March 2021 Τravel Advice for Greece (Quarantine and testing)

Here is the latest travel advice for Greece for March / April 2021, according to the latest official government announcements on 27 March 2021.

International travel to Greece March / April 2021

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, there are several restrictions and measures in place for travellers coming to Greece from abroad. Many of these restrictions have been in place since mid-2020. The new measures are uploaded on the official government website, however sometimes it takes a while for it to be updated.

Here is a summary of the current restrictions, as announced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on 22 March 2021.

ALL passengers arriving to Greece from abroad will need to do the following:

• complete the inbound Passenger Locator Form (PLF), which can be found at the official website
• bring a negative PCR test (taken max 72 hours before arrival)
• self-isolate for 7 days. Self-isolation will need to take place at home or place of temporary residence. If travellers are staying in Greece for a shorter period, they will need to self-isolate for their whole stay in Greece.

In addition to the above, rapid tests will be administered to randomly selected travellers upon arrival.

ALL travellers arriving from the UK and UAE, will have a rapid test on arrival. Travellers arriving from the UK will need to take a second PCR test after the end of the 7-day isolation period.

If any of the inbound passengers are found positive, they will have to self-isolate for 14 days, and will be given further instructions.

Finally, permanent residents of Greece who are planning to travel internationally will need to fill an outbound PLF.

The above measures are in effect until 5 April 2021.

From 25 March to 5 April, no self-isolation will be necessary for permanent residents of Israel who comply with the following:

• have completed the second round of vaccination at least 14 days before entering Greece, and have a vaccination certificate in English with their name and surname, the type of the vaccination and the number of doses they have taken
• carry a negative PCR test, taken max 72 hours before arrival

Permanent residents of Israel who have not completed the vaccination program, will still need to remain in the 7-day self-isolation.

You can read all news about travellers from Israel in this official link by the CAA (in Greek).

In addition to these travel restrictions, several measures apply within Greece. Here is a summary of COVID measures in Greece for March 2021.

Further restrictions for travel to Greece March 2021

Until 5 April 2021, travellers are only allowed into Greece if they are permanent residents of the following countries:

• EU+ and Schengen countries
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Israel
• New Zealand
• Russia
• South Korea
• Thailand
• United Arab Emirates
• Rwanda
• Singapore

Flights from / to Turkey are now allowed. In addition, the restrictions regarding flights from / to Albania and North Macedonia have been lifted. This means that airplanes can arrive at / depart from all airports in Greece.

Finally, travellers from Russia can only arrive at the Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion airports. There is a limit of max 4,000 people per week for inbound travellers who are permanent residents of Russia.

There are certain exceptions to the above. In case of doubt, it’s always best to get in touch with your embassy.

Land travel to Greece March 2021

Public transportation (road and rail) between Greece and the neighboring countries is currently suspended. The primary land border for international travel is Promachonas border. Passengers arriving to Greece from abroad will need to bring a negative PCR test, taken max 72 hours before arrival. 

All other land borders may only be used in exceptional circumstances (for essential travel only) and further restrictions apply. More information can be found here.

Note that there is currently a limit of maximum three people per passenger car throughout Greece, with the exception of families with children under 18 years old. In addition, there are several restrictions on movement around the country. Here is a summary of COVID measures in Greece for March 2021.

Also, here’s some information about driving in Greece.

Domestic flights within Greece

Domestic flights within Greece are still happening, but only essential travel is allowed, as follows:

• work reasons
• health reasons
• returning to the primary area of residence (passengers will need to have proof of permanent address, obtained through the Taxis system)
• families reuniting (including divorced families)
• funeral of a close relative.

These restrictions remain in place until 5 April 2021.

Official sources for the above article (in Greek)

• CAA announcement 27 March 2021 – Domestic flights
• CAA announcement 21 March 2021 – All flights
• Official travel website

With all that said, here are some ideas for future travel to Athens!

• Best things to do in Athens
• Free things to do in Athens