site.btaTraffic Builds Up on North Macedonia-Greece Border Routes as Summer Season Peaks

Local media in North Macedonia again reported increased traffic toward Greece on Wednesday. The summer holiday season, the traditional routes used by Serbian travellers heading to the Greek coast via North Macedonia, and the introduction of the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) are contributing to daily vehicle queues at the three North Macedonian border crossings with Greece.

Cars are currently waiting around 40 minutes at the Bogorodica-Evzonoi border crossing, located on the main Skopje-Athens motorway and the busiest crossing for travellers heading to Greece.

According to the North Macedonian Automobile Association, there are no significant delays at the country's other two border crossings with Greece: Medzitlija-Niki, near Bitola, which connects southwestern North Macedonia with Greece in the direction of Florina, and the Star Dojran-Dojrani crossing in the area of Lake Dojran.

During the summer season, North Macedonian media report daily on queues forming at the border crossings between the two countries. In 2026, particular attention has been paid to expected delays resulting from the introduction of the European Union's automated IT system, which registers the entry and exit of non-EU and non-Schengen nationals across the bloc's external borders. The system was introduced gradually from October 12, 2025, and became fully operational on April 10, 2026.

Aleksandar Senicic, director of Serbia's YUTA National Association of Travel Agencies, told the Tanjug news agency on Wednesday that although a strike by Greek customs officers on Monday had ended and no new strikes had been announced, major congestion was still expected at Serbia's border crossings with Bulgaria and North Macedonia as the summer season reaches its peak.

Senicic said the heaviest crowds at border crossings typically occur between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., when travellers are eager to reach their accommodation as quickly as possible. He therefore advised travellers to avoid these hours and, if possible, start their journey a day earlier or use alternative border crossings.

A week ago, the Serbian daily Blic reported that an increasing number of Serbian tourists traveling to Greece's Ionian coast were choosing an alternative route via the Medzitlija-Niki border crossing between North Macedonia and Greece.

The route is convenient for travellers from Serbia heading to Lefkada, Parga, Sivota, Preveza and other destinations in western Greece, as it often means shorter border waits and a more relaxed journey through the northwestern part of the country.

Meanwhile, the bilingual portal Far posted a drone video on its Facebook profile showing a kilometres-long queue of vehicles approaching the Gradina-Kalotina border crossing. On this section of the motorway leading to Bulgaria, Serbian authorities are stopping vehicles before they reach the tunnels. Serbian tourists, however, prefer this route when their final destination is Northern Greece, as after crossing the border with Bulgaria they enter the Schengen Area and should not undergo further border checks before reaching Greek territory.