Greece will open its borders for vaccinated tourists or those with a negative COVID-19 test
Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis clarified on Tuesday that the Hellenic Republic will open its borders to all visitors who have either a negative Covid-19 molecular test or a vaccination certificate upon entering the country.
Wanting to put an end to rumors that vaccinating Covid-19 will be the exclusive precondition for the trip to Greece, the minister told a local radio station that hotels in Greece will not refuse unvaccinated tourists.
With COVID-19 vaccine certificate or with negative COVID-19 test certificate
"The precondition for someone to travel to our country (and stay) will be the negative molecular test or the vaccination certificate."Theoharis said, adding that if someone does not want to show their vaccination certificate when entering Greece, they can have a negative coronavirus test. "In any case, personal data will be protectedHe added.
The idea behind travelers on the basis of vaccination certificates is that they can move freely in European countries without restrictions, such as the obligation to take Covid-19 tests.
Unvaccinated citizens will be required to take a test for COVID-19
On the other hand, unvaccinated citizens will be required to present a negative PCR test or an antigen test at border crossings (and possibly be quarantined according to a country's rules).
Greece has already discussed the introduction of a vaccination certificate with Israel, Cyprus and Serbia to allow unrestricted admission of travelers.
It is recalled that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has proposed to the European Commission the establishment of an EU-wide vaccination certificate to facilitate travel in Europe.
For the time being, Member States have agreed on a set of guidelines to establish an EU-wide vaccination certificate to be used for "medical purposes". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently said the Greek prime minister's proposal would be discussed again.
It is noted that Greece has not yet set a date from which vaccination certificates will be accepted for entry. Until then, it is good to respect restrictive access measures in Greece.
Moreover, during the interview, Minister Theoharis expressed his optimism towards tourism and said that he expects 2021 to be a better year than 2020 for the Hellenic Republic estimated that the tourist season can start after the Easter holidays.