Travel from Greece.
Where can I travel to with my Greek travel document? Which countries will I need a visa for?
WHICH COUNTRIES AM I ALLOWED TO TRAVEL to?
If you have a travel document after receiving refugee status in Greece, you can normally travel to every country in the world, except your country of origin. If you received subsidiary protection, you will not get a travel document, but you will be allowed to travel with your Greek residence permit and a passport from your country of origin.
Please note: If you are an asylum seeker, you are generally prohibited from travelling until you receive a positive decision in your asylum claim.
which countries will I not need a visa For?
There is a group of countries in Europe called ‘Schengen states’ for which you will not need a visa. The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. If you want to travel to these countries, such as to visit friends or family, you can fly there with just your travel document (or your passport if you are a beneficiary of subsidiary protection) and your Greek residence permit.
Please note, that you will need your Greek residence permit to travel. Without it, it is very likely that you will be stopped in Greece at the airport. If you have lost your residence permit or it was stolen, you will have to wait until a new residence permit is issued, before you are allowed to travel.
How long am I allowed to stay visa-free in a Schengen state?
You can stay for a maximum amount of 90 days in period of 180 days. This means, for example, that if you have stayed 90 days in Germany, you will have to come back to Greece for 90 days, until you are able to stay for another 90 days there. Here you can find a website that calculates for you, how many days you are allowed to stay in a Schengen state (only in English).
Please note that you will not be allowed to work or stay permanently in a Schengen state. For this you would need to apply for a special permit, which are not easy to obtain.
do i need to fulfill OTHER REQUIREMENTS TO TRAVEL TO A SCHENGEN STATE?
Yes, there are additional criteria you must fulfill, even if you don’t need a visa to travel to a Schengen state. There are no systematic passport controls in Schengen countries at the moment, but the police in the airport is sporadically checking arriving passengers. We have seen cases where people have been sent back at the airport because they were not able to provide the following requirements:
Your travel document/passport must still be valid for at least 6 months when you arrive in the Schengen state. Your travel document/passport also needs at least 2 free pages.
You must prove the reason of your travel, through for example hotel reservations or by providing details of the family member or friend you intend to visit
You must prove that you are able to sustain yourself during your stay. You can prove this either through cash or receipts from your bank account. Another option is to produce a letter of commitment in which the person you are visiting states that they will provide for you during the time that you are in the country.
You must prove that you have enough financial means to travel back to Greece or that you already have a ticket back.
You need a health insurance which is valid for the Schengen state and for the duration of your stay.
CAN I ALSO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED KINGDOM OR IRELAND WITHOUT A VISA?
No, the United Kingdom and also Ireland are not Schengen states and require a visa for people holding a Greek refugee travel document, as well as from beneficiaries of subsidiary protection from Greece. Please note that you can’t apply for a visa at the British embassy in Athens, but that all applications for travel visas to the UK must be made in advance online through this website (only in English). Here you can find more information about applying for a visa to Ireland, also only in English.
Please note, that to obtain a visa, you will need to meet the criteria which are detailed in the above section (valid travel document for at least 6 months, proof of reason of travel, health insurance and enough money to sustain your stay). When you make the visa application, you will be asked to pay a visa fee which cannot be returned - even if your visa application is rejected.
Will I need a visa if I want to travel to Turkey?
Yes, you will need a visa for that. The Turkish embassy in Athens has confirmed to us that recipients of asylum status in Greece need to apply for a visa and that the chances of their visa application being accepted is very very low. Again, paid visa fees (which are in this case 60 Euro per application) will not be refunded in case of rejection.
What about other countries I want to travel to?
For other countries, you need to check with the embassy of that country in Greece, if you are required to obtain a visa and if yes, how you can apply for a visa. Please always check if you need to have a visa to visit a country before planning and booking the flight. You might also require a transit visa, if you have a stopover on the flight to your destination.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I FLY TO a COUNTRY WITHOUT having the required VISA?
In case you try to enter a country without meeting the requirements that are needed to enter, you will be returned to the country where you come from. You will not be refunded for all the expenses you already made.