🇬🇷

Greece

اليونان

📖 Full guideLast updated: 12/08/2026🏖️ Beaches 🏛️ History & culture 👨‍👩‍👧 Family & fun

Stunning islands for every style: Santorini for romance, Mykonos for scene, Crete and Rhodes for families — plus historic Athens. Relatively close with growing direct Gulf flights.

ℹ️ General information

Capital: Athens

Language: Greek

English among locals: Widespread

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Time zone: UTC+02:00

Weekend: Saturday–Sunday

🛂 Visa for Saudi passport

Visa required — 90 days

Schengen visa required in advance (via VFS/BLS centres): appointment + biometrics, ~15 working days processing — apply early. Valid across Schengen, 90 days in any 180.

Official source ↗

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🕓 Last officially verified: 12/08/2026

🗓️Best time to visit

Greece is a classic Mediterranean climate: hot, entirely dry summers and mild wet winters. July–August passes 35°C in Athens and brings peak crowds and prices, while May–June and September–October are far better — warm sea, comfortable weather and less crowded islands. One factor many miss: the northerly Meltemi winds blow hard across the Aegean in July and August, tempering the heat but sometimes disrupting island ferries — if your plan hops between islands, leave a spare day of slack. The mountains in the north (Meteora) are cooler and greener than most expect.

🕌 For the Muslim traveler

Halal food: Limited outside Athens — seafood and vegetarian dishes are the practical island fallback; check meat sourcing.

Prayer places: Athens' official mosque opened in 2020; on the islands nearly none — pray at your lodging.

Friday is an official holiday: No

🌙Ramadan & Eid

Athens' official mosque holds prayers; on islands rely on your lodging.

🎭Culture tips

Book island ferries and hotels early for summer. Santorini is pricey and packed — Crete and Naxos give families better value.

💳Cards & payments

Card acceptance is legally mandatory even at kiosks; keep small cash for older ferries. Apps: FreeNow, Ferryhopper.

📲Apps & internet

Everything works but Uber only hails licensed taxis — FreeNow is the norm. Ferryhopper for island ferry tickets.

🚗Driving there

Traffic keeps to the right side of the road, as in the Gulf (steering wheel on the left); IDP mandatory. On islands rent a small car or ATV carefully — roads are narrow; read the insurance fine print.

💵Tipping culture

Rounding up or 5–10% at restaurants is customary.

📶SIM & eSIM

Cosmote has the best island coverage (~EUR 20 tourist bundle). eSIM available.

🚇Getting around

Ferries are the island backbone (book ahead); domestic flights save time, and a small rental car works on islands.

💰 Approximate cost

Athens is reasonable (hotel EUR 90–170); Santorini/Mykonos double that in summer. Greek meal EUR 12–25.

ℹ️ Prices are approximate and subject to change

🛡️ Safety

Generally safe; light pickpocketing in Athens metro and tourist squares, and the summer sun is fierce.

⚠️ Key laws before you travel

Photographing military installations is prosecuted seriously (border islands especially). Climbing or touching fenced antiquities is fined. Drones are restricted over ruins.

ℹ️ Laws change — verify with official sources; this is not legal advice.

💊 Restricted medications

Codeine, tramadol, ADHD stimulants (Ritalin/Adderall) and benzodiazepine sedatives (Xanax, Valium) are treated as controlled substances entering Greece — carry the original prescription plus a doctor's letter, and contact EOF ([email protected]) or OKANA in advance. Melatonin is prescription-only too, unlike in the Gulf.

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🆘 Emergency & your embassy

Unified emergency: 112

Your embassy (🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia): طوارئ السعوديين بالخارج / Saudi emergencies abroad: 00966920033334 — الرقم الموحد للخدمات / services: 00966920011114 — أقرب سفارة وأرقامها المحلية / nearest mission & local numbers: saudiembassy.sa + تطبيق MOFA

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.