Greece extends entry ban for Macedonians until September 30

Greece until September 30 has extended the ban for entry of internationals outside the European Union, including Macedonia, Albania and Turkey, MIA reports from Athens.

Limitations at land borders due to ‘preventative reasons to protect public health from the spread of COVID-19 in Greece’, involve the period from Sept. 16 to Sept. 30 and includes Greece’s road and railroad connections with Macedonia, Albania and Turkey.

Tourists and foreign nationals who are allowed to travel there can enter Greece by crossing the Promachonas border with Bulgaria after presenting upon entry a negative PCR test carried 72 hours before arrival.

Greek nationals, people having residence permit, people having urgent professional and medical reasons to travel to Greece, as well as transit of ambulances from Kosovo via Macedonia to Greece are exempted from the ban.

Citizens of eleven countries, including Australia, Georgia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Rwanda, Thailand, Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia are exempted from the ban.

Other exemptions include medical staff and health workers, people holding EU residence permit, members of government missions, diplomats, truck drivers transporting goods, and passengers who are transiting.

In Detail:

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority issued a new aviation directive (NOTAM) on Wednesday.

The NOTAM aims to protect passengers and residents of Greece from a rise in new coronavirus cases.

It includes the following:

All passengers travelling to Greece by air from Hungary will continue to be obliged until September 30 to provide a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival to Greece; the test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.
Flights between Greece and Turkey remain suspended to September 30 (midnight).
Flights between Greece and Albania and ~~North~~ Macedonia will continue to operate through the Athens International Airport ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ only, until September 30 (23:59).
All passengers travelling to Greece from Bulgaria, Malta, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Spain, Albania and ~~North~~ Macedonia will continue to be obliged until September 30 to provide a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival to Greece; the test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.
Passengers travelling to Greece by air from Sweden will be subject to covid-19 testing until September 30.
The NOTAM concerning passengers from Israel has been extended until September 30. They are obliged to provide a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival to Greece; the test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.
Flights between Greece and Catalonia in Spain remain suspended until September 30.
All passengers travelling to Greece from Russia will continue to be obliged until September 21 to provide a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival to Greece; the test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.