If you’ve been following the news, you’d know that Greece has taken the decision of reopening the borders of the country to foreign visitors, including the United States of America. Their decision took the other European neighbors by surprise as Greece became revolutionary in restarting their tourism industry during a time when their hospitals were full and three-quarters of Greeks remained unvaccinated.
It is a big gamble by the Greek lawmakers but keeping in mind the role played by the tourism industry in stabilizing the Greek economy, the leaders of the country rolled out their welcome mat for international visitors.
Greece is one of the top destinations of the world and it is nothing new that most Americans choose Greece as their must-visit destination. However, in order to travel to Greece, Americans need an ETIAS Greece or a valid ETIAS visa waiver. Keep reading to know more on visiting Greece.
Is Greece prepared to welcome foreign visitors?
Travelers who are eager to visit Athens and go island hopping, you should first know a few details on traveling to Greece during the second wave of coronavirus cases. They have an average of 2019 daily cases on an average and they have reported an aggregate of 349,000 COVID-19 cases and 11,876 deaths as on May 4th, as per the Reuters COVID-19 tracker.
Until the 3rd of May, a nationwide lockdown was in place under which restaurants, cafes and bars had been shut down, only allowing home delivery and takeout services. A night curfew was enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. until 3rd May. Now many shops have reopened and wearing masks is still mandatory.
Marketing Manager of Zicasso, a renowned travel agency in Greece, Marci-Beth Maple said that although travelers from America are welcome now, yet she recommends them to book for either June or July, not before that. She also adds that Greece has to go through few restrictions at the present moment and she expects the country to settle down with the new travel and tourism standards and with the new safety protocols across restaurants, hotels, and museums by the first week of May.
What you need to travel to Greece
From the 19th of April, travelers from New Zealand, EU, South Korea, Australia, Rwanda, Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Servia are permitted to enter Greece without the requirement of quarantining.
Those who are arriving from the aforementioned countries to Greece would require a full dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before entering the destination. Vaccinated travelers don’t have to quarantine themselves and they even don’t have to offer a negative COVID-19 PCR test. However, those who aren’t vaccinated will have to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test from within 3 days of arriving in Greece.
How to return to the US from Greece
Since January 26th, all overseas travelers arriving into the US, including American citizens, should show a proof of COVID-19 negative test result obtained within 3 days of departure, as per rules by CDC. The test either has to be a nucleic acid amplification test or a viral antigen test.
The result has to either be documented electronically or on paper provided by the laboratory. It should include the collection date of the specimen, the name of the passenger and the type of test.
Currently, for entering the US, there’s no other exception for even those who have received their full dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Therefore, if you’re traveling to Greece, make sure you have your mask on while leaving your hotel room. As the US travelers have already begun to venture abroad, it is vital to follow all COVID-19 protocols of the destination countries to show businesses that they respect their country.
Author Bio:
Susan Noel is an experienced content writer. She is associated with many renowned travel blogs as a guest author where she shares her valuable travel tips with the audience.