Greece has opened its borders: what are the entry conditions for Russians?

Greece joins the list of countries opening the border and restoring communication with the Russian Federation after more than five months of interruption.

According to a new government decree, Russian citizens will be able to visit Greece again from September 7, 2020. 

At the same time, a number of restrictions and additions will apply in the short term. In particular, daily traffic from Russia will not exceed 500 people, and only three airports will work in the direction of receiving Russian tourists - in Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion. For comparison, the tourist flow from Russia after the opening of the border with Turkey was estimated at 20,000 passengers a day.

In order to visit Greece legally, Russians will need to carry an English-language negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours or earlier before arriving in the country. In addition, confirmation of the booked hotel will be required. The airlines will check the availability of tests. 

The day before arriving in Greece, Russians will need to fill out a special electronic form indicating their place of residence in Greece. Upon arrival, selected passengers will be tested, and until the results are received, they will not be allowed to leave the location marked in the document. The fine for violating self-isolation will be 5,000 euros. The new decree of the Greek government, which regulates the visit of the country by Russian citizens, is valid until September 22.

Greece opened to third countries from 1 July. The possible timing of the resumption of regular flights with Russia has not yet been reported. Earlier, a number of countries removed the restriction on the admission of Russian tourists, but air traffic with some of them has not yet been restored.

Photo: depositphotos.com.