Greek authorities have announced that from the following week, quarantine restrictions will be lifted for travellers from the European Union and five other non-EU countries whose citizens have been tested negative or vaccinated against the COVID-19.

According to this decision, citizens of the EU, as well as the citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, will be allowed to enter Greece’s territory without having to follow quarantine restrictions.

All persons arriving from any EU or non-EU country mentioned above will not be required to self-isolate provided that they submit proof of having received the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines or show a negative PCR test result carried out not any longer than 72 hours before their entry into the country.

However, while in Greece, all tourists will be subject to domestic lockdown restrictions, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

The citizens of countries allowed to enter Greece will be able to get to their final destination via the following airports:

• Airport of Athens
• Airport of Thessaloniki
• Airport of Heraklion
• Airport of Chania
• Airport of Rhodes
• Airport of Kos
• Airport of Mykonos
• Airport of Santorini
• Airport of Corfu

Recently Greece has welcomed 189 Dutch travellers who will stay for eight days in one of its resorts for an experiment that aims to assess if safe holidays can be organised during a pandemic.

After experiencing a decade filled with financial crisis, Greece authorities claimed that the tourism sector is the main supporter of the country’s economy. Consequently, this led to their decision to reopen tourism starting from the middle of May.

“We will gradually lift the restrictions at the beginning of next week ahead of the opening on May 14,” a Greek official said.

The Tourism Minister of Greece Haris Theoharis has constantly stressed the importance of reopening the border for third-country citizens to help the tourism sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic damages.

In relation to that, Theoharis presented the country’s action plan from his position as the chairman of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Crisis Management Committee in a bid to revitalise the tourism sector worldwide for 2021.

Under the current restrictions, which will remain effective until next week, all foreigners entering Greece must stay in self-isolation for one week and test negative. Moreover, passengers from the UK and the United Arab Emirates are required to undergo a second Coronavirus test upon their arrival.

Previously, Greece abolished its restrictions on flights from three neighbouring countries. Thus, allowing citizens of Albania, North Macedonia, and Turkey to reach Greece through any of its airports.