Greece Travel Safety Guide

The short version

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office carries no advisory against travel to any part of Greece. There is no restricted province, no border strip and no no-go island. The whole of the standing warning on the front of that advisory is wildfires.

That makes this a country where safety planning is about the season and the city rather than the map.

Wildfires

The FCDO records a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Fires are unpredictable and the situation can change quickly, which is why the practical advice is about warning rather than avoidance.

Set your phone to receive emergency alerts before you arrive, so the Greek government's Emergency Communication Service can reach you where you actually are. On an iPhone that is Settings, then Notifications, then Emergency Alerts at the foot of the list. On Android 11 and higher it is Settings, Notifications, Advanced Settings, Wireless Emergency Alerts. On a Samsung device it is Settings, Apps, Messages, Notifications, Emergency Notifications. Follow 112 Greece for official updates, and call 112 if you are in immediate danger or if you see a fire.

Causing a wildfire is a criminal offense in Greece even if it is unintentional. Leave no litter and no glass, make sure cigarettes are properly out, and do not light a barbecue.

Earthquakes and floods

There is a risk of earthquakes and tremors, and adverse weather including floods can arrive quickly. Both are standing facts about the country rather than warnings about a moment. Read your hotel's safety notice rather than skipping it, keep a phone and shoes within reach at night, and know that assembly points are published for anywhere in Greece.

Strikes, protests and Syntagma Square

This is the disruption that most often reaches a traveler. There are regular strikes, sometimes called at short notice, which can stop buses, trains, ferries and flights and can close roads and borders. Demonstrations gather around the major squares of central Athens, above all Syntagma.

Three dates recur every year: 1 May, 17 November, the anniversary of the violent suppression of student protests against the military dictatorship, known as the Polytechnio, and 6 December, the anniversary of the shooting of the fifteen-year-old student Alexandros Grigoropoulos. Some past demonstrations have turned violent, and security forces often use tear gas, which harms breathing and vision.

As of our review in September 2026 the FCDO also records a heightened risk of political protest, particularly in central Athens, and increased security at some prominent locations including tourist sites. Treat that paragraph as dated and check the live advisory before you travel. The response does not change: walk away from a crowd rather than toward it.

Terrorism

The FCDO's wording is that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Greece, and that attacks could be indiscriminate. The targets named in the record are Greek institutions, shopping malls, banks, media offices, diplomatic premises and the police. The most recent incident it lists is 1 July 2026, when three improvised incendiary device attacks against the homes of Greek political figures killed one person and injured four others. Ordinary urban alertness is the whole of the practical answer.

Everyday crime

Theft of passports, wallets and handbags is common on the Athens metro and in crowded tourist places, particularly in the center of the city. Do not carry everything in one place, keep a photograph of your passport page somewhere separate, and treat the crush at a metro door as the working conditions of a pickpocket rather than bad luck.

Driving, keep valuables out of sight, lock the car every time and park where there is light or a barrier. Around bars and clubs late at night, stay with the people you arrived with, watch each other's drinks, and use pre-arranged transport or a licensed app rather than a street pickup.

Carry your passport

Greek police may ask for identification and may not accept a copy. Carry the document itself. This matters more than it sounds for anyone who expects to be taken for a local.

Water, and the things that actually injure visitors

People drown in Greece every year, in the sea and in swimming pools. Supervise children and keep small ones within arm's reach even where there is a lifeguard. On an organized beach the flag system is the instruction: a red flag means do not enter the water. Hidden rocks and shallow water cause serious injury, so never dive into water you have not seen into. Follow local advice when jellyfish are present.

Quad bikes and mopeds injure and kill visitors every year. Get the training, wear the helmet, and read our guide to getting around before you hire anything, because the licensing rules are stricter than most people expect and the insurance is thinner.

Health before you go

Nothing exotic is needed for Greece. The FCDO asks you to check vaccine recommendations at least eight weeks before the trip, which is the only part of this that has a deadline. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists routine vaccines including measles, mumps and rubella for every international traveler, and suggests considering hepatitis A for most visitors and especially for anyone eating street food or traveling in villages and rural areas. Hepatitis B, tick-borne encephalitis and sand fly bites also appear on its Greece page. Dogs carrying rabies are not commonly found in Greece.

For ambulances, dial 112 or 166. Read this with visa and entry requirements and the best time to visit.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Greece travel advice: no advisory against travel to any part of the country, and a high risk of wildfires from April to October. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Greece safety and security: terrorism, strikes and demonstrations, theft on the Athens metro, water safety, road rules, wildfires and earthquakes. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Greece health: the emergency numbers, vaccine timing, prescription medicine rules, and healthcare that is good on the mainland and limited on some islands. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Travelers’ Health, Greece: routine vaccines, hepatitis A and B, measles, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis and insect bite prevention. Accessed 15 September 2026.