Greece introduces 7-day quarantine for travellers from the UK

All passengers arriving to Greece from the United Kingdom, must self-isolate for 7 days as of 6am on Monday, December 21.

The announcement was made by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection on Sunday.

Arrivals from any other country continue to face a 3-day quarantine.

The government implemented the extra measure after a new strain of coronavirus was identified in the United Kingdom and is "70% more infectious" according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Several European countries have halted flights from the UK altogether.

International travellers

International travellers arriving in Greece are required to:

• Present a negative COVID-19 test no older than 72 hours, upon arrival. At the same time, passengers also need to fill in a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at least a day before arrival.
• Take a rapid Covid-19 test upon entry
• Self isolate for 3 days

SMS 13033 for movement during lockdown

All individuals residing in Greece will be required to send an SMS text message to 13033 in order to obtain permission to leave their homes during the lockdown.

The SMS to 13033 should be formatted as follows: X (one of the digits 1-6 corresponding to the activities below), name, surname and address.

The six reasons (you must SMS) are:

1. Visit to a pharmacy or visit to a doctor if necessary
2. Visit to a supermarket or stores for essential supplies
3. Visit to a bank if e-banking transactions are not possible
4. Visit to people needing assistance or escorting children to and from school
5. Attending a funeral, as per the conditions provided by the law, or visiting children in case of divorced parents
6. Physical exercise outdoors or up to two persons taking their pet for a walk while always observing a 1.5-metre distance.