Travel Regulations Currently in Place – Updated Regularly
Here are the key Greek regulations currently in place, concerning travel restrictions, lockdown and public safety.
Internal Restrictions
The country’s lockdown ended on 4 May. It is now possible for people to leave their homes without the need for permission.
The wearing of masks is now mandatory in public transit, taxis, elevators and healthcare facilities.
The state also strongly recommends the use of a mask in all areas but it is not mandatory.
The violation of restrictions is punishable by fines of between 150 and 5000 Euros.
Schools, universities and other educational facilities were closed nationwide until 11 May. The majority of stores, including retailers and hairdressers, reopened on 4 May, and the remaining businesses on 11 May.
Another wave of relaxation measures will come from 18 May when most school classes are due to reopen, together with shopping centers.
Cafes and restaurants re-opened on May 25th. Each cafe/bar/restaurant/tavern/beach bar will have a maximum number of tables, smaller than what it used to have, depending on total surface and respecting distances between each table.
Guidelines for International Travelers
From June 1, domestic tourism gradually resumed. Hotels that operate year-round opened on June 1st, as well as campsites. As of May 25 the final restrictions on domestic travel to the islands have been lifted, allowing free movement around the country, with ferry routes and domestic flights gradually resuming.
The Greek government has announced that the international tourism period will begin on June 15 in Greece, when seasonal hotels will be allowed to open their doors again. Restrictions on international air travel will be eased allowing tourists to land from abroad at Athens International Airport and Thessaloniki Airport from that date.
Direct international flights to tourist destinations in Greece will gradually resume from July 1.
The reopening of Greece to international tourism will only apply to countries that meet certain epidemiological criteria with regards to COVID-19 – meaning countries where the spread of the coronavirus has been contained to low levels.
On May 29 the Greek government announced its list of 29 countries from which tourists will be able to travel to Greece without special restrictions beginning June 15.
These are: Albania, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea and Switzerland.
For all other countries, travel restrictions will continue to apply after June 15, however the list will be updated and expanded as of July 1. It should be noted that the current restrictions relate to where flights originate from and not to individual travelers’ nationalities.
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According to the latest guidance from the Ministry of Tourism, after June 15, restrictions will only apply to flights from hubs included in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) “black list” of airports located in areas of high risk of transmission of COVID-19. The list is updated continuously and is available here. Travelers will still be able to arrive from those airports, but will undergo mandatory tests and quarantine of 7-14 days (depending on the outcome of the test).
One “quarantine hotel” will operate on every tourism destination in Greece, where tourists who are found to be Covid-19 carriers will be transported. The hotels will be leased to the ministry.
All Greek accommodation units will be obliged to have a contract with a doctor, who will determine, either in person or remotely (telemedicine), whether a tourist should be tested for the coronavirus. All Covid-19 tests will be performed within 6 hours at the latest so that anyone who is tested to be positive can be transferred to a “quarantine hotel”.
All sunbeds will have a distance between them and also a disposable cover for each beach visitor.
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Health Protocols for Flights
There will be no empty seats on flights to, from and within Greece. The passenger capacity of all airplanes will be full in order to support airline companies. Travellers are expected to wear a mask at all times, before boarding and during the flight.
Only packaged snacks will be served to passengers on flights with a duration of up to four hours.
Upon their departure from Greece, tourists will not be tested in order for them to avoid being quarantined in Greece.
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Feel free to revisit, as this article is updated regularly.
