At a glance

Do you need travel insurance for a holiday in Greece?

Yes, for most visitors. An EHIC or GHIC gives free care in Greek public hospitals and health centres, but it pays nothing for a private clinic, a flight home or a quad accident. Visitors from outside Europe need a policy, and a Schengen visa asks for at least €30,000 of medical cover.

  • An EHIC from the EU or a GHIC from the UK makes Greek public hospitals and health centres free. Show it with your passport.
  • Private clinics without an EOPYY contract take nothing from it. Contracted ones charge a share.
  • Urgent island transfers to a public hospital are usually free. Flights home never are.
  • Mopeds need category A1. Many insurers exclude quads, and rental shops sell third-party cover only.
  • Wildfires threaten from April to October; strikes halt ferries at short notice. Buy cover before any strike is announced.
  • Travellers from outside Europe need their own policy; Schengen visas demand €30,000 of medical cover.

For most European visitors the Greek public health system is free. The gaps are in what the system does not do: it does not pay the private clinic next to your hotel, it does not fly you home, and it does not cover the risks of the quad you hired. This guide goes through each gap, with the rules that apply to visitors in 2026.

Visitors from the EU and the UK: what the card covers

Residents of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland carry the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). British residents carry its successor, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or an older UK EHIC still in date. Romanians know theirs as the CEASS, issued free by their national health insurance house 1.

Greece honours it within its public system, on equal terms with local patients. EOPYY, the Greek national health fund, spells those terms out 2:

  • Public hospitals of the national health system (ESY) treat you free of charge. In an emergency you go straight to the hospital on duty that day.
  • A private clinic with a contract with EOPYY treats you too, but you pay a co-payment.
  • A private clinic without a contract does not take the card at all. You pay every cost yourself.
  • Medicines on a prescription carry a co-payment, in most cases 25% of the price.

Present it alongside a passport or identity card. It proves entitlement; nobody charges anything to it.

Its limits matter more. Britain’s Foreign Office names five costs neither GHIC nor EHIC meets here: altered bookings, extra treatment costs, medical repatriation, non-urgent treatment and private healthcare 3. Those five explain why European visitors still buy travel insurance. One pays for a hospital bed; the other pays for everything surrounding it.

Visitors from outside Europe

A visitor from the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, the Gulf or anywhere outside the EHIC countries has no card to show. Treatment in Greece is then billed to you, and the policy you bring is the only thing between you and the bill.

If you need a Schengen visa to enter Greece, the policy is not a choice. The Visa Code sets the floor in its article 15: medical cover of at least €30,000, for emergency medical care, urgent hospital treatment and repatriation for medical reasons or after death 4. The cover must be valid in the whole Schengen area, not only in Greece, and for every day of the stay you declare. A policy that ends the day before your flight home is a policy the consulate can refuse.

The €30,000 is a legal minimum, not advice. It is the amount below which a consulate turns the policy down. A long stay, an older traveller or a trip to several islands is a reason to choose more.

The islands: health centres, clinics and getting off

The quality of care on the mainland is generally good. On the islands it varies, and the UK government says so in its advice: facilities on some islands may be limited 3. On a small island the nearest care may be a health centre, and a serious case may have to move to a larger hospital elsewhere.

In an emergency

Dial 112, the European emergency number, or 166, the number of EKAV, the Greek national centre for emergency care. EKAV takes you to the public hospital on duty, and the ambulance is free 2.

Getting off the island

When a patient has to leave an island fast, the transfer by air ambulance is the job of EKAV, and EOPYY states that it is free of charge in most cases, such as an urgent transfer from an island 2. That transfer takes you to a Greek public hospital. It does not take you home.

Two journeys are yours to pay:

  1. A transfer you choose. A private air ambulance to a private clinic, or a transfer that is not urgent, falls outside the free service.
  2. The journey home. Flying a patient back to their own country, with a stretcher, a nurse or a doctor on board, is medical repatriation. Neither the EHIC nor the GHIC pays for it 3. Only the repatriation cover of a travel policy does.

The clinic next to the hotel

On the islands that visitors know best, a private clinic is often the nearest door. A hotel may call its own doctor, and that doctor may work for a private clinic. Before you are treated, ask one question: does the clinic have a contract with EOPYY? If it does, the card gives you its share and you pay the rest. If it does not, the card gives you nothing, and the bill goes to your travel insurer, if you have one 2.

Your policy may ask you to call its assistance line before a planned admission, so call it as soon as you can. In a true emergency you go to the nearest place first.

Keep every paper: the doctor’s report, the invoice, the receipt and the prescription. A claim without them is a claim that waits.

Travel insurance for the Greek islands: what changes away from the mainland

An island holiday puts four questions to your cover that a city break in Athens does not. Where is the nearest public doctor? What does it cost to leave the island on a stretcher? What happens when the ferry is late or does not sail? And does the policy follow you onto a scooter or a quad? This section takes them in turn.

Health centres: where the card works on a small island

Outside the cities, public care in Greece runs through a network of health centres. EOPYY, the national health fund, explains that in rural and semi-urban areas most care outside hospital comes from these centres, and that the rural surgeries and local health units of a district are linked to them2. On a small island, the health centre may be the only public service. It treats EHIC and GHIC holders on the same terms as Greek patients2.

Three costs remain even with the card:

  • Medicines. You pay 25% of the price of a prescribed medicine, plus a fee of €1 for each electronic prescription, which nobody refunds2.
  • A private clinic with an EOPYY contract. You pay a share of the hospital bill: 30% of the cost by diagnosis group, or 10% for daily care. The doctor’s fees and a better room come on top2.
  • The dentist. EOPYY has no contracted dentists, so a broken tooth on holiday is a private bill in full2.

A travel policy with medical cover pays these shares. The card does not.

What it costs to leave the island

When a patient’s life is at risk, EKAV moves them to the mainland by air ambulance, and EOPYY says that this is free of charge in most cases. It does not say every case2. The free flight goes to a Greek public hospital. Everything after that, a private clinic, a flight home on a stretcher, a nurse beside you, is a private cost.

We found no Greek public price list for those flights. The UK government gives the clearest public figure we found. Its guide to foreign travel insurance names a quad bike accident in Greece, with surgery and a medical evacuation or repatriation, as a cost of more than £80,000 for a traveller without insurance5. For comparison, it gives more than £25,000 for a broken leg in Spain with possible evacuation5. Those are the sums that the repatriation cover of a policy exists for. When you compare policies, look at the limit for medical expenses and repatriation, not only at the price.

Ferries: your rights when the boat is late

EU law gives sea passengers their own rights, separate from any insurance. They apply to the ferry companies that serve the islands6.

  • Information. If a departure is cancelled or delayed, the company must tell you no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled time, and give the expected departure as soon as it knows it6.
  • Food and a bed. If the company expects a delay of more than 90 minutes, it must offer snacks, meals or refreshments. If you need to stay overnight, it must offer accommodation and transport to it. The company may cap the hotel at €80 a night, for up to three nights6.
  • Another boat or your money back. For a cancellation or a delay of more than 90 minutes, you choose between the earliest comparable sailing at no extra cost and a refund of the ticket within 7 days6.
  • Compensation for a late arrival. You can claim 25% of the ticket price for a delay of at least 1 hour on a trip of up to 4 hours, 2 hours on a trip of 4 to 8 hours, and 3 hours on a trip of 8 to 24 hours. If the delay is double those times, you get 50%6.

The exception matters in Greece. If the company proves that weather made sailing unsafe, it owes no hotel and no compensation. It still owes the choice between another boat and a refund. Compensation also falls away for extraordinary circumstances that the company could not avoid6. So if the boat stays in port because of the weather, the hotel may be your own bill.

None of these rights pays for the flight you miss in Athens. That is the job of the missed departure or missed connection cover of a travel policy. Read its conditions before you book the connection. And buy the policy early: insurers do not pay for a strike that was announced before you bought it7.

Scooters and quads in the small print

The rules of the road are covered below. The question here is the policy. A travel policy that covers your medical bills in a taxi may cover nothing if you crash a scooter.

The wording of one British policy, quoted in a decision of the UK Financial Ombudsman Service in 2023, shows the pattern. Its summary said there was no cover for a motorcycle above 125 cc, for a rider without the licence or training that the policy required, or for a rider who broke local safety laws. Quad bikes, all-terrain vehicles and electric scooters were not covered at any time. The full terms covered mopeds up to 125 cc only with the training passed and a helmet worn8. A traveller hired a 125 cc moped without the training, crashed, and needed surgery. The insurer refused the claim, and the ombudsman agreed8.

Your policy may differ, but these are the four places to look:

  1. The engine size. A policy may set a limit, such as the 125 cc in the policy above8. Check the engine size of the scooter against it before you ride.
  2. The licence. The policy may ask for a licence or a training course that it names. For a moped in Greece, the UK government says you need at least category A19.
  3. The helmet. Riding without one breaks Greek law and may invalidate your insurance9.
  4. The quad. If the policy excludes quads, you have no cover on one, whatever the rest of the policy says.

What the rental shop sells, and what it leaves to you, is in our guide to renting a car or a scooter in Greece.

Scooters, quads and hired cars

The UK government warns that every year people suffer serious injury and even death in accidents with quad bikes in Greece 9.

Three rules decide whether you are covered.

The licence. To ride a moped in Greece you need a valid driving licence with at least category A1, the light motorcycle. The UK category P, which is valid in the UK for mopeds up to 50 cc, is not valid in Greece. For a quad, check that your licence holds the category of the vehicle you hire 9. If you ride without the right licence, a travel policy may refuse the claim.

The helmet. Drivers and passengers of quad bikes and mopeds must wear a helmet 9.

The policy. Quad biking is defined as an extreme sport and excluded on many travel policies 9. Read the activities list of your policy, and its conditions for a moped, not its front page. If quads are excluded, choose another policy or another way to see the island.

The insurance sold by the hire company usually covers only third parties 9. It pays for the car you hit, not for the quad you ride or for your own injuries. Damage to the vehicle you hire is your bill, unless you bought a waiver at the desk or a policy that covers the excess.

For a car, a UK photocard licence is enough to drive in Greece. A holder of an old paper licence may need a photocard or the 1968 international driving permit 9. If you live in Greece on a foreign licence, our guide to a foreign driving licence in Greece covers what Greek insurers accept.

Wildfires, strikes and ferries that do not sail

Summer in Greece brings two risks that have nothing to do with health.

Wildfires. The risk of wildfires is high from April to October 9. A fire can close roads, empty a resort or stop you reaching your hotel. Whether a travel policy pays depends on its list of reasons to cancel or to cut the trip short. Some name a natural disaster at the destination, some name an official warning against travel, and some name neither. Read the list before you buy.

Strikes. Strikes are regular in Greece and are sometimes called at short notice. They can stop buses, trains, ferries and flights 9. For an insurer the date matters most. If you buy your policy after a strike is declared, there is no cover for it, because it is a known event 7. So buy the cover on the day you book the trip, not the day before you leave.

A package holiday has rights of its own. If a natural disaster or a serious security problem at the destination stops a package holiday, the organiser may cancel it, and you have the right to a full refund of what you paid. You may also cancel the package free of charge for the same reasons 10. That right comes from EU law and does not depend on any insurance. A trip that you book piece by piece, a flight here and a room there, has no such protection, and the policy is your only cover.

Ferries. A ferry cancelled by the weather or by a strike can cost you a connecting flight. Look in your policy for missed departure or missed connection cover, and read the conditions it sets.

What to buy, in order

For a visitor from Europe the list is short:

  1. Carry your card. The EHIC or the GHIC, valid for the whole trip, with your passport or identity card.
  2. Medical cover beyond the card. Private treatment, the costs the card leaves to you, and a doctor on the phone.
  3. Repatriation. The one cover that no card gives 3.
  4. The activities you will do. Mopeds, quads, diving, sailing. If you will do it, the policy should name it.
  5. Cancellation and missed departure. Bought on the day you book, so a strike or a fire announced later is covered.

For a visitor from outside Europe, the first two lines are one: the policy has to do all of the work, from the first consultation to the flight home, and a visa policy has to reach at least €30,000 4.

Before you fly

  • Check the date on your EHIC or GHIC. An expired card is no card.
  • Save the emergency number of your insurer in your phone, and the numbers 112 and 166.
  • Write down the name of your policy and its number in a message to yourself.
  • If you will hire a moped or a quad, check the category on your licence and the activities list of your policy.
  • If you take medicines, carry your prescriptions, and a list of the active substances.
  • If you travel on a package, keep the contract. It is the document behind your right to a refund.

The mistakes that cost the most

  1. Trusting the card for everything. The card covers the public system. It does not cover the private clinic on the beach road, or the flight home 3.
  2. Accepting the hotel doctor without a question. Ask whether the clinic has a contract with EOPYY before you are treated 2.
  3. Riding a quad on the wrong licence. It is the shortest way to a claim that nobody pays 9.
  4. Buying the policy the week before you leave. A strike announced in between is not covered 7.
  5. A visa policy that ends a day early. The cover has to run for every day of the stay 4.

A holiday on the islands rarely goes wrong. When it does, it goes wrong far from a large hospital, on a day when the ferries are not sailing. The card and a good policy together make that day an inconvenience rather than a debt.

Frequently asked questions

What do I get if my ferry to the island is late?

Under EU rules on sea travel, a departure delayed by more than 90 minutes gives you snacks or meals and a choice between another sailing and a refund. A late arrival gives you 25% of the ticket price, or 50% for a long delay. Bad weather that makes sailing unsafe cancels the compensation and the hotel. Your travel policy may still pay a missed flight.

Can I use my EHIC at a private clinic on Santorini?

Only if the clinic has a contract with EOPYY, the Greek health fund, and then you still pay a share. At a private clinic without a contract the EHIC covers nothing and you pay the whole bill. Ask before you are treated, and keep every receipt for your travel insurer.

Who pays for a helicopter from an island to a hospital?

An urgent transfer from an island to a public hospital is the job of EKAV, the Greek emergency service, and it is free of charge in most cases. A private air ambulance, or a flight home to your own country, is not. That is what the repatriation cover of a travel policy is for.

Can I ride a moped or a quad on my car licence?

For a moped you need at least category A1 on your licence. The UK category P for mopeds up to 50 cc is not valid in Greece. Many travel policies also treat quad biking as an extreme sport and exclude it, so read the wording before you hire one.

Does travel insurance pay if a wildfire spoils my holiday?

Only if the policy lists it as a reason to cancel or cut the trip short. On a package holiday you have a separate right: if a natural disaster at the destination stops the trip, you can cancel free of charge and get a full refund.

Am I covered if a ferry strike makes me miss my flight?

Usually only if you bought the policy before the strike was announced. Insurers treat an announced strike as a known event and do not pay for it. Strikes in Greece can be called at short notice, so buy the cover when you book.

How much medical cover does a Schengen visa need?

At least €30,000, for emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation. The cover must be valid in the whole Schengen area and for every day of your stay, not only in Greece.

Sources

  1. ↑InfoCons, the European health card (CEASS) in 2026: how to get it and what it covers, 2026
  2. ↑EOPYY, National Contact Point: emergency care for EHIC holders in Greece, 29 November 2024
  3. ↑GOV.UK, Greece travel advice: health, 2026
  4. ↑Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, the Visa Code, article 15, 2009
  5. ↑GOV.UK, Foreign travel insurance: examples of costs without insurance, 2 August 2024
  6. ↑Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 on the rights of passengers travelling by sea, articles 16 to 20, 24 November 2010
  7. ↑World Nomads, does travel insurance cover strikes?, 25 June 2024
  8. ↑UK Financial Ombudsman Service, decision DRN-4422715: a moped claim and the terms of a travel policy, 2023
  9. ↑GOV.UK, Greece travel advice: safety and security, 2026
  10. ↑Your Europe, package travel: your rights when a trip is cancelled, 11 May 2026