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Greece Updates Travel Rules, Allows Entry to Digital COVID Certificate Holders

Travel and COVID-19 coronavirus in Greece, Europe. COVID mark in tourist passport on map with Athens. Tourism hit by corona virus. Medical test at border control due to coronavirus pandemic.

Photo: Shutterstock

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Sunday announced that all aviation directives concerning arrivals from abroad have been updated and extended.

With regard to updates and additions to the rules, the HCAA informed:

  • Travelers from abroad may also now enter Greece if they have a Digital COVID Certificate which contains information on whether they have either:

a. been vaccinated against Covid-19
b. have a negative PCR test result
c. have recovered from Covid-19.

The certificate can be in digital or print form.

It is noted that the Digital COVID Certificate is not mandatory. Travelers may still enter the country as before (see Entry Requirements below) with either a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test or a recovery certificate.

  • Permanent residents from Montenegro will be allowed to enter the country from June 7 with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate and a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before travel.
  • The Covid-19 PCR testing requirement for entry in the country will be in force for children aged 6 and above (it was previously mandatory for children over 5) in accordance with the recommendations of the European Union and the rules of IATA.
  • The mandatory quarantine time for a traveler who tests positive for Covid-19 after taking a rapid test upon arrival in Greece has been reduced to 7 days for the vaccinated and to 10 days for the unvaccinated. (Mandatory quarantine time was previously 14 days for all.)
Athens, Greece - July 2020: People wearing masks for COVID-19 in eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens, Greece.

Photo: Shutterstock

Following are the updated HCAA’s aviation directives (NOTAMs) in detail, which will be in force until Monday, June 14, at 6am:

Who is allowed entry to Greece

People traveling for essential reasons and travelers from the following countries* are allowed to enter Greece – provided they have the required documentation – without the requirement for subsequent self-isolation: EU & Schengen Area countries, Australia, Northern Macedonia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Belarus, Bahrain, New Zealand, South Korea, Qatar, China, Kuwait, Ukraine, Rwanda, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro (just added).

* Regulations concerning countries on the admission list are subject to change by the Greek authorities, when renewed assessments are made based on epidemiological data from country of origin.

Entry requirements

Greece will allow entrance to travelers that have filled out the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) one day before travel. The PLF is mandatory and must be filled out by all travelers, regardless of their nationality.

Passengers from abroad must also have one of the following:

1. a vaccination certificate, stating that 14 days have passed since full vaccination for Covid-19. Vaccination certificates must be issued by a public authority and in one of the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian. The name on the vaccination certificate must match the name on the passport and also include, the type of vaccine administered, the number of doses and the dates they were administered. Acceptable vaccines are: Pfizer BioNtech, Moderna, Astra Zeneca/Oxford and, Johnson + Johnson/Janssen.

2. a negative PCR test (in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian) performed less than 72 hours. (The rule is in force for children over the age of 6.)

3. a recovery certificate (in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian) stating that one has recovered from the coronavirus in the past 9 months. This can be proven through a certificate of recovery issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory. (The rule is in force for children over the age of 6.)

4. a Digital COVID Certificate in digital or print form which will contain information on whether passengers have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a negative PCR test result or have recovered from the virus.

Non-EU citizens are strongly advised to choose direct flights to Greece. In any other case, travelers should abide by the stop-over country requirements.

Rapid testing on arrival

Every traveler who arrives in Greece, regardless of the certificate in their possession, may undergo a random health screening (depending on the data provided on the PLF forms). If a passenger is selected for a rapid test and is positive for the coronavirus then he/she must quarantine for a total of:

– 7 days if the passenger has been vaccinated against Covid-19
– 10 days if the passenger is unvaccinated

In both cases, passengers will have to take a PCR test on the last day of their quarantine. If the test is negative the mandatory quarantine ends.

Greece has reduced the mandatory quarantine time so as to adapt to the new ECDC guidelines.

The HCAA has also released rules on travel by air to the Greek islands while in Greece (domestic travel). Press here for further information.

General instructions for air travel

At the arrival and departure areas inside airports, as well as during all domestic and international flights, staff and passengers are required to wear a face mask at all times.

Passengers are also required to comply with the instructions of the permanent and temporary staff of airports or airlines responsible for supervising, crowd management and passenger assistance, in order to maintain the necessary distances and to ensure safe boarding/disembarkation to avoid overcrowding.

Greece’s aviation directives are part of the Greek government’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country.

Travelers in need of information regarding specific details are recommended to contact their embassy, airline or the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.

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  1. Erinn Willems Reply

    Will a Canadian citizen that has been administered a MIX of vaccines (Astra and Pfizer) be allowed to enter Greece? Fully vaccinated with certificate but it is a mixed dose.

  2. Pavlo Reply

    So the digital corona certificate is not mandatory if I can show a document that says where, when and how I was vaccinated ? I have been vaccinated but can not get the digital proof with my current Amka number. Like many others.

  3. merry Reply

    I am Canadian resident and British resident
    in turkey for 2 weeks ,wants to travel to Greece
    Can I travel to Greece ?FROM Turkey ?

  4. Ivars Reply

    Children testing – required age it is now 12 years, *not 5 and not 6*!
    Read about it here (it is actually the primary source of this artice, too): https://news.gtp.gr/2021/06/19/greece-extends-covid-19-travel-rules-for-intl-air-arrivals-and-domestic-flights/

  5. Alojz Rozman Reply

    A person – EU citizen – have a EU digital Covid certificate (DCC). It isv stated in DCC that he/she was tested negative with EU approved rapid test within last 48 hrs. Does she/he will allowed to entry Greece without carantene?

  6. János Rudas Reply

    It has been said: “Greece will allow entrance to travelers that have filled out the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) one day before travel.”

    What does it mean? Exactly one day (24 hours)? And what about almost one day, e.g. 22 hours? What about more than one day, e.g. two days (48 hours) or three days? There are impossible? Wdhat is the true?

    • Valerio Reply

      You can fill it earlier but you will get it sent by mail after midnight of the day you are arrivino in Greece. There is no problem because after filling it out you get also a confirmation mail if you fill it during your travel this is also enough.

  7. SERGHEI ERMOLAEV Reply

    why Greece does not allow visitors from Moldova, Albania, Armenia and other countries with good epidemiologic situation? Why Greece divide people only by passport and not by epid situation?

  8. Ann leslie Reply

    Are people allowed to enter Greece from Zambia.

  9. richard baddeley Reply

    good clear advice. just hope UK can sort travel out quickly. Still hoping to travel to Athens in mid september…..fingers crossed

  10. grace Reply

    if i recovered from covid 3 weeks before travelling is that okay?

    • Valerio Reply

      With certificate as stated in the article, point nr. 3

  11. Andrea M. Reply

    We are residents of Dominican Republic, my husband and daughter have Italian passport and I am argentinina, legally married. Are we allowed to come to Greece with the vaccin or pcr??

  12. proGreek Reply

    Children – 5 years or 6?

    • GTP editing team Reply

      The rule is in force for children aged 6 and above, according to the latest HCAA update.
      The https://travel.gov.gr/#/ website has not been updated.

    • Kristina Reply

      Now it is 6. Was 5 before and they changed it from this week

  13. Wayne Patrick Reply

    Good news , clear process in place, we just need UK government to follow suit and produce a stable system based on proper data and to specific areas e.g the islands

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