Data Last Updated: July 24, 2021
General Information
Greece has reopened its borders to foreign tourists from within the EU countries last June 2020. However, in December, authorities have required all visitors to quarantine for ten days in order to curb the rapid spread of the new Covid-19 variants.
On May 14, 2021, Greece has opened to travelers from within the EU and Schengen countries and some third-party countries with no need to quarantine. Travelers are required to present any of the following documents to be allowed entry:
A certificate proving that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19
Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result
Certificate proving recovery from the virus in the past nine months
Mask Requirement
Mask is required to be worn in all public indoor, public transport and certain outdoor areas where social distancing is not possible.
Internal Restrictions/Closures
Due to an increase in coronavirus disease infection rates, authorities in Greece will tighten the nation's restrictions from 0600 Oct. 24. A daily 0030-0500 curfew will be in place in all areas considered high-risk or designated as 'orange' (level 3) or 'red' (level 4) in Greece's four-tier system. Individuals performing essential work duties or seeking medical help are exempt from the curfew. In addition, protective face coverings will be mandatory in all outdoor public areas nationwide.
As of Oct. 23, the following areas are considered high-risk: Astoria and Attica, which are designated as red, and the orange-designated areas of Thessaloniki, Achaia, Zakynthos, Heraklion, Thira, Ioannina, Karditsa, Kea-Kythnos, Lesvos, Mykonos, Pella, Samos, Trikala, Boeotia, Larissa, and Serres.
All social and cultural events will be prohibited and open markets will close. Public and private gatherings of more than nine people from different households will be prohibited.
Enhanced social-distancing requirements will be imposed on restaurants, and facemasks will be obligatory in all indoor and outdoor public places.
All public gatherings are prohibited, except those with seated audiences, such as concerts and theatrical performances.
Authorities will tighten coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in the Attica Region which includes the city of Athens and the surrounding areas from Sept. 16-30. Protective face coverings will be required in all indoor public areas, crowded outdoor areas where social distancing is not possible, and workplaces. In addition, restaurants and cafes must limit table seatings to six people per table. Public gatherings remain limited to 50 people.
A mask or facial cover is mandatory in public transportation, taxis, elevators, hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers. Masks are recommended in supermarkets, hair salons and other enclosed spaces. Violators may be fined 150 Euros. Social distancing measures are in effect until further notice.
Tourism accommodations are available under specific hygiene protocols, Non-essential shops, Restaurants, Bars and cafes, Beaches and tourist areas, Museums and heritage sites and Personal care services are open under specific hygiene protocols.
Airlines & Transport
International flights are allowed into all airports in Greece. Restrictions apply on flights from non-EU countries. For the moment, flights are allowed from Australia, Georgia, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Canada, Morocco, New Zealand, South Korea, Rwanda, Uruguay, Thailand, Tunisia, China*.
Authorities have banned commercial, general aviation, and business flights between Greece and Turkey until Aug. 31; flights from Albania and North Macedonia will be restricted to landing only at Athens International Airport (ATH) until the same date.
No more than 750 people may enter the country per day via the Kakavia border crossing with Albania; persons entering via the Kakavia or Krystallopigi crossings with Albania face seven-days' quarantine.
Status of Opening to Tourists
Information based on tourists place of residence being in that country for the last 14 days
Select Country of Residence
Open to Tourists From:
61 Countries
Albania
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Not Allowing Tourists From:
183 Countries
Afghanistan
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cuba
Curaçao
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jersey
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Monaco
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Puerto Rico
Republic of Congo
Réunion
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos
Tuvalu
U.S. Virgin Islands
Uganda
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
More Details
Greece Has Reopened Its Borders To Foreign Visitors
Greece has officially reopened its borders to some foreign visitors since July 2020. However, after experiencing a surge of Covid-19 cases early this year, the country has to impose strict measures, requiring visitors to undergo testing or quarantine, depending on which country they came from.
Tourism accounts for about a quarter of Greece’s economy. Thus, Greek authorities would like to invite visitors back into the country while ensuring the safety of everybody.
Greece continues to allow the entry of tourists while keeping in place some strict entry restrictions due to the pandemic situation. If you are planning to travel to Greece soon, here's everything you need to know.
Which Countries Can Travel to Greece?
Since May 14, 2021, Greece has opened its borders to travelers coming from several countries around the world who wish to visit the country as tourists. Authorities are hoping to revive the country's travel and tourism sector that has been badly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Travelers coming from within the European Union and Schengen Area countries can enter with no restrictions. Aside from all EU/Schengen countries, Greece is also allowing restriction-free entry for travelers from third countries that have recently reported low cases of Covid-19 infections.
Here's a list of countries whose citizens and residents can enter Greece restriction-free:
- All EU/Schengen Area countries
- Albania
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrein
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Canada
- China
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Ukraine
Travelers coming from any other country outside the EU/Schengen Area or any third country that was not on the list above will not be allowed to enter Greece as tourists at the moment.
For travelers coming from Russia, they are required to present a negative result of a Covid-19 PCR test taken up to 72 hours before arrival into the country, or a negative antigen test that was taken up to 48 hours before arrival, regardless if they have been vaccinated or not.
Greek authorities have also announced that all arrivals from Montenegro should present both a vaccination certificate and a negative Covid-19 test result, taken no longer than 72 hours before arrival.
Travelers from the United States are now allowed to enter Greece as tourists after they have been banned for more than a year. They will be subject to the same requirements as citizens of the other third-countries that are permitted entry.
What Are the Restrictions for Visiting Greece?
Before entry into Greece, all travelers are required to fill in the Passenger Locator Form, at least a day before their arrival into the country. The form requires passengers to submit detailed information on their departure location, duration of stays in other countries, and other important details. This form can also be found on the Visit Greece app and at travel.gov.gr. It is also recommended that all travelers download the Visit Greece app (GDPR compliant) prior to their arrival in Greece.
All travelers coming from countries listed above will be allowed entry into the country if they provide any of the following documents:
- A certificate proving that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 - It should at least be 14 days since the second dose of the vaccine was taken in order to be allowed entry into the country. The vaccines that Greek authorities will accept are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac Biotech, Sputnik V, Cansino Biologics, and Sinopharm. The vaccination certificate should indicate the traveler’s name, the type of vaccine that has been administered, the number of vaccine doses injected, as well as the date of administration.
- Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result - the test must not be older than 72 hours when entering Greece. Kids under the age of six do not need to undergo testing.
- Certificate proving recovery from the virus in the past nine months - the recovery certificate must be issued by a public authority or any certified lab. Travelers can also submit a positive PCR test result, taken at least two months before entry and no later than nine months before arrival into the country.
All of the documents mentioned above should contain key identification information including the full name of the passenger, which should match with what's on the passport and other recognized travel document.
Travelers can also submit a Digital COVID-19 Passport in order to be permitted entry to the country, either in electronic or paper form.
Regardless of the certificate that the traveler will present upon arrival, they will be subject to random health screening through a targeted sampling system. If chosen, the traveler must undergo a rapid antigen test. Anyone who refuses to cooperate will be denied entry into the country. Those who test positive will be asked to quarantine at designated hotels and will further undergo health checks while in isolation. They must stay isolated for at least ten days. All expenses will be covered by Greek authorities.
What’s Open in Greece?
Archaeological sites in Greece will be operating on extended summer hours, from 8 AM to 8 PM, to prevent overcrowding. To maintain social distancing, only a limited number of visitors will be allowed to enter at every site. There are demarcations at the entrances and exits and Plexiglas screens are installed at some sites, such as in Propylaea on the Acropolis. All visitors are required to wear protective masks, and carrying of alcohol-based sanitizers onsite is highly encouraged.
Beaches are open as well, but only 40 people will be allowed in every 1,000 square meters. An entrance/exit count is being carried out to ensure that this measure is being followed. Umbrellas must be four meters away from each other and each umbrella can only provide shade for a maximum of two loungers. But this rule will not apply to families with kids.
Beach bars can serve food items and beverages in a package and take-away services are highly encouraged. Alcohol can be sold but must not be served to customers inside the bar to prevent the gathering of large crowd.
When shopping in Greece, you may have to wait a few minutes before you enter the shops. Smaller shops that are about 20 square meters in size must only accommodate 4 people at a time. Bigger stores that are more than 100 square meters can welcome up to 12 shoppers at a time. Employees and customers should maintain a distance of at least 1.5 meters away from each other while inside the store premises. There are also markings on the floor to maintain safe distances when queuing.
All establishments have information signs that will remind people to follow safety measures and hygiene rules. Customers are encouraged to pay electronically and there are sanitizer gels beside every cash register.
Indoor and outdoor seating areas are now permitted at all restaurants across the country. Servers are wearing facemasks and a minimum distance of 70cm to 170cm is maintained in every table. However, these restrictions will not apply to families with kids.
The airport has hand sanitizer dispensers all over the place. Plexiglas panels were installed for added protection on areas where employee interaction is necessary, such as in the information counters and ticket desks.
Check out Greece for more detailed restriction/reopening information from our live map.
Sources: greece-is.com
https://www.discovergreece.com/covid19-advice-for-travellers-greece
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Information for Non-Tourists
Freight transporters, diplomats, students enrolled at Greek universities, seasonal workers, healthcare workers, and passengers in transit are allowed entry regardless of nationality.
All passengers arriving from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates must provide proof of having tested negative for COVID-19 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival; this measure is due to increased disease activity in those countries.
Other travelers entering Greece are not automatically subject to a mandatory quarantine period; however, they could be required to complete a detailed declaration providing their contact details, country of origin, and travel history over the previous 15 days, among other information.
Authorities conduct targeted COVID-19 testing of arriving travelers based on information provided in the declarations; persons testing positive for the virus could be required to quarantine for 14 days in government-provided accommodations.
625,083
Cases14,354
Deaths60,327
Cases Per Million
Graph of COVID-19 Cases In Last 30 Days
For Greece