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Travel insurance for Greece costs €30–€80 for a typical two-week trip and is the cheapest way to avoid a five-figure medical bill on an island where the nearest hospital is a helicopter ride away. It's not required for entry (unless you need a Schengen visa), but it's the single most cost-effective protection you can buy for a Greece trip.
Our Greece-based team has spent the last three years comparing policies travelers actually buy for trips here — including ones used on the guided tours we run. Below is the honest 2026 comparison: prices, what each plan covers, where each one is weak, and which we recommend for different traveler types.
At a glance — best for most travelers:
- Best overall value: EKTA — €38–60 for 2 weeks, covers all nationalities
- Best for US travelers: World Nomads or Allianz — high evacuation limits
- Best for digital nomads & long trips: SafetyWing — €42/month subscription
- Cheapest legitimate option: SafetyWing Nomad Essential
- Best for adventure/scooter rentals: World Nomads Explorer
The 5 Plans, Reviewed in Detail
Below is what we think of each, based on policies we've held, claims we've watched friends file, and the operators we work with for our own guided tours. We earn a commission when you buy through some of these links — we've flagged which — but the ranking is editorial, not paid.
1. EKTA — Best Overall Value for Greece
EKTA is what we recommend to most travelers booking with us. It's an EU-domiciled insurer (which matters for Schengen rules), priced at the lower end of the market, and accepts travelers of all nationalities — including US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and Asian passport holders, which is unusual. Their claims process is online and reasonable in speed, and unlike some cheaper plans, scooter rentals are covered without an upcharge.
Watch out for: lower trip cancellation ceilings than Allianz, so if you've booked a €10,000+ luxury trip, look at Allianz instead.
2. SafetyWing — Best for Digital Nomads & Long Trips
SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance runs on a subscription model — you pay roughly €42 every four weeks for as long as you're traveling, and cancel when you fly home. If you're spending a month working from a café in Thessaloniki or two months meandering through the Cyclades, no single-trip plan beats this economically.
Watch out for: no proper trip-cancellation coverage (only interruption after you've left). If you need to cancel before departure for a non-refundable booking, this won't help you.
3. World Nomads Explorer — Best for Adventure & Scooter Rentals
World Nomads' Explorer tier covers the widest list of adventure activities of any mainstream provider — including moped/scooter riding (the activity most likely to injure a tourist in Greece), Samaria Gorge hiking, sailing, scuba, kitesurfing, paragliding, and rock climbing. They're also one of the few insurers that lets you buy or extend coverage while you're already traveling, which is rare.
Watch out for: the lower Standard tier doesn't include scooter cover — you need the Explorer plan specifically. Medical caps are lower than Allianz, which can matter for US travelers.
4. Allianz OneTrip Prime — Best for US Travelers & Families
For US travelers in particular, Allianz's coverage ceilings matter. A medical evacuation from a Greek island to a US hospital can run $100,000–150,000, and Allianz's evacuation limit (€1M on the OneTrip Prime) absorbs that comfortably. They also offer a proper "Cancel For Any Reason" add-on, which most cheaper plans skip, and children under 18 are typically covered free on family plans.
Watch out for: adventure activities aren't included by default — add the rider if you're scootering or hiking off-trail. Also the priciest plan in our table.
5. AXA Schengen — Best for Visa Applicants
If you need a Schengen visa to enter Greece, your insurance must meet five specific legal requirements (more on this below). AXA's Schengen-eligible plans are built specifically to satisfy those rules and they'll issue you the proof-of-coverage letter the consulate asks for. For everyone else, the AXA Gold is a fine but unremarkable mid-tier plan — there's no reason to pick it over EKTA unless the visa requirement applies.
Watch out for: limited adventure activity coverage. If you're a visa applicant who also plans to ride a scooter, you may need a supplementary policy.
Quick Answers
Is travel insurance required for Greece?
No, travel insurance is not legally required to enter Greece for most travelers — including US, UK, Canadian, and Australian citizens visiting for under 90 days. The only exception is travelers who need a Schengen visa: for them, €30,000 of medical coverage is legally required.
How much does Greece travel insurance cost in 2026?
Expect to pay €30–80 for a two-week trip on a basic plan, €70–150 for comprehensive coverage with adventure activities and CFAR add-ons. US travelers typically pay $43–291 for a 7-day trip, with most policies averaging $24 per day. Subscription plans like SafetyWing run ~€42 per 4 weeks regardless of trip length.
Does my credit card cover travel insurance for Greece?
Some premium cards (Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X) include limited trip cancellation, lost luggage, and rental car coverage — but almost none include international medical or evacuation cover, which is the most financially catastrophic gap. Treat card insurance as supplementary, not primary.
Does EHIC/GHIC replace travel insurance in Greece?
No. EHIC (EU) and GHIC (UK) cards entitle you to state-funded healthcare at Greek public hospitals on the same terms as Greek citizens — but they don't cover private clinics, medical repatriation to your home country, trip cancellation, lost luggage, or adventure activities. They're a useful safety net, not a substitute for travel insurance.
Greece Schengen Visa Insurance Requirements (Mandatory for Some Travelers)
If your nationality requires a Schengen visa to enter Greece — Indian, Chinese, South African, Russian, Filipino, Egyptian, and most African and several Asian passports — travel insurance isn't optional. It's a legal entry condition. Your insurance must meet five specific requirements:
- Minimum €30,000 medical coverage (~$33,000 USD)
- Must include medical evacuation and repatriation to your home country
- Valid throughout the entire Schengen Area — not just Greece
- Covers your entire stay in the Schengen Zone, day one to day last
- Issued by an insurer with an EU representative office
Both EKTA and AXA's Schengen-specific plans meet all five — and both will issue the consular proof-of-insurance letter that visa officers ask for at submission. SafetyWing's Nomad plan does not reliably meet the Schengen criteria; don't use it for a visa application.
Does the Right Plan Change by Destination?
Mostly no — but on a handful of islands, the activities you're realistically going to do shift the optimal pick. Here's how our team thinks about it for the five most-asked destinations.
Crete travel insurance
Crete is the biggest island, the longest hikes (Samaria Gorge tops the list), and the highest rate of scooter and ATV rentals — which the US State Department explicitly flags as an injury risk. If you're hiking Samaria, renting a scooter, or driving the western Crete switchbacks, World Nomads Explorer is the right call. For a beach-and-tavernas trip, EKTA is enough.
Santorini & Mykonos travel insurance
High trip costs (€4,000+ in season) and lots of sailing day trips. The trip-cancellation ceiling matters here — a missed flight or pre-trip illness can cost you thousands in non-refundable hotel deposits. Allianz with the CFAR add-on is overbuilt for most travelers but pays for itself on a honeymoon or anniversary trip. For a standard 4-night stay, EKTA still wins on price.
Rhodes travel insurance
Rhodes has one of the highest ATV-accident rates in Greece. If you're tempted by an ATV rental in Faliraki or Lindos — and many travelers are — make sure your policy explicitly covers it. World Nomads Explorer or EKTA both do; many cheaper US plans don't. The new tourist tax doesn't affect insurance choice, but it does affect your total trip cost calculation.
Athens travel insurance
A 3-day Athens city break is the lowest-risk trip in our table. You're never far from a top-tier hospital, you're not on a scooter, you're not at sea. EKTA or SafetyWing's basic plan are both more than enough. The real Athens-specific risks are pickpocketing in Monastiraki and Syntagma — make sure your baggage cover includes theft, not just loss in transit.
Corfu & Ionian travel insurance
Ferries to the Ionian islands are weather-sensitive — shoulder-season cancellations are routine. Trip delay coverage matters more here than on the Cyclades. Any of EKTA, World Nomads, or Allianz will cover this; SafetyWing is weaker on delays specifically. If you're island-hopping Corfu → Paxos → Lefkada, a single trip plan covering the whole stay is simpler than buying per-leg.
Scooter & ATV Rental Insurance in Greece (What Most Policies Don't Cover)
This is the single most-overlooked coverage gap. The US State Department's Greece advisory explicitly warns that "small motorbike and ATV rental firms frequently carry no insurance and require customers to cover the cost of all damages to their vehicles. Your insurance company may not cover two-wheel or ATV rentals."
In plain English: if you scooter into a wall on Naxos and the rental shop hands you a €2,000 repair bill, your standard travel insurance probably won't pay it, and the rental shop's "insurance" probably doesn't either. The medical bill is a separate problem.
Plans that cover scooter and ATV use as standard:
- World Nomads Explorer — covered on the Explorer tier specifically (not Standard)
- EKTA — covered by default on the standard plan, no upcharge
- SafetyWing Nomad — covered on the Adventure add-on (~€10/month extra)
Plans that typically exclude motorbikes/ATVs: Allianz OneTrip Prime (without the explicit add-on), AXA Schengen Gold, most credit card policies, and almost all "cheap travel medical" plans from US comparison sites.
The two things to check before you ride: (1) Does your policy require you to hold a valid motorcycle license for any engine over 50cc? Most do — and Greek scooters at 125cc count. (2) Is there an alcohol exclusion? Almost all policies void coverage if you had any alcohol in your system at the time of the incident. Don't ride after lunch wine.
What's Not Worth Paying Extra For
Insurance brokers (and a lot of comparison sites) push add-ons that don't make sense for a Greece trip. Here's what we'd skip:
"Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) unless your trip is over €5,000. CFAR typically adds 40–50% to your premium and only reimburses 50–75% of your trip cost. On a €2,000 trip, you're paying €40 extra to maybe recover €1,000 — and only if you cancel for a reason that isn't already covered by standard policy. Math doesn't work for most travelers.
"Rental car damage" rider if you're booking through DiscoverCars. The full-coverage option at DiscoverCars checkout is cheaper and broader than the rider most travel insurers add. Pick one, not both.
Single-trip plans if you travel 3+ times a year. An annual multi-trip policy from any of our top picks usually undercuts three single-trip plans by 40%+. UK travelers in particular: check Compare The Market or GoCompare for annual deals.
"Premium" baggage limits over €2,000. Per-item limits typically cap at €500 anyway, and most policies depreciate electronics. Standard baggage cover plus your homeowner's/renter's policy at home is usually enough.
Trip Cancellation: When It Actually Pays Out
Trip cancellation is the coverage most travelers overestimate. It only pays out for the specific reasons listed in your policy — typically: your illness/injury, illness/death of a family member, natural disaster at destination, terrorism, job loss, or jury duty. "I changed my mind" isn't one of them (that's CFAR territory).
The most common reason we see real cancellations approved for Greece trips: ferry or flight cancellations that cascade into missing the next leg of an itinerary. Greek ferry strikes do happen, and weather cancellations in the Ionian (Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia) are routine in shoulder season. If you're flying in and connecting to a ferry the same day, search flexible flight options on Kiwi.com — multi-city tickets give you more rebooking leverage if a leg falls through.
Buy your insurance the same day you book your trip. Trip cancellation only covers events that happen after you bought the policy. Wait three weeks, and any illness you develop in those three weeks is "pre-existing" — uncovered.
What Greek Healthcare Actually Costs Without Insurance
A few benchmarks so you can size the risk you're absorbing if you skip insurance:
- Private clinic doctor visit: €40–80
- Private ER visit: €100–300
- Hospital stay, private, per day: €500–1,500
- Major surgery (general anesthetic, multi-day stay): €5,000–20,000+
- Air ambulance repatriation to the US: €50,000–150,000
EU/UK travelers with EHIC or GHIC get most public-hospital treatment at the local rate (often free or low-cost) — but the repatriation line stays at €50,000+ for everyone. That single line item is the entire argument for insurance, even for healthy travelers on cheap trips.
Our Picks, Recapped
If you've scrolled this far without buying anything, here's the short version:
- Most travelers, standard beach & tavernas trip: EKTA
- US travelers with €4,000+ trip cost or family: Allianz OneTrip Prime
- Anyone renting a scooter or hiking Samaria: World Nomads Explorer
- Digital nomads, long trips, flexible dates: SafetyWing Nomad
- Schengen visa applicants: EKTA or AXA Schengen Gold
Written by
Athens-born engineer · Coordinates a 5-expert Greek team · 50+ years combined field experience
I write every article on this site drawing on real, first-hand expertise — mine and that of four colleagues who live and work across Greece daily: a Peloponnese tour operator, a transfer specialist across Athens, Mykonos & Santorini, a Cretan hotel owner, and a Northern Greece hotel supplier. Nothing here comes from a single visit or desk research.
Informed by 5 Greek experts
Every destination we cover has been visited and vetted by at least one team member — not for a review, but as part of their daily work in Greek tourism.