Greece to Remove COVID-19 Restrictions Starting Next Month — What's Changing

Alison Fox
·2 min read

Greece will scrap many remaining COVID-19-related protocols next week, making it the latest country to plan to revert to pre-pandemic life.

Starting May 1, Greece will stop requiring travelers to show proof of vaccination, a negative test, or proof of recovery to enter the country, according to tourism company Visit Greece.

Greece, which reopened its borders to tourism in May 2021, currently welcomes travelers from the United States but requires them to either show proof of vaccination (with a booster shot if it has been more than 9 months since the final dose of their initial vaccine series); show proof they have contracted COVID-19 and recovered within 6 months; or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (either a PCR test taken within 72 hours of their arrival or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of their arrival). This applies to all travelers 5 years old and older.

Currently, face masks must also be worn indoors, but Minister of Health Thanos Plevris has said they will no longer be required, with some exceptions, starting in June.

"According to the epidemiological data and the suggestions of the experts, we are announcing the roadmap for the de-escalation of the measures against the Covid-19 pandemic," Plevris said in a statement earlier this month, adding "All measures will be reviewed on September 1, depending on the picture of the pandemic."

Tourists visit the acropolis in Athens
Tourists visit the acropolis in Athens

Giannis Alexopoulos/Getty Images

The decision to drop travel rules comes more than a month after Greece eliminated the need to fill out a passenger locator form before traveling.

Greece now joins several other European countries in easing pandemic-related restrictions, including the Netherlands and France, which have each eliminated pre-arrival testing for vaccinated visitors, as well as some countries that have taken it a step further, dropping COVID-19-related rules altogether like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iceland.

Similarly, Switzerland will lift its entry restrictions on May 2, according to the government, reverting to "the usual rules for entering Switzerland."

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.