Flying to Greece? Everything to know before you go (2026 guide)

Entering Greece: passport, EES and ETIAS

• No visa: Israeli citizens enter Greece (and the whole Schengen area) visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Passport: must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area.
• EES: since October 2025 Europe has a digital entry/exit system. On first entry your fingerprints and photo are taken. It takes a few minutes, so expect a longer queue the first time.
• ETIAS: an online travel authorisation Israelis will need. According to the European Commission it is due to start in the last quarter of 2026; the exact date has not been announced. Check before you fly.

Getting from Athens airport to the city

Tip: a 3-day tourist ticket costs €20 and includes one airport round trip by metro or express bus.

Money, cards and prices

• The currency is the euro. Almost every business in Greece must accept cards, including taxis and kiosks.
• Cash payments are limited to €500 per transaction. Above that, pay by card or transfer.
• Sample prices in Athens: cappuccino about €3.70, meal at a cheap restaurant about €15, meal for two at a mid-range restaurant about €60. Full comparison with Tel Aviv.

The climate fee: a per-night charge at hotels

Greece charges a fee per night on top of the room price. It depends on the type of accommodation and the season:

Strikes: check before every flight and ferry

Greece has quite a few transport strikes: flights, ferries, metro and taxis. They are usually announced days in advance and sometimes called off at the last minute. All upcoming strikes are here, and you can sign up for phone alerts.

Ferries to the islands

• Athens ports: Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio. Rafina and Lavrio are closer to the airport.
• In July and August strong winds blow (the meltemi). When the wind is very strong the port authority stops sailings, and fast boats are cancelled first.
• Book ahead in summer and on holiday weekends, and keep a spare day between returning from the island and your flight home.

Kosher food and Shabbat

• Athens: Chabad House and Gostijo restaurant (meat) at Aisopou 10 in Psiri, and the dairy café Parakalo at Mikonos 18.
• Thessaloniki: Shalom restaurant at the Astoria hotel (fully open March to October).
• Rhodes: Jerusalem restaurant at the Chabad House in Ialysos.
• Crete: a Chabad restaurant in Analipsi, near Hersonissos.
• Mykonos: KosherMykonos shop and delivery.
• Shabbat times for Athens and Thessaloniki are on every page of the site. All addresses and phones.

A few more things worth knowing

• Water: tap water in Athens is safe to drink.
• Power: 230 volts, type C/F sockets (two round pins). Chargers with a European two-pin plug work as they are; an Israeli three-pin plug needs an adapter.
• Time: for most of the year there is no time difference between Greece and Israel.
• Emergency: 112 is the general emergency number and answers in English. All emergency numbers and what to do if you lose your passport or need a doctor.