Proof of Covid Vaccination status if travelling from UK. Everything you want to ask, read or write about Sfakia, southwest Crete, or Crete island in general.

[rambler]

Just in case persons travelling to Greece from UK are not aware of this - if you are using a printed copy of your proof of vaccination status, Greece now states that it should be dated from Novenber 1st onwards as they have had some problems with the barcode on the forms issued before then . I know Spain also requires this so it may possibly be an EU entry requirement from the UK. Can I ask a question to the forum for those that have travelled to Greece & shown these forms upon entry . Has anyone had any problems about the form not showing your full name whereas your passport does show your full name?? Thanks Dave

[jan]

A negative and not very helpful reply from me.

We travelled to and from Greece in September and had no problems at all with entry or exit. It appears that the UK government has devolved responsibility for checking travel documents to the airlines, and on departure from the UK our airline (easyJet) staff certainly gave both our passports and vaccination 'proof' a thorough look. Entering Greece, the chaps who were supposed to check the same documentation weren't interested - "you've come from England? You're OK'.

On our return the Greek airline staff checked passports and also the proof of the negative test taken a day before we flew. At the UK border the e-gates were functioning and there was no check whatsoever of papers.

That said, we both have one forename and one surname, so by default they're the same on all documentation.

[Marie and Andrew]

Hello,
We are living in Sweden and have been travelling to Greece from Kastrup Copenhagen in Denmark October 2020 and July, August and October 2021 and this is our experience during covid-19.

2020
In October 2020 it was only negative covid-test to show, no vaccination yet.
2021
We showed the covid-pass at the airport In Denmark 2 of our 3 trips 2021.
We did not show any documents landing on the island Karpathos in July or in Heraklion in August or in Chania a few weeks ago. But they had a few spotchecks.
When we flow back we only showed the documents on the last trip now in October from Chania. And we can not imagine that anyone in Greece will check if one of your names are missing on your PLF document or in the covid-Vacc-documents. Hope this information is of help.

Best regards
Marie and Andrew in Sweden

[Joan]

Has anyone had any problems about the form not showing your full name whereas your passport does show your full name?? Thanks Dave[/quote]



No problem for me on four UK/Greece flights this year. My NHS vaccination record shows only my first name; my passport has my middle name as well.

Question from me: if we succeed in flying out to Greece next month, are our printed UK vaccination records going to get us into tavernas? (Our booster jab records can't be printed, although we have their NHS cards, as the UK (lack of) system only shows the first and second jab.)

Joan

[Marie and Andrew]

Hello Joan,
The 3 Vacc has just started in some countries in Europe and in Greece are only 61% vaccinated so they are not worried about your 3 dose. Of course your covid vacc certificate will allow you in to restaurants with your covid-pass in Greece. We came home one week ago and no one mentioned a 3 dose. You should not worry.

Best regards
Marie and Andrew Taylor

[Joan]

I wish I felt fully confident. The potentially big issue isn't the booster jab record - it's our lack of EU certification of the first two jabs. We ate in tavernas in Crete many times during September/October, almost invariably eating outside. The rules tightened as we left at the start of November in respect of inside eating.
In December we will certainly want to eat indoors. All the references we can find are to venues having to check or scan the EU vaccination record. No mention of the NHS vaccination record (which we have both on our phones and printed).
So I still worry that we will have to self-cater!

Joan

[jan]

Joan - a friend is travelling to Greece from the UK any day now, returning in a couple of weeks time.

If I remember, I'll ask her on her return about her experience of indoor eating, though she's going to a very small island where I suspect rules may not be enforced in the way they might in a city. Please remind me if I don't get back to you.

Jan

[Joan]

Thanks Jan. It will be good to know what happens in practice.

I found this (translated by Google) in today's (Nov 10th) Haniotika Nea, which sounds reassuring:

"The problem of entering retail stores and restaurants was faced by several citizens from third countries (ie countries outside the European Union) who are vaccinated but their certificates are not "scanned" by the Greek application, nor of course can not obtain the european pass .

The solution to the issue of control of vaccination certificates from third countries was given yesterday by the Ministry of Development and Investment, in which it is clarified that "the entry and service of foreign clients who have a vaccination certificate or recent illness from a country outside the European Union is allowed of the paper certificate and demonstration of a proof of identity (passport), without the need for verification with the special application COVID Free GR. "

Joan

[jan]

Good, that sounds positive.

[rambler]

Thankyou all for your input. Dave