Wereldreizigers.nl (World Travelers dot NL)The latest travel advice for Greece | Summer is right around the corner and Greece sounds like music to our ears! In this article we give you clear information about the corona rules in Greece, what you need to arrange in advance and what the most recent travel advice is.
Latest update: June 23, 2021
Tip: Because the travel advice is constantly changing, we advise everyone to check for the latest travel news our Facebook page to follow. Then you can always quickly see when important changes occur while on the road.
UPDATE June 23, 2021: The rest of Greece EXCEPT Athens will go YELLOW as of tomorrow June 24th ?. More information can be found in this news item.
Update June 17, 2021: The color code for the South Aegean Islands is now yellow. The color code for the rest of Greece is partly yellow and orange. Please note that there are entry restrictions to enter Greece. If you travel to the Netherlands from the North and South Aegean and the Ionian islands, you do not have to show a negative NAAT(PCR) test result upon return to the Netherlands, nor do you have to go into (home) quarantine. If you make a stopover in the capital Athens and you leave the airport, you should be tested. After a stay on the mainland of Greece or Crete, you must be tested before departure to the Netherlands and show a negative NAAT (PCR) test result and you will be urgently advised to quarantine for 10 days when you return home.
Table of contents
Travel restrictions in Europe
As indicated above, in this blog we take a closer look at Greece because this is a country you enter (with the necessary papers). We take you step by step through what you need to arrange before your trip. Realize that some preparation is really necessary these days. First of all, we start with the travel advice from the Dutch government.
Greece travel advice and color codes
The color code of Greece is partly yellow and orange. Are you traveling to Greece and have you been vaccinated? The Greek authorities accept the RIVM vaccination registration card (also in Dutch) upon arrival. Only after a stay on the North Aegean and the Ionian islands you do not have to quarantine in the Netherlands. There is also no testing obligation for return from the North Aegean and the Ionian Islands.
Tip: The most current travel advice for Greece from the Dutch government can be found on the website of netherlandsworldwide.nl
The North Aegean Islands
- Chios
- Ikaria
- Lesbos
- limnos
- Samos
The Ionian Islands
- Corfu
- Kefalonia
- Zakynthos
- Lefkas
- Ithaka
- paxic
- kythira
South Aegean Islands
If you make a stopover in Athens and you leave the airport, you must be tested. After a stay on Crete or in the rest of Greece, you must be tested before departure and you will be quarantined in the Netherlands
Coronavirus measures in Greece
The Greek government is taking measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Greece. The following measures have been put in place:
- There is a curfew from 00.30 am to 5 pm in the entire country (information in Greek).
- Restaurants and cafes are only allowed to serve outside.
- To travel by boat or plane from the mainland to the islands you must show one of the following documents:
- proof of vaccination (the second vaccination must be done at least 14 days before the trip)
- a negative PCR test or a rapid test (LAMP test or antigen rapid test)
- a document showing that you have had COVID-19
Countries from which access is allowed
The countries from which entry is permitted, under the above conditions, without the requirement of subsequent self-isolation, are: EU and Schengen Area countries (including The Netherlands), USA, UK, Israel, Serbia, UAE, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, Singapore, the Russian Federation, North Macedonia, Canada, Belarus, Bahrain, Qatar, China, Kuwait, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia.
border
You can be checked for symptoms at the border or at the airport, for example by thermal cameras or thermometer 'guns'. There are border controls at all borders of Greece.
Mandatory wearing of a mouth cap
The obligation to wear a face mask in all public areas, both indoors and outdoors, applies throughout Greece. You risk a fine of EUR 300 if you do not wear a face mask.
Health screening
Any traveler who arrives in Greece, regardless of the certificate in his possession, can undergo a random health screening. If you are selected, please note that the screening is mandatory. In case of refusal, the authorities reserve the right to refuse entry to the country.
Important clarification: entry of tourists into Greece is not subject to vaccination. Providing a vaccination certificate greatly facilitates the procedures on arrival. However, a vaccination or antibody certificate is in no way considered a “passport”.
Arrange in advance for a trip to Greece
Like most countries, Greece also expects you to be able to hand over a negative PCR test result or show proof of vaccination. You also have to register your trip in advance and you are expected to observe all local measures that Greece uses.
PCR test or rapid test (LAMP test or antigen rapid test)
From May 14, travelers arriving in Greece must have a negative PCR certificate from a testing laboratory for a Covid-19 test taken at least 72 hours before arrival. This test is mandatory for all tourists (including children older than 5 years), regardless of the epidemiological situation in the country of departure.
Rapid tests (LAMP test or antigen rapid test) are also allowed.
Vaccination Certificate
However, proof of a negative test is not required for all travelers who have completed their vaccination (ie 14 days have passed since the last vaccination, depending on the doses required) and are in possession of a vaccination certificate.
Acceptable vaccines include: Pfizer BioNtech, Moderna, Astra Zeneca/Oxford, Novavax, Johnson + Johnson/Janssen, Sinovac Biotech, Gamaleya (Sputnik), Cansino Biologics, Sinopharm.
Tested Positive / Cured from Covid-19 evidence
Proof of a negative PCR test is not required if the traveler has tested positive for COVID-2 in the past 9 to 19 months. This can be demonstrated by providing a positive molecular PCR or an antigen test result performed by an accredited laboratory or by a medical certificate confirming that the holder has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection.
Entry form – Passenger Locator Form (PLF) – PLF form
You are required a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) to fill in (information in English). It is recommended that you do this well in advance of your departure, but at the latest 24 hours before your arrival in Greece. The form must contain detailed information about your point of departure, the duration of your previous stays in other countries and your residence address in Greece. If you stay in more than one place, you are obliged to provide the address for the first 24 hours. It is necessary to complete this form as soon as possible to ensure that the data can be processed on time. You will receive a QR code needed to enter Greece. If you do not have this QR code, access will be denied.
Return journey and return to the Netherlands
After a stay on the North Aegean islands (including Chios, Ikaria, Lesvos, limnos and Samos) and the Ionian islands (including Corfu) in the Netherlands, you do not have to go into home quarantine. There is also no testing obligation for travelers from these areas.
To leave the Greek territory, both Greek nationals and permanent residents a PLF form to fill in.
No form is required for Dutch nationals who are temporarily in Greece (tourists, people who do not have a permanent / official residence in Greece) and who want to return to the Netherlands.
Negative COVID-19 test result and home quarantine in the Netherlands
Please note: for travelers from the South Aegean islands (including Andros, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kea – Kythnos, Kos, Mykonos, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Rodos, Syros, Santorini and Tinos) there are again stricter measures. These islands have been orange again since May 30, 2021.
After staying in orange area of Greece; so Crete and the South Aegean islands are also quarantined for 10 days in the Netherlands. On day 5 of your quarantine you can have yourself tested at the GGD. If this test is negative, the quarantine period ends. Do the Quarantine Reischeck so that you can see what you need to arrange if you want to re-enter the Netherlands from abroad and whether you have to quarantine.
If you travel to the Netherlands from the orange area in Greece, you are almost always obliged to be tested for COVID-19. If you are traveling from yellow area, and make a stopover in Athens and you are leaving the airport, you must be tested.
In most cases there are options to take a PCR and/or rapid test at the airport or at the border control (for a fee).
Return journey and return to Belgium
To leave the Greek territory, both Greek nationals and permanent residents a PLF form to fill in.
No form is required for Belgians who are temporarily in Greece (tourists, people who do not have a permanent / official residence in Greece) and who want to return to Belgium.
In Belgium, the FPS Public Health has placed a website dedicated to the coronavirus and the travel conditions online: www.info-coronavirus.be/nl. People traveling to or returning to Belgium will find on this site all useful information about the measures to be followed and the conditions to be observed before their departure and on arrival on Belgian territory.
In most cases there are options to take a PCR and/or rapid test at the airport or at the border control (for a fee).
Hi, we are flying to mykonos tomorrow with a neg pcr test. Then hop to 3 islands. I think we should test every time. can we buy a LAMP test or antigen rapid test at a pharmacy and what are the costs.