🇬🇷Greece

How your entry route is decided

Greece has been a full Schengen member since 2000, so nationality decides your regime, in this order:

1. EU / EEA / Swiss citizens travel under freedom of movement. No visa, and no passport either - a valid national identity card is enough to enter.
2. Visa-exempt third-country nationals (for example the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea) enter without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least 3 months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area. Airlines commonly enforce a stricter 6-month rule at check-in, so treat 6 months as the practical minimum.
3. Visa-required third-country nationals (for example China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia) must obtain a Schengen type C sticker visa from a Greek mission or an authorised visa centre before departure. Travel health insurance covering at least EUR 30,000 is part of the application.

There is one Greek-only exception worth knowing: the seasonal Gate Visa scheme lets visa-required nationals travelling from Turkey visit selected Aegean islands for up to 7 days, with documents lodged in advance through certified ferry operators.

Entry formalities that apply to everyone

No health declaration of any kind - the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) was permanently withdrawn.

1. EES biometric registration: Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at Greek air, land and sea borders. It replaced passport stamping with an electronic record of your face and fingerprints, captured at your first crossing, and it detects overstays automatically. The optional EU Travel to Europe app lets you enter your details up to 72 hours before departure, which shortens the stop at the desk but does not skip it.
2. ETIAS: Once it launches, visa-exempt third-country nationals will need an approved authorisation before boarding, applied for at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias for EUR 20 and valid 3 years or until the passport expires. As of August 2026 no launch date has been announced and applications are not open, so any site selling one today is a scam.
3. Customs limits arriving from outside the EU: cash of EUR 10,000 or more must be declared in writing; 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco; 1 litre of spirits above 22% ABV or 2 litres of intermediate products, plus 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
4. Accommodation reporting: Hotels and licensed rentals are obliged to report foreign guests to the tax authority (AADE), which is why reception asks every guest for a passport or ID at check-in.

What actually matters in practice

• Budget an extra hour for a same-day domestic or ferry connection. Since the biometric switch-on in April 2026, travellers on r/travel report noticeably longer waits at the third-country desks at Athens and the island airports, particularly on summer mornings when several long-haul arrivals land together.
• Border officers do spot-check the Schengen entry conditions. On a third-country passport, be ready to show a return ticket, a confirmed booking for your first nights, and evidence of funds - the benchmark applied is roughly EUR 50 per person per day of the planned stay.

• Between EU countries there is no duty-free limit. Goods bought tax-paid in another member state travel with you; customs may only ask what a very large quantity is for, against indicative figures of 800 cigarettes and 10 litres of spirits.
• The tobacco allowance is the lower one for land and sea arrivals: 40 cigarettes rather than 200. The rest of the allowance is the EU standard - 1 litre of spirits over 22 % (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine), 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
• Other goods are capped by value - EUR 430 arriving by air or sea, EUR 300 by land - and the allowance cannot be pooled between travellers for a single item.
• Cash of EUR 10,000 or more must be declared, counting notes, coins, cheques and prepaid cards together. The money is seized for not declaring it, not for carrying it.
• Ferries from Turkey to the eastern islands are external arrivals and are checked as such, at the lower tobacco limit.

Health, insurance and where to be treated

• Vaccinations: None required for entry. In summer, use mosquito repellent - West Nile virus circulates in northern Greece most years.
• Tap water: Safe on the mainland, including Athens and Thessaloniki. On many islands - Santorini, Mykonos and the smaller Cyclades - supply is desalinated or brackish: fine for washing, but buy bottled water to drink.
• Pharmacies: Marked with a green cross (farmakeio). Out of hours a duty rota operates; the on-call list is posted in the window and available on 14944.
• EU citizens: A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to necessary treatment in state hospitals on the same terms as residents.
• Private hospitals used by foreign patients:
• Athens: Hygeia Hospital, Erythrou Stavrou 4, Marousi, +30 210 686 7000; Metropolitan Hospital, Ethnarchou Makariou 9, Neo Faliro, +30 210 480 9000; Athens Euroclinic, Athanasiadou 9, +30 210 641 6600.
• Thessaloniki: European Interbalkan Medical Center, Asklipiou 10, Pylaia, +30 231 040 0000.
• Travel insurance: Compulsory for Schengen visa applicants with a minimum of EUR 30,000 of medical cover, and strongly advised for everyone else - the public system runs hot in high season and the islands often mean an air transfer to Athens.

Where to stay for your first nights in Athens

• Plaka / Monastiraki: Directly below the Acropolis, largely pedestrianised and dense with restaurants. The obvious choice on a first visit. EUR 100-250 a night.
• Syntagma: The transport and administrative centre, with the X95 airport bus and metro line 3 on the doorstep. Best if you are staying one night or leaving early. EUR 110-300 a night.
• Koukaki: Quieter, full of cafés and boutique apartments, still walkable to the centre. EUR 70-160 a night.
• Psyrri: Nightlife and old workshops. EUR 65-150 a night.
• Where to be careful after dark: Around Omonia square, Victoria square and parts of Exarcheia, where street crime is more common at night.

The Climate Crisis Resilience Fee

This is charged per room per night and is not in the price you booked. Law 5073/2023 replaced the old hotel tax with the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee, and it is not included on Booking.com or Airbnb - you pay it at the property, at check-in or check-out.

High season, 1 April to 31 October:

• 1-2 star hotel: EUR 2.00 a night
• 3 star hotel: EUR 5.00 a night
• 4 star hotel: EUR 10.00 a night
• 5 star hotel and luxury villas: EUR 15.00 a night
• Short-term rental or Airbnb under 80 m²: EUR 8.00 a night
• Short-term rental or villa of 80 m² or more: EUR 15.00 a night

Low season, 1 November to 31 March, the rates fall by roughly two thirds - a 3-star room drops to EUR 1.50, a 4-star to EUR 3.00 and a 5-star to EUR 4.00.

• Reception asks every guest for a passport or ID - the property is legally required to report foreign guests.
• Check-in is normally from 15:00, check-out by 11:00.

What to buy as soon as you land

Greek law allows no anonymous prepaid SIMs. Every card sold by a local operator is registered against a valid passport or EU identity card, the seller photographs or copies the document on the spot, and you must be 18 or over.

That single rule decides it for most people:

• Want data the moment the aircraft doors open, to call a ride or navigate to your accommodation? Install an international eSIM before you fly - no registration involved.
• Want a Greek number for calls, or the very large data allowances? Buy a physical card in an operator's shop in town.

Comparison table

Prices are the summer 2026 offers. Greek operators discount heavily in the tourist season, and the same package can cost noticeably more in winter.

Where exactly to buy

• At Athens airport, the SIM LOCAL desk on the arrivals level is the only real option, typically open 06:00 to 22:00 in summer. It stocks one Vodafone travel pass at EUR 35, roughly triple what the same operator charges in town.
• In central Athens, the operator shops sit along Ermou street and around Syntagma square - Cosmote, Germanos (Cosmote's authorised retailer), Vodafone and Nova.
• Street promoters are legitimate - travellers on r/greece report uniformed sellers in the centre who register and sell cards on the pavement, and top-up vouchers are sold at any street kiosk (periptero).

Short verdict

• One or two weeks in summer: walk past the airport desk. Buy an unlimited 30-day package from Vodafone CU or Nova for about EUR 11 once you are in town - several times the data for a third of the airport price.
• Need connectivity before you clear the terminal? Put a small Saily eSIM on the phone before departure, from USD 4.49 for 1 GB, and treat it as the bridge to the shop.

Sockets in Greece are Type C and F at 230 V, 50 Hz - the same round Schuko outlet as Germany and Italy.

• A Europlug fits everything. Chargers need no adapter anywhere in the country.
• British, American and Australian plugs need an adapter, sold in every supermarket and periptero for a euro or two.
• Older island buildings often have unearthed sockets, and some of the smaller islands still run part of the day on generators, where the supply sags under load.
• 230 V, so only American 120 V-only equipment needs a converter.
• Neighbouring countries match. Bulgaria, Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia all use the same Schuko socket, so one adapter covers an overland trip through the region. Cyprus does not - it is British Type G.

Local rules and cultural differences

• Churches and monasteries: Dress codes are enforced, not suggested. Men need long trousers; women need covered shoulders and a skirt below the knee. Many monasteries keep wraps at the door.
• Drones: Regulated by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. Flying over archaeological sites, near airports, over crowds or over military installations is banned and fined heavily. A camera drone requires operator registration.
• Photography: Never photograph military installations, border infrastructure or naval vessels. It can lead to detention and confiscation of the equipment.
• Beaches: Nudism is legal only on officially designated beaches. Drinking alcohol in public is not banned outright, but disorder and night-time noise are policed.

Everyday practicalities

• Power sockets: Types C and F, 230 V, 50 Hz - the standard two-pin European plug.
• Time zone: EET (UTC+2), EEST (UTC+3) in summer - an hour ahead of central Europe.
• Toilet paper goes in the bin: Historic drainage in much of Greece uses narrow pipes that block easily. Every bathroom has a bin beside the toilet and it is there for paper. This is the single most common visitor mistake.
• Opening hours: Traditional shops split the day - roughly 09:00 to 15:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and 09:00 to 14:30 plus 17:30 to 21:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Supermarkets and tourist-area shops run straight through, 08:00 to 21:00. Most ordinary shops close on Sunday.
• Meals run late: Lunch is 14:00 to 16:00 and dinner rarely starts before 21:00. A taverna that is empty at 19:30 is not a bad taverna.
• Wi-Fi: Free at Athens airport, on the metro and in most cafés and restaurants.

Money and paying for things

Greece uses the euro (EUR).

• ATM withdrawals: Since 15 August 2025 the four major Greek commercial banks - Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece and Eurobank - have charged no local fee for withdrawals on foreign cards at their own machines. Whatever you pay is your own bank's charge. These are the machines to look for.
• ATMs to avoid: The independent Euronet machines stationed at airports, ports and on tourist streets charge a direct fee of EUR 4 to EUR 12 per withdrawal and steer hard towards a poor conversion. They are deliberately sited where a bank branch is not.
• The DCC trap (dynamic currency conversion): At a cash machine or a card terminal, any offer to settle in your own currency carries a markup of 8% to 13% against the interbank rate. Always decline and choose to be charged in EUR. On a Euronet screen the "continue without conversion" option is the small, unhighlighted one.
• Cards versus cash: Greek law obliges nearly every business - including taxis and traditional tavernas - to accept cards, and Visa and Mastercard are taken everywhere. American Express and Diners are often refused. Carry EUR 50 to EUR 100 in cash anyway for village markets, small kiosks and island stalls.
• Tipping: Not obligatory. Rounding up, or 5% to 10% for good service in a restaurant, is normal and cash is preferred.

Athens has one integrated fare, and the airport is deliberately outside it.

• Athens: Metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams share one integrated OASA fare. A 90-minute ticket costs EUR 1.20 and allows transfers; a 24-hour ticket is EUR 4.10 and a 5-day ticket EUR 8.20. None of these are valid on the airport services, which are priced separately at EUR 9 (metro) and EUR 5.50 (express bus).
• Paying: You can still buy a paper ATH.ENA Ticket or a plastic ATH.ENA Card from the machines at metro and tram stations, but the simpler route is Tap2Ride - tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the yellow reader. Daily spending caps at EUR 4.10, so from the fourth journey onwards the day is free. Validate on the yellow reader at every boarding, buses included; inspectors are active and the fine is many times the fare.
• The 3-day tourist ticket at EUR 20 is the exception that does include the airport - one journey in and one out - and it pays for itself only if you would otherwise buy both airport tickets.
• Thessaloniki opened its metro in 2024; it uses its own contactless ticketing, and city buses are run by OASTH.
• Ferries: Book ahead in July and August. Sailings are cancelled outright when the summer meltemi wind gets up, so leave a buffer day before an international flight home.

• OASA Telematics - https://www.oasa.gr - Official Athens transport app with live bus and trolley arrivals.
• FreeNow - https://www.free-now.com/gr/ - Calls a licensed taxi and pays by card.
• Uber - https://www.uber.com/ - Dispatches licensed yellow taxis in Athens; there is no cheaper tier in Greece.
• Bolt - https://bolt.eu/ - Ride-hailing and e-scooters.
• ATH.ENA Card portal - https://www.athenacard.gr - The Athens electronic fare system.
• Travel to Europe - https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/Travel-to-Europe-mobile-app - Official EU app for entering your EES details up to 72 hours before departure.
• Moovit / Google Maps - Route planning across metro, bus and tram.

Frequent toll booths on the mainland motorways, none at all on the islands.

• Tolls are collected at plazas rather than on exit, so a long drive means several stops with cash or card at each.
• The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.2 g/l for new and professional drivers.
• Island roads are the reason to hire a car and the reason to take a small one. Village streets on Crete, Naxos or Rhodes are narrower than any hire category suggests.
• Motorway speed is 130 km/h, and the mountain sections of the A1 and E65 carry lower posted limits that are camera-enforced.
• Fuel is expensive by regional standards and rural stations close early on Sundays.

Safety and the most common scams

Greece has a low rate of violent crime. Within your first 48 hours the realistic risks are property crime and tourist-priced dishonesty.

• Pickpocketing: Most common on metro line 3 from the airport - luggage marks you out - and at the Syntagma, Monastiraki and Omonia interchanges. Groups work the doors, manufacturing a crush as people board and alight.
• Taxi drivers who ignore the flat fare: Touts approach arriving passengers away from the official rank, then refuse the meter or the regulated airport rate. Use the rank at Exit 3 and hold to EUR 40 by day, EUR 55 at night.
• Euronet ATM screens: Independent machines use a deliberately confusing interface to push dynamic currency conversion at up to a 13% markup. Decline conversion and use a Greek bank's machine instead.
• The friendship bracelet and the flower: Around the Acropolis and Syntagma, a seller ties a bracelet on your wrist or presses a flower into your hand, then demands payment loudly. Do not take the object; keep your hands down and keep walking.
• Wildfires, July and August: The risk is high and the response is organised. Civil protection sends 112 emergency alerts in English to every phone in the affected area, and the instructions in them are legally binding. If you get one telling you to leave, leave - do not wait for your accommodation to confirm it.

Emergency numbers

• 112 - the single European emergency number, multilingual, free from any phone including one with no SIM
• 100 - Police (Elliniki Astynomia)
• 166 - Ambulance (EKAV)
• 199 - Fire service
• 1571 - Tourist police, a dedicated unit for foreign visitors
• 108 - Coast guard
• 14944 - On-call pharmacies and duty hospitals

112 is also the channel civil protection uses to push wildfire and severe-weather alerts to every phone in an area, in Greek and English. Those messages are instructions, not advisories.

EU citizens are entitled to necessary care with an EHIC. Schengen visa holders must carry insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover.