Greece New Lockdown: Mandatory Covid Tests For All Travelers

Greece is the latest country in Europe to return to a full lockdown.

The three week lockdown started on Saturday November 7, as Covid cases undergo a major spike. Not only that, but deaths also hit their highest daily levels. There were almost 2,000 new cases of the virus in a day over the weekend, as authorities announced 34 deaths.

A curfew was already in place in Athens and other areas, between 12.30 a.m. and 5 a.m. That’s now been replaced by the strict national measures.

What New Greece Lockdown Means For Travelers:

• Mandatory Covid Tests: Firstly, starting November 11, there will be mandatory Covid tests says the government. “… all people traveling to Greece from foreign countries will be required to have a negative molecular test result (PCR) for COVID-19, performed up to 72 hours before their entry to Greece. This includes air and land arrivals to Greece.”
• Strict Stay At Home Orders: Secondly you must be prepared to fall in line with the stay-at-home orders. Read on for more on these rules, including links to forms required to justify your movements from home when in Greece.
• No Partying: Even restaurants are closed, let alone bars and taverna. So there’ll be no Big Fat Greek Holiday for now. Neither in Athens nor on the islands.

Cars drove out of Athens as long lines formed at stores on the day before Greece goes into a second nationwide lockdown amid COVID-19 for three weeks. All stores except those selling essentials will be closed. https://t.co/B9FZ5FaXNY pic.twitter.com/C6P39Us8Pu

— ABC News (@ABC) November 6, 2020

Who’s Exempt From The Test Rule?

• Almost no-one! Other than children under 10.
• The Covid test rule also applies to Greek citizens, permanent residents of Greece and travelers on vital work trips says the government.
• Border authorities will only allow travelers carrying a certificate proving a negative test result to enter the country.
• “The certificates should be written in English and bear the name and passport/national ID number of the traveller.”
• The test must be done at a national public health laboratory, or private labs with accreditation from the national authorities.

With A Test, Can Anyone Travel To Greece?

No. Only residents from EU+ countries. For Greece this means all 27 EU members plus Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland. Iceland and the UK. Add to that those on the EU’s safe country list. That’s residents of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay and Singapore.

Greece is also letting in UAE residents. Though in the period from November 9 until November 30, “only by direct flights”. Again the conditions for entry are fleshed out on the government tourism site. Under “travel protocols” as it calls it. Basically those from Dubai etc. must have a hotel reservation in Greece, plus Covid tests, return tickets, the usual ID, travel insurance, and a passenger locator form.

Greece Lockdown: Passenger Locator Forms Vital For Travel Too

• All travelers need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form prior to travel. This can be done electronically, with an email sent to travelers.
• From November 10 the rule also applies to permanent residents of Greece when leaving the country by road or air. They have to show that at border checkpoints.

Justification Forms For Leaving Home

When you leave home for a vital reason, from shopping to the bank – or for travel home – you must follow this procedure:

“For individual travel (type B), you have 3 options,” says the government. Either sending an SMS, printing a “movement certificate form”, or handwriting a statement.

In the case of an SMS, you send it to 13033 free of charge. It must be written in this form:

1. Specify 1-6 reasons for leaving home
2. Your name
3. Your home address

Read the full lockdown rules and the reasons for leaving home here. If you don’t read Greek (I don’t), just hit Google translate.