Greece To Allow Entry To Tourists And Expats From June 1

British expats planning to relocate to Greece could enter from June 1.

Although Greece isn’t a major destination for British would-be expats, many have found homes on its islands and mainland coastal villages over the past few years. The trend is due to continue as Brexit creeps closer, and those interested will be able to take trips from June 1.

The Greek government acted swiftly and securely to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, rapidly introducing a lockdown and ban on visitors which proved to be successful. The first case was logged on February 26th, with the present-day totals at 2,726 cases and only 151 recorded deaths. As a result, the damage to the Greek economy is expected to be far less than in other popular Mediterranean states.

The Greek government is now acting swiftly to protect its important tourism industry, gradually easing the existing restrictions in a manner which will allow hospitality businesses to reopen without risking a second wave of infections. From today, those who owning tourist businesses can return and, if there’s no sign of a new case cluster, travel to and from mainland Greece and the Greek islands will be restriction-free from June 1.

It’s believed social distancing will be one of the very last rules to be relaxed, but a spokesperson from the Greek government told reporters the authority is eager to show visitors the hospitality for which it’s famous worldwide. In addition, Greece is working with EU leaders to devise a set of rules to apply to all holiday travel. It’s expected that domestic tourism will be revived first, followed by visitors from neighbouring states. The third stage will include those from middle-distance location and, finally, long-distance travellers from across the world.

At the same time, Spain has just ordered mandatory quarantine for all overseas arrivals, a step which is striking fear into the hearts of those expat businesses in the tourist sector which are still viable and hoping for a swift return to normal.