Published on September 24, 2025
Canada has issued caller recreation advisories for respective European countries, including Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and Switzerland, urging Canadians to workout heightened be aware this wintertime owed to nan implementation of nan Entry/Exit System (EES) starting connected October 12, 2025. The caller strategy will require travelers from extracurricular nan Schengen Area, including Canadians, to supply biometric data—such arsenic facial images and fingerprints—upon presence successful immoderate of nan 29 Schengen countries. This change, mixed pinch ongoing information concerns specified arsenic petty crime, demonstrations, and coercion threats, underscores nan request for other vigilance and preparedness erstwhile walking to these celebrated destinations successful nan coming months.
As of October 12, 2025, a awesome alteration successful nan measurement world travelers participate and exit nan Schengen Area will return effect pinch nan preamble of nan Entry/Exit System (EES). This strategy will automatically cod elaborate accusation from travelers, including facial images and fingerprints, arsenic they transverse borders into immoderate of nan 29 countries successful nan Schengen Zone. With this improvement connected nan horizon, Canada has issued updated recreation advisories for respective European countries, including Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and Switzerland, urging Canadian citizens to return basal precautions.
The caller EES is portion of a broader effort to streamline separator power processes but introduces important implications for travelers. In this article, we research nan specifications of Canada’s advisory, including imaginable risks related to security, crime, terrorism, and nan caller Entry/Exit System, arsenic good arsenic nan impacts connected Canadian travelers visiting these European destinations.
Greece: Take Normal Security Precautions Amid Ongoing Security Threats
Canada’s recreation advisory for Greece urges its citizens to return normal information precautions while traveling. However, respective risks stay prevalent successful nan country, which tin impact travelers’ safety.
Demonstrations and Strikes
- Common Locations: Demonstrations are communal successful Athens and Thessaloniki, particularly astir important humanities events specified arsenic Workers’ Day (May 1), nan Athens Polytechnic uprising commemoration (November 17), and nan 2008 riots (December 6).
- Affected Areas:
- In Athens: Syntagma Square, Omonia Square, and Exarchia neighbourhood are nan superior hotspots for protests.
- In Thessaloniki: Aristotelous Square, Egnatia Street, and nan Arch of Galerius.
- Travel Disruptions: Even serene demonstrations tin move violent, and these events often disrupt postulation and nationalist transportation, making it difficult for travelers to navigate done these areas.
Crime Risks
- Petty Crime: Pickpocketing and different petty crimes are predominant successful crowded areas, particularly astatine tourer attractions, hotels, nationalist transport, and beaches.
- Hotspots: Major tourer areas specified arsenic nan Acropolis, restaurants, edifice lobbies, and metro stations are wherever thieves thin to operate.
- Safety Tips: Travelers should unafraid their belongings, debar carrying ample amounts of cash, and enactment alert, particularly successful high-traffic areas.
- Violent Crime: While rare, incidents of unit targeting minorities person been recorded, peculiarly from far-right extremist groups. Travelers should ever beryllium vigilant and alert of their surroundings.
- Food and Drink Safety: Visitors should debar leaving nutrient aliases drinks unattended, arsenic location person been reports of spiked beverages starring to theft aliases intersexual assault.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Greece
The EES, group to commencement successful October 2025, will impact non-EU travelers entering Greece, including Canadian citizens. Travelers will request to person their biometric information (facial image and fingerprints) collected upon arrival, which will beryllium recorded automatically by nan system. Though nary action is required earlier travel, it is important to stay alert of this alteration erstwhile entering Greece done separator control.
Luxembourg: Security Concerns Amid Petty Crime and Terrorism Threats
Canada’s advisory for Luxembourg encourages travelers to return normal information precautions, but besides highlights nan expanding consequence of petty crime and nan threat of terrorism.
Crime Concerns
- Petty Crime: Pickpocketing, container snatching, and theft from vehicles are communal successful crowded places, specified as:
- Public transport: Buses, trains, and airports.
- Tourist Areas: Youth hostels, edifice lobbies, and section restaurants.
- Home Burglaries: These incidents thin to spike during awesome holidays, particularly Christmas and summer.
Terrorism Threat
- Ongoing Risk: Luxembourg, for illustration nan remainder of Europe, faces a important coercion threat. Potential targets see authorities buildings, places of worship, and nationalist venues often visited by tourists.
- Public Vigilance: Travelers should ever beryllium alert of their surroundings, peculiarly during awesome events specified arsenic sporting games aliases nationalist celebrations.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Luxembourg
As Luxembourg is simply a Schengen Area country, Canadian visitors will beryllium required to registry done nan EES erstwhile entering nan country. It is important for travelers to understand that nan strategy will cod facial images and fingerprints for recognition purposes. Travelers should familiarize themselves pinch these changes to guarantee soft introduction into Luxembourg.
Spain: High Risk of Petty Crime and Terrorism Threats
Spain has besides been included successful Canada’s updated recreation advisory, urging Canadians to workout caution, peculiarly successful municipality centers and tourer hotspots.
Crime Risks
- Petty Crime: Pickpocketing and container snatching are communal successful celebrated tourer destinations, including Madrid and Barcelona.
- High-Risk Locations:
- Madrid: Areas specified arsenic Atocha train station, Gran Vía, and Retiro park.
- Barcelona: Las Ramblas, Sagrada Família Basilica, and Güell park.
- High-Risk Locations:
- Theft Techniques: Thieves often usage distraction techniques, specified arsenic pretending to inquire for directions aliases pointing retired a “stain” connected tourists’ clothing.
- Violent Crime: While convulsive crime is rare, location person been occasional incidents of pack unit related to nan supplier trade, peculiarly successful nan city’s underground areas.
Terrorism Risk
- Terrorism Threat: Spain faces a important consequence of violent activity, peculiarly successful nationalist places and tourer hotspots.
- Vigilance: Travelers should enactment alert during nationalist celebrations, belief holidays, aliases governmental events, arsenic these occasions tin pull violent attacks.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Spain
With Spain being a Schengen Area country, Canadian travelers must beryllium prepared for nan biometric information postulation process starting successful October 2025. This strategy will require travelers to person their facial image and fingerprints recorded automatically upon arrival.
Portugal: Petty Crime Remains a Persistent Issue
Portugal is different state highlighted successful Canada’s recreation advisory, wherever travelers are urged to enactment vigilant, peculiarly successful high-traffic tourer zones.
Crime Risks
- Pickpocketing and Bag Snatching: Common successful crowded nationalist spaces for illustration trams, buses, and celebrated tourer sites specified arsenic nan historical districts of Lisbon and Porto.
- High-Risk Locations: Trams 15, 25, and 28 successful Lisbon, arsenic good arsenic beaches, edifice lobbies, and outdoor restaurants.
- Vehicle Break-ins: These are frequent, particularly erstwhile rental cars are near unattended.
Terrorism Risk
- Terrorism Threat: While location person been nary caller violent attacks successful Portugal, nan wide threat of coercion successful Europe remains high.
- Public Vigilance: Travelers should beryllium alert, particularly during nationalist events and celebrations, which whitethorn go targets for violent activity.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Portugal
As a Schengen Area member, Portugal will require each travelers, including Canadians, to spell done nan EES from October 12, 2025. The automated strategy will cod biometric information specified arsenic fingerprints and facial images, which will beryllium stored for early reference.
Denmark: High Caution Due to Terrorism and Crime
Denmark, specifically Copenhagen, remains nether a heightened level of be aware owed to gang-related unit and nan ongoing consequence of terrorism.
Crime and Violence
- Petty Crime: Travelers should beryllium peculiarly cautious successful crowded tourer areas, arsenic petty theft, specified arsenic pickpocketing and purse snatching, is common.
- Targeted Areas: Hotel lobbies, restaurants, and nationalist transportation.
- Gang-Related Violence: Areas specified arsenic Christiania and Nørrebro successful Copenhagen person seen incidents of pack unit related to nan supplier trade. Tourists are advised to debar these neighborhoods, particularly wherever forbidden activities are being conducted.
Terrorism Threat
- Terrorism Risk: The threat of coercion is moderate, pinch imaginable attacks connected nationalist areas specified arsenic proscription hubs and tourer sites.
- Public Vigilance: Always beryllium alert of your surroundings and return other precautions during nationalist events aliases celebrations.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Denmark
Like different Schengen countries, Denmark will enforce nan EES starting successful October 2025. Travelers will request to spell done automated biometric information registration upon arrival, and it’s important to beryllium alert of nan system’s requirements to debar delays.
Switzerland: Keep Personal Belongings Secure Amid Crime Risks
Switzerland’s recreation advisory urges Canadians to stay cautious of petty crime, particularly successful tourist-heavy areas specified arsenic Zurich, Geneva, and Basel.
Crime Risks
- Petty Crime: Pickpocketing and container snatching are communal successful engaged areas specified arsenic airports, railway stations, and tourer sites.
- Car Break-ins: Travelers should beryllium cautious astir leaving valuables successful vehicles, arsenic break-ins are communal astatine state stations and road work areas.
Terrorism Risk
- Terrorism Threat: Switzerland is not immune to nan threat of terrorism, and attacks successful Europe person prompted Swiss authorities to support vigilance. Public spaces specified arsenic restaurants, markets, and tourer attractions could beryllium imaginable targets.
The Entry/Exit System and Travel successful Switzerland
Switzerland, arsenic a Schengen member, will besides require travelers to acquisition biometric information postulation starting successful October 2025. The caller EES strategy will automatically cod facial images and fingerprints, which will beryllium stored successful a European-wide database for information and separator management.
The upcoming implementation of nan Entry/Exit System (EES) successful nan Schengen Area importantly alters nan measurement travelers from extracurricular nan European Union, including Canadians, will participate and exit these countries. This automated strategy will guarantee smoother separator power processes but requires travelers to supply biometric information for registration.
Canada has issued a caller recreation advisory for Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Switzerland, and more, urging heightened be aware this wintertime owed to nan preamble of nan Entry/Exit System (EES) connected October 12, 2025. The strategy will require biometric information postulation for non-Schengen travelers, affecting Canadians visiting these European destinations.
Alongside this awesome development, Canada has issued updated recreation advisories for respective European nations, including Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and Switzerland. These advisories impulse Canadian citizens to enactment vigilant against various risks specified arsenic petty crime, terrorism, and nationalist demonstrations. Being alert of these changes and preparing successful beforehand for biometric registration will thief guarantee safer and much seamless travels to these European destinations.