Greece in 2021
Greece lockdown status
The national lockdown which was announced by the Greek Prime Minister will be extended until April the 5th, 2021.
Lockdown specifications
Movement and transportation of individuals in order to meet their needs that cannot be otherwise met are permitted only for the following reasons:
Travel to and from work during working hours.
Going to the pharmacy or to the doctor provided this is necessary, further to telephone consultation.
Going to the super market, mini market for basic necessities, if delivery is not possible.
Going to the bank if the necessary transaction is not possible online.
Going to assist someone in need / escort children to elementary school
Attending a ceremony (e.g. funeral, wedding, christening) as per the relevant legislation; maintaining parent-child contact in case of divorced or separated parents as per relevant legislation.
Exercising outdoors or walking a pet. If accompanied by another individual, then there should be a 1.5 metres distance between the two.
For commuting to and from the workplace at working hours the movement permit is fixed (“Work Commute Permit for Employees”) (type A) and is provided under the personal responsibility of the signatory by the employer or the legal representative thereof, or in the case of a freelancer or self-employed, themselves.
For all other movement and / or transportation requirements the movement permit for one-time use (“Extraordinary Movement Permit”) (type B) is signed by the individual and includes the name, date of birth, home address, and time of departure of the individual, as well as the specific reason of the move and / or transportation.
Individuals must carry their ID or passport at all times with them together with a completed transportation certificate (printed or handwritten) or a confirmation SMS in order to present it during a routine check.
Work Commute Permission For Employees (Type Α)
For a fixed lockdown movement permission (Type A), to and from work, the following form is required:
Please note that specific forms downloaded from ERGANI need to be filled in from the companies.
Extraordinary Movement Permission (Type B)
In order to issue a single-use extraordinary movement permit (type B), there are three options available: through an SMS text message, through a printed one-time single-use movement permission,.
1. SMS text message
You can send an SMS text message from your mobile phone to 13033, free of charge
The SMS text message must be in the following format:
X [blank] full name and home address
where X is the required movement and / or transportation reason with the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, corresponding to the list below:
- Going to the pharmacy or visiting a Medical Doctor, in the case that this is recommended after consultation.
- Going to a supply store in operation (super markets, mini markets etc), which can not ship or deliver its goods.
- Going to the bank, when electronic transactions are not possible.
- Going to help people in need.
- Going to a ceremony (e.g., funeral, marriage, baptism) under the conditions provided by law; or movement of divorced or legally separated parents in the context of parental responsibility, custody, or visiting rights in accordance with the applicable provisions.
- Physical exercise in an open space or for a pet’s needs; individually or up to 2 people. In the latter case, a minimum distance of 1.5 meters must be kept at all times.
You will receive the following text back:
Transportation [blank] X [blank] full name and home address
2. Printing and filling the permission
You can download, print, fill, and carry with you the following form:
If stopped by the police you need to provide / show the permission upon request
Extraordinary Movement Permit (PDF)
Extraordinary Movement Permit (MS-Word)
Need to enter Greece?
All travellers arriving to Greece from abroad, through airports, seaports, and land borders, must present a negative Covid-19 test to authorities.
The measure applies to everyone, without exception,
Until April the 5th 2021, all passengers who enter the country will need to remain in a 7 day self quarantine.
Until April the 5th 2021, all passengers traveling from the UK and the UAE will need to:
Test negative on the rapid test that will be performed upon their arrival
Remain in a self quarantine for 7 days
Especially for those travelling from the UK and in order to leave the quarantine at the end of the 7 days they will need to have a negative result in a new PCR test.
The Passenger Locator Form (PLF) remains a key element in the planning. All travellers are obliged to complete their PLF at least 24 hours before entering the country, providing detailed information on their point of departure, the duration of previous stays in other countries, and the address of your stay while in Greece.
Greece complies with the list composed by the EU+ regarding the countries from which passengers can travel from without restrictions. (exceptions apply for imperative family or business reasons / contact us for more information)
*EU+ consists of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland.
AIR
International flights are allowed into all airports in Greece
Effective restrictions in place:
Flights from Russia are only allowed to land to Athens and Heraklion airport until 05/04/2021.
4000 passengers from Russia are allowed to enter the country per week.
Passengers coming from Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates can enter the country.
Passengers coming from Australia, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates can enter the country.
Until March the 16th 2021 domestic flights are allowed only for essential reasons which are:
- health reasons
- business reasons
- return to the main residency
LAND
Land border arrivals from Bulgaria are allowed only from Promachonas entry point.
Passengers can only enter from 07.00-23.00. All of them will need to have a PCR negative test 72 hours prior to their entrance and they will all be subjected to a rapid test on their arrival. This restriction is valid until 05/04/2021.
Greek citizens, permanent residents of Greece, transport workers and travelers for essential professional reasons can enter via Kakavia, Evzoni, Kipi and should have the PLF and QR code and additionally hold a negative result of a COVID-19 PCR test taken up to 72 hours before arrival. The passengers can enter the country from 07.00-23.00.
Especially for those entering from Kakkavia and Evzoni there is a limit of 400 passengers per day who can enter the country from 07.00-19.00. These passengers’ self quarantine is 14 days.
All other crossing points with Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia will remain closed until 05/04/2021.
Greek nationals and residence permit holders entering Greece by land, must have a medical certificate with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued in the country from which they are traveling at most 72 hours before arrival. Those who are traveling for business reasons and exit the country are not allowed to re-enter until 05/04/2021. Greek nationals and residence permit holders who wish to re enter the country prior to their exit need to fill in the PLF form. These restrictions are valid until 05/04/2021.
SEA
Arrivals by sea are allowed except from Turkey and Albania until 05/04/2021.
General notes
It is forbidden to enter hospitals as a visitor. In case there is a need to enter a hospital you can be escorted by only one person who needs a special authorization.
Important facts to keep in mind
- A distance of 1,5-2 meters is still a requirement in all activities
- Suspension of the ring in all city centers
In case of a specific questions, public is recommended to call the following number: 210 3359002 (Protection of Civilian Ministry). As per our experience, communication is in Greek and may not be easy to reach.
Interaction with the public sector
General update
All public authorities either request booking of an appointment or deliver their services remotely. For this reason delays in the finalization of services may occur
The Greek government has launched www.gov.gr from which citizens can access many services online. In this way the need for physical presence is eliminated.
Two of the most common online services that this site offers are the authorization letter & the written declaration form leading to a refusal of the police departments to continue accepting citizens for issuing these forms. In case you need to issue either an authorization letter or a written declaration and you are a holder of a bank account in either Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank of Greece, or Piraeus Bank do not hesitate to contact us at:
Tel: +302108003510 (Anna Gkagkali) or email: anna.gkagkali@corporaterelocations.gr
Operation of Immigration authorities
The Greek Ministry of Migration announced the following:
-Residence permits or blue receipts that have expired between January 1st 2020 and July 31st 2020 are automatically extended until March 31st 2021
- Residence permits or blue receipts that have or will expire between August 1st 2020 and March 31st 2021 are automatically extended for eight months from their respective expiration date.
– The residence permits that will be issued after the automatic extension applies, will have as official starting date the day after their expiration (regardless the application date).
-Local public authorities
Greece has resumed some immigration services:
o Submission of initial and renewal work permit applications (appointment required);
o Collection of approved permits (appointment required);
o Submitting additional documents by courier for applications submitted incomplete prior to the pandemic; and
o Change of status applications via courier.
The Ministry of Migration announced the alternative ways to either deliver all the additional documents that are needed in case of a permit request or pick up the issued permit. Contact us for more information
We will be more than happy to support you with the needed requirements / documentations. Each case is unique and this is a challenge accepted by our team
In ANY case, please feel free to contact our team! We would love to hear from you … All our contact details remain the same, it’s only us being at home!!
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Updates are offered either through the site of the World Health organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019) and through the interactive map of the European CDC (https://qap.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/COVID-19.html)
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Corporate Relocations’ action
As a team, we work from home and assist in the prevention of the spreading of the virus. Our action is described below:
Corporate Relocations Greece: our plan for work continuity after COVID presence in our lives
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Corporate Relocations’ team will be updating this site as soon as there are any news. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have something to add or comment, we welcome any inputs
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