Greece

VISA REGIME

ENTERING AND LEAVING THE COUNTRY
Greece is a member of the Schengen Agreement, meaning that holders of biometric passports of the Republic of Serbia do not require a visa for a stay of up to 90 days during a period of six months. The passport needs to be valid for at least three months after the date of planned exit from Greece. If travelling for other reasons (study, work, reuniting families, etc.) with intent of staying in Greece for longer than 90 days, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate national visa prior to travel, used to initiate the procedure for obtaining a residence permit upon arrival in Greece.
Travellers are advised to check, when entering and leaving Greece, whether the Greece border authorities have placed an entry/exit seal in their passport (during the tourist season, due to the large crowds, the border authorities sometimes just check the passport and do not place a seal in it), to avoid issues when travelling to Schengen countries.
IMPORTANT: We would like to draw attention that, during the tourist season, citizens should not leave personal documents, suitcases, bags, and other valuable items in their vehicles. Additionally, it is advised for citizens to have copies of their passports and vehicle-related documents with them, as in case of theft or loss, possessing copies greatly facilitates the reporting process to the Greek Police, as well as potential recovery. The loss of a passport should be reported to the nearest police station or tourist police, while theft of cars and valuables should be reported to the regular police. Extra caution is recommended when parking motor vehicles (preferably in secure, fenced, or video-monitored areas).

SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT 
A Social Insurance Agreement has been in force since 1 March 2020, regulating pension and disability insurance, applying to all persons insured according to Serbian and Greek legislation in this area, and to persons exercising their rights to disbursements based on those persons (family members of deceased insurance holders, and/or beneficiaries).
The field of health insurance is not regulated by the Agreement.

USEFUL INFORMATION:             

HEALTH SITUATION – Healthcare services in Greece are sufficiently good, however the private sector is slightly better developed. Private clinics are well equipped, but services are also more expensive. State hospitals on duty do not charge for their services in emergencies. However, there were reported cases of refusal to admit Serbian citizens to hospitals during emergencies without insurance guarantees, and attempts to detain patients due to unpaid medical treatment expenses.
Note that Serbian citizens should pay for private health insurance prior to travelling to Greece, even if the amount is the lowest possible.
It is also advised, for the same reason, that prior to travelling to Greece citizens obtain certificates on the health status of the insured person from the main branches of the Republic Fund of Health Insurance to make use of healthcare services in emergencies, so that any potential expenses are recognised (it is necessary to keep the full set of documents on the medical intervention for the process of expense refunds).

SECURITY SITUATION – The overall security situation in Greece is good. Due to the austerity measures of the Government of Greece, protests are frequent in large cities, especially Athens and Thessaloniki. They regularly occur in certain, and mainly the same parts of the cities, thus if these are avoided, there is no danger for citizen safety.
Serbian citizens are advised to exercise caution due to the potential risk of theft, particularly during tourist season. It is recommended not to leave personal documents, suitcases, bags or other valuables in vehicles. Serbian citizens are advised to carry photocopies of passports and personal ID.
Certain tourist destinations, such as the town of Laganas on the island of Zakynthos, Kavos on the island of Corfu, or Malia on the island of Crete have a bad reputation, due to frequent incidents, thefts, excessive consumption of alcohol and narcotics abuse. This should be kept in mind when choosing a destination for a vacation in Greece.
Emergency telephone numbers: emergency medical assistance 112, fire-fighters 199, police 100, tourist police 1571, coast guard 108.

TRANSPORT – During short-term travel to Greece Serbian citizens may drive a motor vehicle using a national driver’s licence of the Republic of Serbia (except trial driving licenses). It is not necessary to have an international driving permit.
Serbian citizens staying in Greece for longer than 6 months must have a Greek driver’s licence. The Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Driver's Licences, coming into force in December 2019, made it possible to exchange a Serbian for a Greek driver’s licence without retaking the driver’s examination, for all Serbian citizens with regulated residence in Greece.
National insurance policies are valid in Greece for vehicles registered in Serbia, thus it is not necessary to have a green card for insurance.
The road network is well developed, with a number of highways. The most important highways are: Egnatia Odos (Igoumenitsa - border with Turkey), Ethniki Odos (Thessaloniki - Athens - Peloponnese) and Attiki Odos (Attica). These are all toll roads, information on the amount of toll can be found at http://diodia.com.gr.
The amended Law on Road Traffic has been in force since 30 March 2018, envisaging severe penalties for traffic offences. According to this regulation, offences have been sorted into three groups, depending on the degree of risk - low, medium and high risk offences, with appropriate fees for each group (first group of offences - EUR 100, second EUR 101 to 300, and third group EUR 301 to 600).
Of particular importance for drivers from the Republic of Serbia, tourists and professional drivers of freight vehicles and buses, is that in addition to the fee, the Law also envisages the withholding of the vehicle registration permit, removal of licence plates and withholding of the driver’s licence for a period of 60 days.
Some of the violations that envisage the withholding of documents and removal of licence plates for a 60 day period are: use of mobile telephone while driving without wireless headphones, and/or in-car hands-free device, not using seat belts, driving a motorcycle without a helmet, throwing out cigarette butts or similar objects that may cause a fire or accident, or that may pollute the environment, parking in places that prevent access to ramps for disabled persons or in places envisaged for disabled parking, driving (even for shorter distances) in the emergency stopping lane on a highway, violation of regulations on the transport of children.
For some violations, such as longer movement of heavy freight vehicles or buses in the rapid lane on a highway, the driver’s licence is withheld for 60 days.
Persons who have licenses to operate ships and vessels must have a corresponding license, which must be officially translated, as well as a confirmation from the Embassy or Consulate that the license was issued by the competent authority in R. Serbia.

OTHER – The official currency is the euro. Payment in other currencies is not possible. Card payment is possible in most shops, hospitality or accommodation facilities. However, some smaller retail or hospitality facilities sometimes do not have the necessary equipment and do not accept cards, thus it is desirable to always have a certain amount of cash on hand.

Contact information:
During your stay in Greece, for consular assistance and protection you may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Athens (address: Vasilissis Sofias Ave. 106, 11527 Athens), at the following telephone numbers: +30 210 777 4344, +30 210 777 4355 and +30 210 747 2360, or by e-mail: embassy.athens@mfa.rs and embassy.athens.consular@mfa.rs.
If you are staying in Northern Greece or the island of Thasos, for consular assistance and protection you may contact the General Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Thessaloniki (address: Komninon 4, 54624 Thessaloniki), at the following telephone numbers +30 2310 244 265, +30 2310 244 266 and +30 2310 244 267, or e-mail: srbcons@otenet.gr.