Ferry Travel & Covid-19

Please note that as of Sunday, May 1, 2022, passengers traveling by ferry to the Greek islands or going island hopping between different islands don't need any Covid-19 documents.

For up-to-date information on the requirements, please visit our blog:

• Covid-19 and ferry travel in Greece
• Covid-19 and ferry travel in Spain
• Covid-19 and ferry travel in Italy
• Covid-19 and ferry travel between Greece and Italy

Apart from your ticket in a printed or e-ticket format, you should always have your ID card or passport or any other identity document with you, especially on international ferry routes. You may be asked to present the document to the ferry crew or port authority to confirm that you are the legal ticket holder.

If you have purchased discounted ferry tickets, you will be required to provide a document confirming that you are eligible for the specific discount (e.g. student card, ISIC card etc.). For more information please visit our 'Discounts' page.

You can get Covid-19 tests at many major hospitals in Greece, in medical centers across large cities, as well as at the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (Arrivals Level).

The cost for Covid-19 PCR tests is capped at €60, and for antigen (rapid) tests at €20. Some medical diagnostic centers also do home sampling for an extra fee.

You can also have a free rapid test in public sampling points organized by the National Public Health Organization (EODY). A list of all available public sampling points can be found here (page in Greek only).

Finally, you can buy a self-test (Coronavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit) from pharmacies. The self-test kit cost is around €6. Availability in pharmacies might be low, so we recommend buying the self-test in advance and not counting on a last-minute purchase.

Yes, all passengers traveling on every ferry route with a duration of more than 30 min are obliged to carry with them and hand over to the ferry crew, a previously filled out health status questionnaire.

In your booking confirmation e-mail, you will find a link to the ferry company’s website from where you can download, print and fill in the form. You can also find the health status questionnaire at ferry agents and ferry companies' offices in the port of departure.

The Health Statement Form is completed by adult passengers for their ferry trip within 24 hours before each ferry trip. If your itinerary includes more than one ferry crossing, you need to fill out the form for each ferry trip, entering the relevant details. You can either print your statement or save it on your mobile device.

The ferry companies have received instructions from the Maritime Ministry in order to deal with the current situation and make sure that all passengers and ferry crew travel safely. Here are a few indicative measures that ferry companies apply for health and safety reasons:

• All indoor and outdoor spaces are regularly and professionally cleaned with certified products. Tablecloths, sheets and other shared items are properly disposed, replaced and disinfected.
• Some ferry companies in Greece have introduced contactless check-in and e-tickets to minimize contact with the crew and other passengers.
• Hand sanitizers and bins are placed in all passenger and staff areas.
• Crew members make sure passengers follow social distancing rules at all times during boarding, traveling and disembarkation. A minimum distance of 1.5m must be followed at all times with some exceptions related to families, people with disabilities, etc.
• Covid-19 announcements are made through speakers and displayed on the ferry monitors. Passengers can also find useful information in coronavirus brochures.
• Crew members have received hygiene and coronavirus prevention training.
• Air-conditioning units are cleaned regularly and filtered fresh air is not recirculated.

Boarding refusal is possible if the passenger refuses the use of a face mask during the ferry trip.

Good to know: Covid-19 safety measures and travel restrictions in Greece are subject to change depending on the virus situation.

You can find the health status questionnaire at ferry agents and ferry companies' offices while they are also available to download from the Greek Maritime Ministry website.

It depends on the port you are leaving from. Some major ports (e.g. Piraeus, Naples, Valencia, etc.) are quite big. This means you may have to walk for up to 30 minutes to get from the port entrance to the departure gate.
Arriving early enough means that you won't have to worry about missing your ferry. This is why we usually advise all travelers to arrive at the port at least 1 hour in advance, regardless of whether they have collected their paper tickets or checked in online, especially if you are traveling with your vehicle.

We would also advise you to check what gate your ferry departs from, where the gate is located and what is the estimated time needed to board at the specific port. Gate information is available at the port.
Please make sure that you allow enough time for check-in and other procedures, particularly on international ferry routes. It is important to note that if you arrive late for check-in or boarding, you may not be allowed to travel. In this case, you will most likely not get a refund.

If you arrive early at the port, you will most likely be allowed to board and you will have the opportunity to explore the ferry, find comfortable seats and spend some time relaxing on-board before departure!

Yes, you can travel in a cabin.

Please note that the limit for cabin capacity is up to 2 passengers except for families and travel companions (up to 4 passengers).
However, there are some ferry operators that no longer apply the above restriction and therefore, allow 4 passengers per cabin (ANEK Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines).

Boarding refusal is possible if one of the following conditions apply:

• If the passenger has evident coronavirus symptoms
• If the responses on the health questionnaire show that the passenger has been in touch with a person that has been infected by Covid-19.
• If the passenger refuses the use of a face mask during the ferry trip.

Yes, you can book a numbered seat (airplane type seats).
For this type of seats, a particular layout will apply in order for passengers to be seated sparsely and maintain distances from each other. Special markings will indicate where passengers are allowed to sit, while the seats directly next to the booked seat will remain empty.

Ferryhopper provides online ferry booking. Every request is served electronically, however, in special cases, customers can arrange an appointment by contacting the customer service team in advance. These cases are:

• In case the customer requested a ticket change, the new paper coupon must be reissued.
• In case the customer requested a ticket change but has already issued a paper coupon, they need to visit our office for the change process.
• In case the customer requested a ticket cancellation, but paper coupons have already been collected.
• In any other case that has been confirmed and the ticket has been issued by the customer service team.

It should be noted that access to the office is not allowed:

• In case of purchase of new tickets
• In any other case where no appointment has been approved by the customer service team.

Customers can make an appointment by selecting a suitable time for them through this calendar.

The availability of ferry tickets for 2021 depends on the maximum capacity of passengers allowed on each trip.

More specifically, ferries are allowed to carry 80% of their maximum passenger capacity according to the security certificate of each vessel. In the case that the ferry has cabins the allowed passenger capacity can be up to 85% of the original vessel capacity.

Yes. The use of a face mask is obligatory for all passengers as well as for the ferry crew.

It is recommended for passengers to use non-medical masks made of fabric. A face mask must be worn at all times while on board, in both indoors and outdoor spaces.

During your ferry trip, all passengers and ferry crew members must maintain a safe distance of 1.5 meters as well as avoid any unnecessary movement around the ferry spaces.

The necessary safety distance on board should be kept on all indoor and outdoor spaces of the ferry, while the use of a face mask is also required. The passenger service points (such as reception, restaurant, bar) will have social distancing floor marking signs to show the required distance between passengers. Also, the minimum number of passengers will be allowed in the ferry toilets in order to maintain distances between them at all times.

The ferry companies have received strict instructions from the Maritime Ministry in order to deal with the current situation and make sure that all passengers and ferry crew travel safely. Few indicative measures that ferry companies will apply for health and safety are:

• All ferries should have informative spots playing on screens and as audio messages on speakers during the ferry trip reminding the passengers of the health and safety measures.
• All ferries must provide hand sanitizer stations at the entrance as well as at several indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Ferry crews will undergo special training in order to deal with a suspected case of COVID-19 if needed.
• All ferry spaces will be regularly cleaned and sanitized.
• Passenger service points such as restaurants, bars, cafeterias, and toilets will operate under strict hygiene measures.
• Ferries will keep all spaces well ventilated and follow the health instructions for air conditioning and ventilation.
• Make sure that all ferries all well-equipped with hand sanitizers as well as necessary medical supplies.
• All members of the ferry crew should wear a face mask at indoor and outdoor spaces of the ferry, as well as during their interaction with passengers.
• The ferry crew will be doing regular checks on board to make sure that passengers adhere to the safety measures.