Holidays to Greece are synonymous with relaxation. Perenially sunny and breezy from spring to autumn, blessed with quaint architecture and shimmering seas, this is somewhere you come to laze, eat, swim and repeat.
So the Covid-19 pandemic was a rollercoaster for Greece fans: the country imposed several waves of strict border rules, including demanding proof of vaccination and, at one point, a PCR rather than antigen test for visitors.
Greece’s government has also been one of the more cautious in lifting its Covid-related restrictions. However, with tourism a huge portion of the country’s income – it accounts for 18 per cent of its GDP, employing some 900,000 people – ministers have eventually relaxed the rules for holidaymakers.
So what do you need to do ahead of a trip to Greece, and what are the rules on the ground?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Do I need proof of vaccination or a test to visit Greece?
No, neither. The Mediterranean idyll removed all of its remaining Covid restrictions on 1 May.
Travellers will no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result upon entry. The rules are the same for both vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors.
The country also suspended the use of Covid Passes (proof of vaccination), which had previously been in use to enter certain indoor venues on the ground.
However, Greece’s government has been clear that they see the removal of all Covid rules being a temporary suspension rather than a guaranteed end point to the restrictions.
The country’s health minister, Thanos Plevris, said in April that the rules would be suspended from 1 May until the end of August, with ministers reviewing the Covid situation towards the end of summer in order to make decisions going forward.
Appearing on TV in late April, Mr Plevris said: “The measures will be reviewed again in September.”
Do I need to fill in a passenger locator form for Greece?
No. Greece ended its passenger locator form on 15 March.
Very few countries now require the health tracking forms, previously a staple of pandemic-era travel.
Most European countries ended their Covid health forms during spring 2022.
The countries to retain some sort of digital form or health app include the Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.
Do I need to wear a mask while on holiday in Greece?
A month after the end to its vaccination and testing rules, Greece suspended its nationwide mask requirement (in most settings) on 1 June.
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