Greece has extended restrictions on international flights by two weeks to help rein in the spread of COVID-19, its civil aviation authority announced on Friday.
These restrictions are on actual flights and run parallel to restrictions on actual travelers’ nationality that have been in place across the European Union.
Regarding travel for U.S. citizens, the simple answer is that currently, American nationals are not permitted to enter Greece. The U.S. Embassy Athens website maintains regularly updated information about the travel ban on U.S. nationals.
According to the Embassy’s website, “Greece will currently only allow EU citizens, EU residents, and residents of certain other specific countries to enter. The United States is not one of those countries. U.S. citizens traveling to Greece will not be permitted to enter unless they meet one of only a few narrow exceptions detailed in the Greek Embassy’s information on entrance into the European Union/Schengen Area.”
There is no projected date when entry will be permitted, according to the website.
Under the updated flight regulations, passengers coming into Greece from a any country abroad, including countries of the European Union, are required to self-isolate at the address they designate on their passenger locator form (PLF), which must be completed by all incoming passengers, for at least seven days upon arrival.
Incoming passengers must take a rapid test upon arrival at the airport. In the event of a positive test result, self-isolation is mandatory for 14 days.
It’s more complicated for passengers coming to Greece from the United Kingdom. In addition to the mandatory rapid test at the airport, they will have to take another test before they can be released from their seven-day quarantine. If the second test comes back positive, self-isolation will be extended for an additional week.
Any violation of the mandatory quarantine is punishable by a hefty fine.
A cap of 10,000 travelers from Israel a week at all Greek airports and a cap of 500 Russians a week at the airports of Athens, Thessaloniki and Iraklio in Crete remains in place.
Flights to and from Turkey continue to be banned, while those to and from Albania and North Macedonia are only permitted via Athens International Airport.
Furthermore, all incoming passengers, regardless of origin, have to provide proof of a negative Covid test taken up to 72 hours before their arrival.
Non-EU citizens cannot fly directly into Greece from their country unless they are from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates or the UK.
All the restrictions are effective through January 21, when they will be reviewed.
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