Check Visa Policy of Greece for your Country

Visa Policy for Greece

As a European Schengen Area country, Greece has the same visa policy as the other countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement for passport-free travel.

The visa policy of a state outlines the restrictions and requirements for foreign nationals that are planning to travel to, enter, and remain in the country.

Greek visa requirements vary depending on the nationality of the visitor, as well as the purpose of the visit and the expected length of stay.

Depending on the passport nationality the traveler holds, a Greek embassy visa, also known as a Schengen Visa, will be required.

This type of visa must be applied for and approved before departure for Greece, from a Greek overseas diplomatic office. The applicant is usually required to select the type of visa needed, whether a tourist visa, business visa, work visa, or other visa option.

A range of varying supporting documentation depending on visa type will be requested before this Greek travel document can be approved.

Currently, all other countries are visa-exempt for Greece, with the length of visa-free stay permitted depending on the nationality of the traveler. Schengen citizens may stay in the country for an indefinite period for any purpose, by presenting a valid national ID Card at Greek borders.

Other travelers who are visa-free for Greece including the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia, must travel with a valid passport, valid for at least 3 months from the date of arrival. These visa not required citizens may stay for up to 90 days without a travel authorization.

However, this will change in 2025, when the European Commission is expected to implement the ETIAS visa waiver program. This travel authorization will be a mandatory requirement for all visa-free nationals from outside of the Schengen Area visiting Greece for tourism, business, transit, or medical treatment for short stays.

The current visa law of Greece does not issue any entry bans for foreign nationalities.

Find further information about the different visa requirements for Greece in the boxes below.

Tourist Visa Policy for Greece

Tourists from every nationality across the globe should familiarize themselves with the visa policy of Greece for tourism well in advance of travel, in case any mandatory requirements must be met.

The Greek tourist visa policy currently permits citizens from over 90 states to gain tourist entry to the country without a visa or travel authorization.

Residents of a European country that has signed the Schengen Agreement have travel freedom to Greece for tourism for an indefinite period of time, if they are carrying a National ID Card.

Other visa-free states can travel for tourism for up to 90 days by presenting a valid passport at Greek immigration control.

However, this requirement will be modified in 2025, when a visa waiver program will be implemented and become mandatory for these tourists.

This online travel authorization, ETIAS for Greece, will be available through a simple online application form, which eligible individuals will need to complete to obtain a multiple entry visa waiver electronically linked to their passport.

An approved ETIAS will permit multiple short tourists stays in Greece and any other Schengen Area country during its validity.

Visitors from an additional 150 countries are required to apply for a consular visa for tourism for Greece. This application needs to be submitted in person at the nearest Greek government diplomatic office, well in advance of the expected departure date.

Below you can find further information about the different tourist visa requirements for Greece.

ETIAS for Greece

The European Commission will introduce the ETIAS visa waiver program in 2025. Once implemented, this online travel authorization will be a mandatory requirement for traveling to Greece for all citizens who are currently visa-exempt.

The European Commission is implementing ETIAS to increase the security of the external borders of the passport-free Schengen zone, of which Greece is a member, by pre-screening all visa-exempt citizens before they depart their country of residence.

ETIAS is a multiple entry travel authorization that will allow holders to visit Greece, as well as the other 25 Schengen countries, for a maximum stay of 90 days per entry. It will permit travel for purposes of tourism, business, transit, or medical treatment.

Eligible citizens will be required to pre-register for ETIAS through an online application, which has to be completed with personal, passport, and travel information. They will also have to answer some health and security-related questions to submit the form.

Once approved, ETIAS for Greece is electronically linked to the applicant’s passport and is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, or until the passport expires.

Citizens who need to visit Greece for other purposes or more time than permitted with ETIAS will need to apply for a Schengen visa from a Greek diplomatic mission.

Browse the list below to see the future countries for which ETIAS will be a requirement to travel to Greece.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

Greek immigration policy states that around 150 nationalities must apply for an embassy visa if planning a trip to Greece, regardless of the purpose or the expected period of stay.

Greece shares the same visa policy as the other Schengen countries. Visitors from a non-visa-exempt country need to obtain the correct embassy visa type to travel to Greece, also known as a Schengen visa.

These citizens need to visit the nearest embassy or consulate of Greece in person, by first making a visa appointment.

Once scheduled, applicants need to download, print, and complete a Greek Schengen visa form. The completed application form should be brought to the consular interview alongside a passport valid for at least 3 months from the expected arrival date in the Schengen zone.

Varying additional supporting documentation will also be required depending on the type of Greek embassy visa required, whether for tourism, business, work, or study purposes or to become a resident.

If the visa is approved, the holder will be able to travel to Greece only, as a Schengen visa is only valid for one selected country. Depending on the purpose of stay, it may be issued as either a single, double, or multiple-entry Greek visa.

Applicants are recommended to apply at least 2 weeks before the expected departure date as a correctly processed visa can take several weeks to be approved.

See the list below for all the nationalities that need to apply for a Schengen Visa to gain entry to Greece.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Armenia
Aruba
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Botswana
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Martinique
Mauritania
Mayotte
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian Territory
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United States Virgin Islands
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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Types of Greek Schengen Visa

As mentioned above, a Greek Schengen visa application needs to be submitted at an overseas diplomatic mission of Greece.

When completing the form, the applicant must select the correct type of visa needed, according to the purpose and period of stay and the number of times they wish to visit the country.

A multiple-entry Schengen visa for Greece will allow the holder to spend a total of 90 consecutive days with each entry.

There are different multiple entry Schengen visa types, which may be issued for the following periods of validity:

1-year multiple-entry visa
3-year multiple-entry visa
5-year multiple-entry visa

Citizens applying for the 1-year multiple-entry Greek visa need to have previously been in possession of a double-entry visa for any Schengen Area country. This type of visa is usually granted to frequent business travelers.

Additionally, all applicants for a multiple entry Greek visa are required to present proof of frequent travel to the Schengen zone, as well as an explanation for why a visa with this period of validity is the best option for their travel.

Visa Not Required

Check the list below to see all of the current visa-free nationalities according to Greek visa law.

The visa policy of Greece currently establishes that over 90 countries can travel to and gain entry to Greece without obtaining a visa or travel authorization.

The purposes and length of stay permitted without a visa differ depending on the nationality of the visitor. All travelers with a passport or ID Card issued by one of the Schengen Countries are granted freedom of movement in Greece by presenting either document at Greek border control.

If the visa-free individual holds a valid passport issued by a country outside of the Schengen Area, they are able to travel to Greece for short periods of stay for purposes of tourism, business, or transit, by presenting it upon entry to at an immigration checkpoint.

However, in 2025 the ETIAS visa waiver program will be implemented by the EU Commission. Once this occurs, all visa not required citizens for Greece from outside of Europe will be required to hold an approved ETIAS to gain entry to any Schengen Area country for short stays.

See above for more information about this compulsory upcoming requirement for visa-exempt travelers.

If these same visa-free travelers need to travel to Greece for longer periods of stay or purposes other than those permitted without a visa, they will need to receive an approved Schengen visa for Greece from an embassy or consulate.

Find the list of citizens with visa exemption below.