Documents needed for Athens

For travellers visiting Greece and who are EU citizens, no passport is needed, an identity card containing Latin characters will be sufficient. Ideally, if you are going to Greece, you need to carry your passport. Crime is rife, so carry it in a waist belt that is strapped to your hips or belt. If you carry your passport in a bum bag, purse, pocket, jacket or ladies bag, and you will probably be pickpocketed. If you are an EU member, you should still carry your passport, especially since Greece may not be in the EU for much longer.

Pickpocketing is so common, that some people photocopy their passport before they set off on their trip. They leave the photocopy in their room in a safe, so that they may show it to their country’s embassy and the police when their passport is stolen.

If you are part of the EU, you do not need a visa to live or work in Greece, but as of 2016, we are unsure if Greece will remain in the EU. If you are from any other country, you will need a visa to enter Greece. You may not be able to enter with just your passport. If you are married to a person in Greece, you will still need a passport and visa to enter, to work, and to stay there for a while. Even for you have family that live in Greece, you will still need a visa. Work and tourist visas last for a varied amount of time. Common work visas last around 90 days, but some people are able to get them for 180 days.

A passport is an acceptable form of identification as is an ID card. Another form is your driving license.

For any animal to be cleared to enter Greece they will need a valid health certificate. Kindly ask your vet and the Greek embassy in your country, of the correct documents and certificates that you will be required to have for an animal to enter Greece.

The Greek people have national health insurance, which entitles them to a variety of free services within their national health system. The country also has private doctors and hospitals too. If you live in the European Union, you may be able to gain access to an E111 document that gives you access to some of their free healthcare within public hospitals. Since 2015, the Greek health service has been in meltdown because of the massive amount of debt that Greece has accrued. The meltdown is not a massive crisis as of 2016, but it may be a concern if you are planning to visit in the future. If you live outside of the EU, you should have travel insurance that includes medical insurance. Emergency care is given for free, but it is limited and a little unfair. If you have medical insurance, you are guaranteed more care that goes beyond life-saving care. However, both visitors and citizens are often asked for cash-in-hand payments for priority care. If you are not willing to bribe the hospital staff, your wait in the emergency room will be extended.

Private hospitals will need to see your medical insurance papers before admitting foreign patients, so do keep them with you at all times just in case the need arises. If you need emergency hospital treatment please call 166 which will contact you to the public ambulance service.

Many health problems in Greece are due to the sheer amount of water pollution the country has. Industrial, agricultural chemicals and sewerage has damaged their water table significantly. Smog is also a health concern, and is the reason why hundreds of citizens are admitted to hospital every year because of reparatory and heart problems.