At a glance

What does rental insurance cover in Greece?

Rental insurance in Greece always includes third-party cover, because the law requires it for every vehicle. Damage to the rented car or scooter is yours, up to an excess of about €650 to €3,000 with a damage waiver. Tyres, glass, the underside and ferry crossings without written approval often stay outside.

  • Third-party cover comes with every rental, because Greek law obliges every registered vehicle to carry it1. It does not pay for the rented vehicle, nor for the injuries of its driver2.
  • With a damage waiver (CDW), Autohellas Hertz leaves you liable for €650 to €3,000, depending on the group, at €12 to €80 a day3. Europcar asks €700 to €1,300 plus VAT, at €5 to €9.50 plus VAT a day2.
  • Tyres, wheels and the underside sit outside the waiver at both firms. Europcar also leaves out windscreens, mirrors, keys and the interior32.
  • Ferries need written permission at pick-up. Without it, you carry the whole risk while the vehicle is on board32.
  • A moped needs a licence with at least category A1, says the UK government. Helmets are compulsory for rider and passenger4.
  • The deposit sits on a credit card. Hertz blocks the excess, and release can take up to 14 days3.

Hiring a car on Crete or a scooter on Naxos looks simple at the counter. A form, a card, a key. The insurance behind it has three layers, and only the first one is complete. This guide is for visitors and residents who rent in Greece and want to know, before they sign, what they would pay after a scratch, a puncture, a theft or a crash. The figures come from the published terms of two large rental firms, Autohellas Hertz and Europcar, and from Greek law. Local firms on the islands set their own terms, so read theirs the same way.

Layer one: third-party cover, always included

Greek law puts the duty on whoever owns or keeps a vehicle based in Greece. That person must insure the liability that its use creates towards other people, from the day it gets plates1. A rental company owns its fleet, so every car and scooter it hires out carries that cover. Europcar says so in its terms: third-party insurance is mandatory by Greek law and included free of charge2. Hertz lists liability to third parties for death, injury and property as part of the rental3.

The legal minimum is €1,300,000 per injured person for bodily injury and €1,300,000 per accident for damage to property1. If you hit another car, a wall or a pedestrian, this layer pays them.

Two things it never pays. The first is the vehicle you rented. The second is you. Europcar spells it out: the third-party cover excludes the driver of the rented vehicle2. Passengers are third parties and are covered; the person at the wheel is not. For that gap, some firms sell personal accident cover, and a travel policy may help.

Layer two: the damage waiver and its excess

The rented vehicle is your responsibility. If you sign without a damage waiver, the company can charge you for the whole repair. Europcar writes that without the collision damage waiver the renter pays the total amount of the damage2.

The waiver, called CDW, does not remove that liability. It caps it at an amount called the excess. The two firms publish their caps:

Company Excess with the waiver Daily price of the waiver
Autohellas Hertz, groups A, B, J, Z, AE, ZE, V2 €650 €12
Autohellas Hertz, groups C, D, F, K, M, P, R, T €800 €15
Autohellas Hertz, group E and 17 more groups €1,000 €23
Autohellas Hertz, groups 9, SY, SE, 9F, V6 €1,300 €44
Autohellas Hertz, groups 3, 9L, YP €3,000 €80
Europcar, mini and economy €700 plus VAT €5 plus VAT
Europcar, compact and intermediate €800 plus VAT €7 plus VAT
Europcar, standard, full size and van €1,300 plus VAT €9.50 plus VAT

Sources: Hertz terms3, Europcar terms2. Airport fees may come on top.

Both firms sell a second layer that lowers the excess further. Hertz calls it SCDW and brings the cap down to €160 for groups A, B, J, Z, AE, ZE and V2, at a higher daily charge3. Europcar’s SCDW halves the excess, provided that the damage does not come from a breach of the traffic code2.

Theft

Theft has its own waiver. At Europcar the theft waiver caps your liability for a stolen car at the same amounts as the damage waiver, and without it you owe the value of the car2. At Hertz, theft protection caps the loss at €650 to €3,000 by group, for €6 to €40 a day3. Neither covers your own belongings left inside. Europcar adds that you must hand back the key and a police report of the theft, so never leave the key in the car2.

The fee after any accident

Expect a small charge even when the other driver is at fault. Hertz charges a non-refundable €30 for administration after an accident, whatever your share of blame3. Europcar charges €25 plus VAT after damage or theft, also regardless of fault2.

What the waivers leave out

The excess is the cap only for damage that the waiver covers. Several kinds of damage are outside it from the start, and you pay them in full.

  • The underside. Hertz excludes damage to the underside, the wheels and the tyres3. Europcar excludes the underside and the interior2. A rocky track to a beach can cost you a sump or an exhaust.
  • Tyres and glass. Hertz sells a separate tyre and glass cover at €5.50 a day. Without it, you pay the full value of damaged tyres, the windscreen, side windows and rear window3. Europcar’s waivers exclude windscreens, mirrors, the antenna, wheels and tyres2.
  • Keys and fuel. Europcar excludes damage to keys and the wrong fuel2.
  • Unpaved roads. Europcar forbids use outside the asphalt road network. If a car gets stuck off the official road network, the driver pays for the tow2.
  • Alcohol and the traffic code. Europcar forbids driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and its super waiver does not apply to damage from a breach of the traffic code2.
  • Natural events. Europcar’s waivers exclude acts of God2.

Read the list on your own contract. The categories above are typical, but each firm words them differently.

Ferries and islands

Many visitors want to take the car from Piraeus to Paros, or from Crete to Santorini. Both firms allow it only with permission given at pick-up.

At Hertz, ferry transport is allowed only with the prior written approval of the company and only if you accept its Ferry Boat Cover, at €20 a day with a maximum of €60 per rental. Without both, you are liable for all damage during the crossing3.

At Europcar, written authorisation is mandatory at pick-up and costs €25 plus VAT per direction. A car without it has no cover for damage or loss while it is on the ship2.

If you plan an island hop, decide at the counter, not at the port. A scratch in the hold of a ferry, with no permission on the contract, is a scratch you pay in full.

Scooters, mopeds and quads

The UK government warns that every year people suffer serious injury, and some die, in accidents with quad bikes in Greece4.

The licence. To hire a moped you need a valid licence with at least category A1, the light motorcycle, according to the UK government. Category P, which lets a UK driver ride a moped up to 50 cc at home, is not valid in Greece. A provisional licence is not valid for driving or hiring any vehicle4. Check that your licence holds the category of the vehicle you hire. If the police stop you on the wrong licence, they fine you and take your licence4.

The helmet. Riders and passengers of mopeds and quads must wear a helmet. Riding without one may invalidate your insurance4.

The cover. Insurance sold by a hire company usually provides only third-party cover. The company will probably charge you for any damage to the vehicle, and you may face arrest if you do not pay4. A shop renting scooters on an island may offer no damage waiver at all. Ask what you owe if the scooter falls over in a car park, and get the answer on the contract.

Your own travel policy. It may cover medical costs after a scooter crash, but only within its conditions. In a decision of 2023, the UK Financial Ombudsman Service looked at a policy that covered mopeds up to 125 cc only for a rider with the required training and a helmet, and excluded quad bikes and electric scooters at any time. The rider had hired a 125 cc moped without that training, and the ombudsman agreed that the insurer could refuse the medical claim5. Our travel insurance guide covers the medical side in more detail.

The deposit on your card

Every firm blocks money on a card as security. It is not a charge, but it reduces what you can spend until it is released.

  • Hertz pre-authorises an amount equal to the excess of the cover in your rental. With its super cover, the block falls to €100 to €500, by group. Release can take up to 14 days, depending on the bank that issued the card3.
  • Europcar blocks €290 for its mini to intermediate groups and €390 for the larger ones. The deposit goes only on a valid credit card in the renter’s name. Prepaid cards, virtual cards and contactless payment at the counter are not accepted as a guarantee, and the card must be physical2.

At Europcar a debit card can pay for the rental but cannot carry the deposit2. Bring a physical credit card with enough room on it.

The age and the licence the desk asks for

Hertz requires a driver over 21 for groups A, B, J, Z and V2 and over 25 for the rest, with a licence held for at least a year. Drivers of 19 and 20 can rent groups A, B, Z, J, AE, ZE and V2 with a surcharge of €10 a day, if they have held a licence for 12 months3. Europcar asks for a full licence held for at least 12 months. Holders of a licence from outside the EU or Switzerland must also present an international driving permit2. If you live in Greece on a foreign licence, our guide to a foreign driving licence in Greece explains which licences are valid.

What the law says

  • Presidential Decree 237/1986, article 2, as replaced by article 4 of Law 5113/2024: the owner or keeper of a vehicle based in Greece must insure its third-party liability, without a break, from the day it receives its registration and plates1.
  • Article 6 of the same decree, as amended by article 5 of Law 5113/2024, sets the minimum amounts: €1,300,000 per injured person and €1,300,000 per accident for property1.
  • Everything else in this guide, the waiver, the excess, the deposit and the ferry rules, is contract. The law does not set it, and each firm writes its own.

An example: a week on Naxos

Sofia and Tom fly to Naxos for a week. They rent a group A car from Autohellas Hertz for four days and a 125 cc scooter for three.

The car comes with third-party cover. They add the damage waiver at €12 a day, which leaves them liable for up to €650. The card is blocked for the same €650. On the road to a beach, a stone thrown up by a truck cracks the windscreen. Glass is outside the waiver, and they did not buy the tyre and glass cover at €5.50 a day, so they pay for the windscreen in full3. Four days of glass cover would have cost €22.

The scooter shop offers only third-party cover. Tom has a car licence and a UK category P from years ago. That is not enough for a 125 cc scooter in Greece4. Sofia holds category A1, so she rides, with both of them in helmets. Their travel policy covers mopeds up to 125 cc with a valid licence and a helmet, so they read it before they leave the hotel, not after.

The mistakes that cost money

  1. Assuming the waiver covers everything. Tyres, glass, the underside and the interior are often outside it32.
  2. Boarding a ferry without written permission. The whole risk on the ship is then yours32.
  3. Riding on the wrong licence. A fine, the loss of your licence, and a travel claim that nobody pays45.
  4. Leaving the key in the car. Theft cover depends on the key and a police report2.
  5. Bringing only a debit card. The deposit needs a physical credit card in your name2.
  6. Not photographing the vehicle at pick-up and return. Without photos, the existing scratch becomes yours. Take pictures of every side, the wheels and the glass.

The rental desk sells cover for the vehicle you hire, for a few days. Your own cover, for your health, your trip and the car you drive at home, is a different purchase. Our comparison of travel insurance shows our own estimate for each company and where every number comes from.

Frequently asked questions

Is insurance included when I rent a car in Greece?

Third-party insurance is always included, because Greek law requires every vehicle on the road to carry it. It pays for the people and the property you damage. It does not pay for the rented car itself, and it does not pay for your own injuries as the driver. For damage to the car you need the damage waiver, and even then you pay up to the excess.

How much is the excess on a rental car in Greece?

It depends on the company and the car group. In the published terms of Autohellas Hertz the damage waiver leaves you liable for €650 to €3,000, for €12 to €80 a day. In the Greek terms of Europcar it is €700 to €1,300 plus VAT, for €5 to €9.50 plus VAT a day. Without the waiver you can be liable for the whole damage.

Can I take a rental car on the ferry to an island?

Only with written permission from the rental company, given at pick-up. Autohellas Hertz sells a ferry cover at €20 a day, up to €60 a rental. Europcar charges €25 plus VAT for each crossing. Without the permission, both say that you carry the whole risk of damage while the car is on the ship. Ask before you book the ferry ticket.

What licence do I need to rent a scooter in Greece?

The UK government advises that a moped in Greece needs a licence with at least category A1, the light motorcycle. The UK category P for mopeds up to 50 cc is not valid in Greece, and a provisional licence is not valid for any vehicle. Look at the categories printed on your licence before you pay for the scooter, and ask the shop what it requires.

Why did the rental desk block money on my credit card?

That is the security deposit. Autohellas Hertz blocks an amount equal to the excess of the cover in your rental, or €100 to €500 with its super cover, and the release can take up to 14 days. Europcar blocks €290 or €390 by car group, on a physical credit card in the name of the renter. Prepaid and virtual cards are refused.

Does my travel insurance pay if I crash a rented scooter?

Only if the policy names scooters or mopeds and you meet its conditions. Some policies set an engine limit, such as 125 cc, and ask for a helmet and the right licence or training. In a case decided by the UK Financial Ombudsman Service in 2023, an insurer refused a moped claim because the rider lacked the training that the policy required, and the ombudsman agreed.

Laws the article cites: Presidential Decree 237/1986 art. 2 · Law 5113/2024 art. 4 and 5

Sources

  1. ↑Law 5113/2024 (Government Gazette A 96/21.06.2024), article 4: the duty to insure (art. 2 of Presidential Decree 237/1986), and article 5: the minimum amounts, 2024
  2. ↑Europcar (KINSEN Hellas), Greece terms and conditions, June 2023
  3. ↑Autohellas Hertz, Car rental general terms and conditions, October 2026
  4. ↑GOV.UK, Greece travel advice: safety and security, October 2026
  5. ↑UK Financial Ombudsman Service, decision DRN-4422715: a moped claim and the terms of a travel policy, 2023