Travelers to Greece Subject to 10-Day Quarantine, All Persons Must Obtain Permission to Leave Homes

Travelers coming from abroad will need to go into self-isolation for 10 days upon arrival in Greece, according to an announcement made by a Greek government spokesperson, Stelios Pestas.

The new quarantine protocol will go into effect from 18 December 2020 until 7 January 2021, if they are not extended before the initial period ends.

In addition, traveling within Greece to different localities and prefectures will not be allowed until 06:00 on 7 January 2021, according to Pestas; travel between towns is now illegal in Greece.

The self-isolation procedures will extend to anyone traveling to Greece, including students, businesspeople, and Greek citizens coming home from abroad. 

Lockdown 2.0 will still be in effect as well, as it has been extended until 7 January 2021. This protocol makes it illegal for most schools, courts, bars, cafes, restaurants, entertainment, sports events, etc. to be open during this time; these places will be closed until at least 7 January and could be extended again.

Information on the new protocol for people coming to Greece is listed below:

International Travelers

  • Will need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival that is no older than 72 hours.
  • Fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at minimum one day before arrival.
  • Take a rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival.
  • Self-isolate for 10 days, presumably whether the tests are negative or not.

Texting 13033 for movement

All people within Greece must text 13033 to obtain governmental “permission” to move from their homes during the lockdown.

The text message should be formatted as follows:

# (one of the activity numbers listed below), name, surname, address.

The activity numbers are as follows:

  1. Visiting a pharmacy or doctor.
  2. Going to buy groceries or other essential supplies.
  3. Visiting a bank if online banking is not an option.
  4. Visiting people who need assistance or escorting children to and from school.
  5. Attending a funeral, as per permissions permitted by law, or visiting children in the case of divorced parents.
  6. Physical outdoor exercise, or up to two people taking their pets for a walk, given that they remain 1.5 meters apart.

An example text message to 13033 would read as follows: 6, Kyriakos, Mitsotakis, 123 Asinine Avenue.

After sending the text message, the person will receive or be denied governmental “permission” to leave their home.

There is still no sign of restrictions in Greece easing, as at the time of writing this article they have continued for about 9 months since March 2020.