Covid-19: Rules for Ferry Travel to the Greek Islands from the Mainland and Vice Versa

The Greek authorities recently updated the rules for ferry travel from the country’s islands to the mainland.

According to the update, people wanting to travel to the mainland from the Greek islands by ferry will need to present either a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, proof of recovery from the virus, a negative PCR test, a negative rapid test or a negative self-test (details can be found below).

Following is all the information travelers in Greece need to know if they are planning to travel on a ferry to and from the Greek islands.

Pre–boarding Health Form

All ferry passengers must fill out a health declaration questionnaire before boarding a ferry to travel from the mainland to the Greek islands and vice versa.

The online pre–boarding questionnaire can be found here in both Greek and English and can be submitted online.

It is noted that the questionnaire on the ministry’s site that can be downloaded and printed is still accepted by port authorities. (Is is available in Greek here and in English here.)

Passengers traveling between islands (e.g. Mykonos to Santorini) are not required to fill out the questionnaire.

The pre-boarding health declaration questionnaire is also available via ferry operators.

What Covid documents are needed to travel from the mainland to the islands

Adults in Greece (residents and foreign visitors) are allowed to travel from the mainland to the Greek islands by ferry only if they have one of the following:

1) a vaccination certificate stating that 14 days have passed since full vaccination for Covid-19.
Vaccination certificates must be issued by a public authority, include the travelers’ name, the type of vaccine administered and the number of doses. Greeks can issue their vaccination certificates here.

2) a negative PCR test performed less than three days (72 hours) prior to the scheduled travel date or a negative rapid antigen test taken 48 hours prior to travel.
Negative PCR test results can be in print or electronic form.

3) a recovery certificate. Travelers can present a medical/recovery certificate issued thirty days after they first tested positive for Covid-19 (the certificate is valid for 180 days after its issue date). The certificate must be issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory.

Alternatively, travelers may present, in digital or printed form, an EU Digital COVID Certificate, as proof that a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or received a negative test result (72-hour PCR or 48-hour rapid test) or recovered from the coronavirus.

Young people, minors

– Young people aged 12 (with date of birth after July 1, 2009) to 17 may present any test, including self-tests (taken at least 24 hours before travel), to embark on a ferry.
– Minors up to 12 years old (with date of birth before June 30, 2009) can travel on a ferry without presenting a test.

What Covid documents are needed to travel from the islands to the mainland

Photo: Shutterstock

The Shipping Ministry on Friday updated the rules passengers must follow for ferry travel from the Greek islands to the mainland.

Adults in Greece (residents and foreign visitors) are allowed to travel from the Greek islands to the the mainland by ferry only if they have one of the following:

1) a vaccination certificate stating that 14 days have passed since full vaccination for Covid-19.
Vaccination certificates must be issued by a public authority, include the travelers’ name, the type of vaccine administered and the number of doses. Greeks can issue their vaccination certificates here.

2) a negative PCR test performed less than three days (72 hours) prior to the scheduled travel date or a negative rapid antigen test taken 48 hours prior to travel.
Negative PCR test results can be in print or electronic form.

3) a recovery certificate. Travelers can present a medical/recovery certificate issued thirty days after they first tested positive for Covid-19 (the certificate is valid for 180 days after its issue date). The certificate must be issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory.

4) a negative self-test taken 24 hours before travel. (Negative self-test results must be filled out on the self-test declaration form on the self-testing.gov.gr platform found here in English and Greek.)

What Covid documents are needed to travel between the islands

To travel with a ferry between islands of the same regional group (for example from Mykonos to Santorini), passengers have the option to present a negative self-test for Covid-19 taken 24 hours before travel (the result must be filled out on the self-test declaration form on the self-testing.gov.gr platform found here in English and Greek.) or either a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, proof of recovery from the virus, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure or a negative rapid test conducted 48 hours before traveling.

However, when traveling between islands that are not of the same regional group (for example from Santorini to Heraklion, Crete) a Covid-19 self-test is not acceptable and passengers are obliged to present either a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, proof of recovery from the virus, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure or a negative rapid test carried out 48 hours before traveling.

Be at port of departure early

The Greek Shipping Ministry has announced that passengers that are to travel by ferry from the mainland to the Greek islands or vice versa should be at ports at least one and a half hour before their scheduled time of departure in order to facilitate the embarkation procedure.

Greece’s rules for travel from the mainland to the islands are part of the Greek government’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country.