossing at noon in just 15 minutes, using only physical passports. Another traveler confirmed a wait of less than five minutes at 1:45 PM, also bypassing the digital scanning process. These instances indicate that border officials are adapting workflows to maintain flow during peak hours.

The heavy congestion seen earlier in the month was largely due to a combination of holiday travel patterns, weekend traffic surges, and the initial rollout of the EES system, rather than the technology alone. Aleksandar Seničić, director of the National Association of Tourist Agencies of Serbia (JUTA), confirmed that Greek authorities have assured them that two to three dedicated lanes for tourist buses will remain open at Evzoni.

Seničić noted that traffic traditionally spikes between 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM. He advised that nighttime and late afternoon hours generally offer significantly shorter waits. For those traveling by private car, he recommended using alternative crossings such as Dojran or Medžitlija, which are typically not used by large coach buses and often feature lighter traffic.