greece

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• Visitors should expect regular strikes and demonstrations. These are sometimes called at short notice and can cause disruption to public transport in and out of Greece (including air travel and ports). See Safety and Security - Local Travel - major pre-planned strikes for more information, and refer to local media reports for updates.
  
   
• Exercise extreme caution around public demonstrations and protests in major urban centres. Violent incidents have occurred at and in the margins of such protests. Tear gas can be used. You should avoid demonstrations and observe instructions and advice given by local security authorities.
  
  
• Demonstrations regularly take place around Syntagma Square in central Athens; the police have recently used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in the square.
  
  
• The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of fourteen cases of Legionnaires’ disease in people who have travelled to Corfu since August 2011. For more information please see the HPA website.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Calling 999 from a UK mobile in Greece will automatically transfer you to the Greek emergency services.
  
  
• Around 2.335 million British nationals visit Greece every year (Source: Civil Aviation Authority). Most visits are trouble-free but you should maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as you would in the UK. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics. If you need to contact the emergency services in Greece call 112.
  
  
• Maintain high standards of public behaviour in Greece. The Greek police will not accept rowdy or indecent behaviour, especially where excessive alcohol consumption is involved. Greek courts impose heavy fines or prison sentences on people who behave indecently.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.
  

Safety and Security - Terrorism 
There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

High profile British interests in Greece should remain vigilant and regularly review their security measures. Attacks have involved the use of explosive devices against Greek institutions, commercial interests and diplomatic targets. Some attacks have included the use of automatic weapons against police personnel and their facilities. Commercial and media establishments have also been targeted, and up-market shopping areas are seen as legitimate targets.

• On 9 September 2011 a small explosive device was activated outside a retail store in a northern suburb of Athens. There were no injuries.
• On 30 December 2010, an explosion took place at the Administrative Court of First Instance in the inner-city district of Ambelokipi.
• Between 1 and 4 November 2010, parcel bombs were addressed to a number of foreign Embassies in Athens.
• On 19 July 1010, a Greek journalist was shot outside his Athens home.
  
• On 24 June 2010, a police officer was killed by an explosive device in an attack against the Ministry of Civil Protection.
• Domestic anarchist groups remain active and the number and scale of attacks have increased since the shooting of a Greek teenager in December 2008, and the serious riots that followed.
  

See our Terrorism abroad page.

Safety and Security - Crime  
Most visits to Greece are trouble-free, but be aware that incidents of theft of wallets, handbags etc are common on the metro and crowded tourist places; leave valuables in safe custody at your hotel or apartment.

Personal attacks, including sexual assaults and rape, are generally infrequent in Greece.  However, this is not the case in some holiday resorts frequented by large numbers of youth tourists. In 2009 Greece was one of the countries with the highest number of cases reported to our Consular staff of British nationals who were the victim of a serious sexual offence. In some of these cases those alleged to have carried out these offences were also British nationals. In many cases excessive consumption of alcohol by either the victim or the offender preceded the incident. See our Rape and sexual assault abroad page.

You are therefore advised to maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as in the UK. Be aware that alcohol and drugs can lead to you being less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment. If you are going to drink, know your limit. Remember that drinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK. We advise lone visitors, in particular, never to accept lifts from strangers or passing acquaintances at any time. See our Victims of crime abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel
Generally there are no local travel restrictions, but you should be aware that certain areas near the Greek borders are militarily sensitive. Although these areas can be visited without any problems, do not take photographs or make notes near military or official installations. In addition, travellers should seek permission before photographing individuals.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Major Pre-Planned Strikes
Demonstrations are expected to take place in central Athens as follows:

• from 11:00 on 10 February at Omonia Square and Syntagma Square

• from 11:00 and 17:00 on 11 February at Syntagma Square  

• from 17:00 on 12 February at Syntagma Square

A 48-hour general strike has been announced for 10-11 February. Ferry services and trains will not be operating. Buses, trams, trolley buses and Metro services in the Athens area will not operate for 48 hours (except the Piraeus-Kifissia underground line which will operate between 10:00 and 17:00 only). Flights are expected to operate as normal.

Demonstrations take place regularly around Syntagma Square in central Athens; the police have recently used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in the square. British nationals are advised to avoid large crowds and demonstrations and keep an eye on local media reporting. Road closures can be expected in Athens and are often not announced in advance.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
The Athens-Patras national road is closed for repairs between Corinth and Patras until 11 February 2012. Diversions are in place.

In 2010 there were 1,281 road deaths in Greece (source: DfT). This equates to 11.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population, compared to the UK average of 3.1 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2010.

When hiring a car, moped, quad bike, boat, jet ski or other vehicle, check that it is road or sea worthy and that you have appropriate insurance cover and safety equipment (for more advice see travel insurance).

Greek law requires you to wear a crash helmet on a scooter, moped or motorcycle. Quad bike riders also require a full-face helmet (or non-full-face helmet plus goggles) under Greek law. You may be arrested if you do not. Failure to wear a crash helmet might invalidate your travel insurance if you are involved in an accident. If you intend to hire a moped you require a valid driving licence with at least category A1 - 'light motorcycle'. Category P, which is valid in the UK for driving mopeds up to 50cc, is not valid in Greece.

When hiring a vehicle, hire companies will often demand your passport as a form of security. Do not hand over your passport under any circumstance. Check any waiver which will come into effect if the vehicle is damaged. Road insurance and a motorcycle licence are also mandatory.

See our Driving abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air travel  
The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Greece. For more details about this see Airline security.

As of 19 July 2011 Dream Holidays Limited ceased trading. If you are currently travelling with this company and are encountering problems, please visit the CAA website for advice.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Greece Country Profile

Greece is a stable democracy, however, public protests are a standard feature of Greek political life. Take precautions for your personal safety and avoid public gatherings and demonstrations, which have the potential to turn violent and are often quelled with tear gas.

Greek people are renowned for their hospitality. The Greek police are used to dealing with large numbers of foreign tourists, especially on the islands and do so in a low-key way.

Indecent behaviour, including mooning, is not tolerated. The police have made it clear that they will not hesitate to arrest those who do it. Be aware that the courts impose heavy fines or prison sentences on people who behave indecently. Bear in mind that some fancy dress costumes may offend the local Greek authorities and be considered as contravening decency laws.

Do not become involved with drugs of any kind, nor bring drugs – including “class C” drugs – from the UK. Possession of even small quantities can lead to long terms of imprisonment. Know your alcohol limits as your travel insurance may in some cases not cover you after excessive drinking.

The plant Khat is an illegal narcotic in Greece. You will be arrested and detained with the possibility of a prison sentence if you are caught trying to take Khat into Greece. Driving any vehicle whilst over the legal drinking limit is heavily penalised and can result in a heavy fine and/or imprisonment.

If you are seeking employment in bars or night clubs in Greece, you are required to have a health certificate/licence issue by the local authorities. Failure to have such a certificate is punishable by a fine and or imprisonment.

In common with many countries there is a requirement in Greece to be able to identify yourself. A passport or document with a photograph on it should be carried at all times.

In order to comply with Greek law, you should ensure that you obtain a receipt for goods purchased. If you purchase pirate CDs or DVDs in Greece you could be imprisoned.

Do not purchase any offensive weapons whilst on holiday. This includes items such as knuckledusters or knives with a blade length of 10cm or above.

From 1 September 2010, it is illegal to smoke in all indoor public places. The penalty for violating this law is a fine of up to €500.

See our Your trip page.

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Greece. For stays of up to three months your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. For stays of longer than three months, contact the Embassy of the country to which you are travelling.

Entry Requirements - Visas
Visas are not required to enter Greece. You need a passport to enter Greece. As a British passport holder you may stay as a visitor for three months. For longer stays, you will need to apply to the appropriate office for a residence permit.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children  
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration, please contact the Greek Embassy in London.

The Greek National Health system provides a basic medical service to Greek nationals and it has a reciprocal agreement with the British National Health Service. There are many public and private Hospitals and Medical Centres in Greece, all of varying standards. Doctors and facilities are generally good on the mainland, but may be limited on the islands. The standards of nursing and after care, particularly in the public health sector lag behind what is normally acceptable in the UK. The Public Ambulance Service, which will normally respond to any accident, is rudimentary. There are severe shortages of ambulances on some islands.

You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Greek nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.  See our EHIC page.

There have been cases of West Nile Virus in Greece in 2011. The Health Protection Agency has also reported a small number of cases of malaria. The risk of catching malaria while in Greece remains extremely low, so there is no need to take anti-malarials. However, travellers should take measures to prevent being bitten (which will also protect against West Nile Virus) and seek medical advice promptly if they experience symptoms of malaria, which include fever, headache, and muscle pains. Further information is available from the National Travel Health Network and Centre.
 
In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 8,800 adults aged 15 or over in Greece were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see our HIV and AIDS page.

Seek medical advice before travelling to Greece and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel health page and the UK Department of Health website.

Natural Disasters - Earthquakes
Mainland Greece and most of the Greek islands popular with British tourists are in seismically active zones, and earth tremors are common. Serious earthquakes are less frequent but do occur. Follow the advice of local authorities in the event of a natural disaster.

Natural Disasters - Forest Fires
Forest fires are very common during Greece’s hot and dry summers. Outbreaks are occurring regularly and, although these are being quickly brought under control by the Greek Fire Service and travel has not been disrupted, it is important to be aware of the potential outbreaks and remain alert. In particular, please take care when visiting or driving through woodland and forest areas; ensure that cigarette ends are properly extinguished and disposed of carefully, do not light barbecues and do not leave any rubbish, particularly empty bottles, behind.

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. Check for any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See our Travel insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

General - Money
The currency of Greece is the Euro.  

Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU applies in all Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 Euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc. This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
Around 2.335 million British nationals visit Greece every year (Source: Civil Aviation Authority). Most visits are trouble-free but you should maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as you would in the UK. 797 British nationals required consular assistance in Greece in the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident; 133 deaths; 452 hospitalisations; and 112 arrests, for a variety of offences.