Allowed Travel to Greece 2020
For current info see Allowed Travel List 2021
Important travel links:
Passenger Locator Form used by Greek gov for admittance during visit.
Protocol for Arrivals in Greece - Hellenic Republic Government page in English.
For more general visiting Greece info, visit the Visiting Greece page
Archived news and information of 2020
December 9, 2020
• Travel into Greece between December 18 and January 7 entails meeting new requirements.
• A negative coronavirus test 72 hours before travel (see this list of labs that are approved by the Greek government for the tests)
• Passenger Locator Form
• Passengers from the UK will have to self-isolate
More details at Hertfordshire Mercury [English]
Countries allowed entry to Greece
Allowed travel to Greece - list updated December 30, 2020. People from countries not listed (for example the United States) are not allowed entry except under special conditions.
All Schengen Zone countries allowed: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Additional countries allowed entry: Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
All visitors from these countries must obey the quarantine rules which are set to be ended or extended on January 7, 2021.
Those coming from UK must quarantine for 10 days.
A QR code on paperwork is given by officials during entry that will indicate if you must quarantine for a particular time limit
Masks are mandatory in public whether outside or inside.
November 30, 2020
Extension of only essential travel on domestic flights allowed in Greece
through 6am on December 7.
International travel restrictions continue until December 14.
Still no flights for American citizens (and all non EU citizens) into Greece to visit (exception for repatriation of Greek citizens and for special categories of "essential" travel). Countries that are exempt from the block are: Singapore, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates.
Russia is allowed 500 visitors a week into Greece
Israel is allowed 10,000 visitors a week into Greece
Much more detail is available in the English language article at GTP Greece
Important Links:
List of Embassies in Athens Greece
US Embassy COVID19 page covering travel to Greece Scroll down and review the "Entry and Exit Requirements"
Greece pandemic metrics at Statistics.gr [English] and Greek language Statistics
Older News Information of 2020
November 8, 2020
With new pandemic lockdowns happening in Greece, rules for air travel have changed:
New rules from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are in action from Monday, November 9, 2020 at 6:00 AM until Monday, November 30, 2020.
Domestic flights (meaning passenger service, general aviation and commercial flights) are limited to essential travel only (that is, travel for health issues, for specific business purposes, or approved family travel such as family reunification. Flights for return to permanent residence are also allowed.
Technical landing flights in which passengers do not disembark will continue, also military and other internal function flights of the Hellenic state. For about this see this November 8 article at Cyclades24
October 27, 2020
Flights from Singapore now allowed - other countries blocked - details at Poandpo [English]
The tiered regional pandemic system means restrictions are more severe in some areas versus others. This October 27 UK Sun article describes the differences and implications for visitors.
Currently, Brits can travel to all of Greece as the islands and the mainland were removed from the quarantine list in recent weeks.This means no quarantine restrictions on arrival or back in the UK.
October 4, 2020
Passengers of flights from Bulgaria, Romania, UAE, Malta, Belgium, Spain, Albania, North Macedonia and Hungary (as of September 16, 2020 until October 12, 2020) from Czech Republic (as of September 28, 2020) and Poland (as of October 3, 2020) to Greece will be required to have a negative molecular test result (PCR) for COVID-19, performed up to 72 hours before their entry to Greece. [Source: Travel.gov.gr]
New restrictions imposed for Attika: (1) Concerts and cinema presentations in enclosed areas are stopped; (2) General business curfew, with certain exceptions (see detailed list at Eleftherostypos, in Greek), between midnight and 5 AM; (3) Compulsory telework for large numbers of people – see the Eleftherostypos link for details. [Source: Free Press]
The UK FCDO [The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development office] advise against all but essential travel to the islands of Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos. Travel guidance to the other areas of Greece remain the same. [Source: UK Gov web site adn at UK Express]
Beginning Aug 31 Negative COVID19 tests required for entry from these countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Sweden, Spain, Albania, North Macedonia and the United Arab Emirates. [Source: MSN News]
Test not required for Netherlands.
Mandatory face masks at all times for islands of Zakynthos /Zante and Lesbos [Source: GTP Tourism Pages]
Zakynthos /Zante and Lesbos ban on all festivities, nine person limit for all public and private gatherings, and Mandatory mask wearing in closed and open spaces. [Source: eKathimerini]
Flights banned from Spain's Catalonia coast and from Barcelona [Source: Reuters]
NOTE: The news announcements below are not updated but accurate to the dates originally made public. Newer information always at the top.
Aug 17, 2020
Beginning Aug 17 curfews are active around Attika for bars and restaurants from MIDNIGHT to 7 AM. Cinemas, restaurants and theaters have a maximum patron limit of 50 persons. Other areas included in this rule-keeping are Crete, East Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Larissa, Corfu, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Volos, Katerini, Rhodes, Antiparos, Zakynthos and Kos. [Source: Imerazante]
Aug 11, 2020
Beginning Aug 17 the rules for entry into Greece means you must present a negative molecular test for COVID19 performed within 72 hours for those coming from Sweden, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. [Source: Iefimerida]
August 1, 2020
All Schengen Zone countries allowed: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
Also Allowed travel: Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates
Entrance with a negative viral test check required: Bulgaria, Romania and the United Arab Emirates
Blocked travel: No air traffic with Turkey, Albania and Northern Macedonia
Also Blocked: non-European citizens until August 14
July 31, 2020
Air travel block from non-EU countries extended, new rules
12 countries excluded from the block list - details at Skai [Greek]
July 26, 2020
Certification required for incoming passengers from Romania and Bulgaria
Greece announced that travellers arriving by plane from Romania and Bulgaria from Tuesday will only be allowed to board their flight if they have a test certificate showing they tested negative for coronavirus 72 hours before getting on the plane.
Story at Financial Times [English]
July 25, 2020
Israel flights to Greece restarting
Story at National News [English]
July 16, 2020
UK lifts blanket non-essential travel ban
Details on new guidelines at The Scotsman [English]
July 1 Travel rules:
All Schengen Zone countries allowed: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
Also allowed travel from: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.
Blocked travel thru July 15: Russia, Brazil and Turkey, and United States
Greece mandates Covid-19 tests for arrivals from a range of EU countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, with self-isolation until results are known.
Italy has continued a block for all countries except those within the Schengen zone.
The Czech Republic is blocking visitors from Portugal and Sweden.
Sources: eKathimerini, Reuters, Yahoo News
July 1, 2020
18 regional airports in Greece have reopened
Seven of 14 border crossings are again open - source: eKathimerini
June 15 reopenings
The list of business and activity types now reopened
June 15 Airports
Only airports in Athens (Eleftherios Venizelos) and Thessaloniki (Macedonia) are accepting flights from outside of the country.
June 15, 2020 - the businesses allowed to reopen today as restrictions across Greece are revamped:
- Museums
- Historic sites and buildings of similar activity
- Vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities
- Visitation and support services for people with disabilities
- Fitness facilities
- Leisure park activities and theme parks
- Entertainment and leisure activities
- Physical well-being service businesses
- Bathroom services
- The services of therapeutic baths and thermal springs such as sauna, spa and steam bath services
June 12, 2020
U.S. citizens are permitted entry to Greece beginning June 15, but you may be subject to COVID-19 testing and quarantine depending on where your travel originated. Details at US Embassy, Athens
June 2, 2020
USA to Greece Entry/Exit Requirements [see complete info at USA Embassy in Greece]
Through June 14: Non-EU citizens are banned from entering Greece for non-essential travel/tourism
June 15 – June 30: U.S. citizens are permitted to enter Greece subject to COVID-19 testing and quarantine restrictions.
May 28, 2020
Know the rules: The A-Z for tourism in Greece in the Covid-19 era - at eKathimerini [in English]
May 22, 2020
Allowed tourism list: Cyprus, Israel, China, Japan, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic.
The tourism "black list": United States, Britain, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Allowed Travel List 2021
Greece's Golden Visa program
