Head of Civil Protection and Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias announced on Thursday new rules and Covid-certificates for traveling to/from the Greek islands.
He said that these are the recommendations of the epidemiologists’ committee.
From Monday, 5. July 201, for travel to the Greek islands required will be:
For adults
either … or
(a) vaccination certificate or disease certificate
b) negative PCR test carried out in the last 72 hours,
c) negative Rapid test carried out in the last 48 hours.
For minors
(a) for aged 12-17 any negative test including self-test
(b) Minors up to 12 years old travel freely – i.e no need of test.
Return from the islands
On the return from the islands it is recommended that all those who are over 12 years old conduct a self test.
Exceptions
Excluded from the tests/certificates measure are the islands: Evia, Lefkada and Salamina, as well as:
a) those who move between different island Regional Units for work purposes on a daily basis; they carry out a weekly self-test as already in force.
B) those who move between islands located at very close distances or on ferries that connect the mainland with nearby islands, by conducting a weekly self-test if they are employees as is already the case and by conducting a self-test (self- test) before moving for the rest. [Note: Don’t ask me, what the author of this bureaucratic regulation written in Army language means. Trust me I tried and lost all interest to find out!]
The rules are valid also for foreign tourists.
Regarding the inter-regional travel on land, Hardalias said that the government evaluates the epidemiological data of each region and the situation will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks.
He was apparently referring to earlier media reports that negative tests will be required for traveling on public transport means (inter-regional buses, trains, planes etc)
To make the long story short: if you are not vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19, you will keep testing to go and come back from the islands and have also tests to dine, have a coffee or a drink in the closed space of a facility (this from July 15, 2021.) You can add all this extra cost to your travel budget.
PCR test at 60 euros, Rapid test: 20-30 euros, Self-test at the pharmacy: 6-7 euros
Covid-vaccination certificate is obtained the next day of the full vaccination (2nd dose or 1 of J&J) and is valid on the 14/15th day after the vaccination.
Good luck!
Oh boy, big bucks for the covid-industry!!
Exactly!
We won’t be coming to Greece then.. sound’s like a total nightmare.
The Greek Government finally allowed me to be vaccinated but, as a British Ex-Pat living permanently on Naxos and without a permanent AMKA, they still have not worked out how to issue any confirmation (paper or electronic) that I have had my vaccinations.
Now they want to continue charging me for tests if I move between Islands without the certificate that they have not issued.
I couldn’t download it either. I went to KEP and they printed it out for me.
KTG your last sentence made it seem so easy to get the Covid vaccination Certificate …..it’s not for some of us given Temporary AMKA numbers which just aren’t being accepted for this Certficate. I’m extremely grateful though to have finally had both jabs, and feel extremely sorry for the many people who are still waiting.
I feel really bad for the other expats who still don’t have a number let alone a jab ………we don’t have certificates as it looks like they deleted temporary amkas after the jab …..genius! WHY would anyone want to come and live in greece? In order to sell up to leave we need to legalise the sun shade we built and that takes minimum 2 years at the moment! (and thousands in fines) When we came here we hoped for a simple life ….it has been anything but simple! Greek planning, tax and health care are the worst we have ever seen and we have lived all over the world (except africa).
no, there is nothing simple with the greek government. all looks shiny on the surface but underneath its a festering pit of corruption. tourists dont see it. you finally started getting a taste when you came to live here. for us greeks, we have a saying, η ελλαδα τρωει τα παιδια της – greece eats her children. does it come as any surprise to you that so many of us have emigrated? indeed here i am also , i worked 15 years up in europe to save up enough to build a house (which like yours, even though it has no ‘violations’ , merely because of infinite delays in getting this or that paper, all deadlines have expired and now it’s huge fines (once i get those papers, which are still years coming!) to even try to sell it and move away… and all along thinking yeah ill finally settle back down here at home with family etc around.. i spent a long time abroad and have options. now im waiting on a visa for my spouse to also emigrate , and the house i spent every penny of 15 years work building? basically write off as a total loss. It’ll be there, some relatives back home might check up on it or even stay in it for all i care, with all the restrictions these days who knows if once we leave we’ll even be able to come back.. it hurts a lot more knowing that this is our native home, yet we’re effectively being forced out. they only want tourists and corporations here, and a handful of laborers doing menial work at starvation wages to serve the corporations and tourists.
I am really sorry for you as this is your homeland ….it must be very hard. Maybe you should all vote green or some other very new government and power europe with solar and wind and get some fun back into your lives without the hellish beaurocracy that ties you all up into not living a real life? Why do you not ALL have a swiming pool, a caravan and a sailing dinghy? anywhere else in europe every cove would have a sailing or swimming club. just a thought!
Maybe you should have done your research before you moved here…
Yes I really should have predicted a pandemic and the inability to get a vaccine from an inept greek government 6 years ago. Maybe i need a new clairvoyant. I can live with the inept bit (we knew about that) but not being treated as second class. There is always a tipping point.