Travelling to Greece for treatment
How do I get there?
For Athens use Athens International Airport; for Thessaloniki use Thessaloniki Airport. If treatment is on an island, confirm that island's airport and the clinic's actual site before selecting a mainland arrival.
Do I need a visa?
For ordinary passports, the EU's entry guidance and UK government's Greece entry advice distinguish these groups:
- Canada: no short-stay visa for visits within the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180 days.
- United States: no short-stay visa within the same 90-in-180-day limit.
- United Kingdom: British citizens do not need a short-stay visa within that limit.
- European Union: EU citizens can enter with a valid passport or national identity card; their travel rights are different from the non-EU visitor limit, as Your Europe explains.
Count previous visits to other Schengen countries in the allowance. For planned treatment, ask the consulate which medical-purpose documents it requires and whether a national visa or residence permission is needed if care extends beyond 90 days.
The EU Entry/Exit System became fully operational at external borders on 10 April 2026. It registers eligible non-EU short-stay travellers. ETIAS is still not operational on the check date; do not treat an announced future authorisation as a visa already required. Check the official page again before departure.
For British travellers, the UK government's Greece entry advice additionally reports that Greek authorities will not collect fingerprints and photographs under EES. Follow the border authority's instructions; this does not remove the short-stay limit.
Consult the Greek Foreign Ministry’s visa guidance for the destination’s framework. Medical-purpose checklists can depend on where you apply; confirm your own requirements with the consulate responsible for your residence.
The EU’s published implementation timetable expects ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026. This is an expected quarter, not a confirmed launch day; check for the official start announcement before a later trip.
Before departure, read Canada's travel advice for Greece, US travel advice for Greece, UK travel advice for Greece and the European Commission's gateway to EU national travel advice.
How do clinics usually take payment?
Athens Reproduction labels its price list in euros. EmBIO's own information also uses euro figures. Obtain a personal quotation instead of treating illustrative figures as your final bill.
Ask about accepted payment methods, the booking deposit, refunds if a cycle is postponed, and whether tax, medicines, donor costs, freezing and storage are included.
What language and documents do I need?
Athens Reproduction and Embryolab publish English information for international patients. Ask what consent, identity and clinical documents your specific treatment requires and which translations the clinic accepts.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises patients to bring relevant medical records, test results, prescriptions and a medication list, and to tell the receiving team about allergies. It also advises obtaining complete records before returning home and arranging any necessary English translation.
Ask for a medical or dental report, an itemised invoice, prescriptions and a follow-up contact. If an implant or other device is used, request its identifying details and the operative record so your clinician at home knows what was placed.
Who can I complain to?
The Hellenic National Contact Point directs patients seeking redress to the Ministry of Health unit protecting healthcare recipients' rights. Its patient-rights explanation covers public and private care. The guidance is in English; ask the receiving unit for the submission form, language requirements and whether the issue also belongs with a professional body.
How to check a doctor's licence in Greece: our guide.
How long do people stay?
Athens Reproduction describes an average of around two weeks for its IVF process and says some patients arrange initial monitoring at home to shorten the local stay. Ask the clinic to specify your required attendance dates; the page's average is not a personal treatment timetable.
The CDC's medical-travel guidance says flying after surgery can increase clot risk and discusses delaying air travel 10–14 days after major surgery, especially chest procedures. This is general official guidance; ask the treating team and airline about your own return journey.
What should I know about the place?
Enterprise Greece's official life-sciences information identifies fertility treatment, elderly care and rehabilitation among medical-tourism development areas. This describes a sector, not an individual provider's results.
Checked on 24 October 2026.