Skip to content
Monday, 22 June 2026
Македонски Serbian English German Albanian Turkish
Реклама

Documents and equipment

Documents for Greece by Car

What exactly do you need to drive in Greece by car? A passport (not an ID card), a green card, an international driving permit and the mandatory equipment in the car. Here is the whole checklist with prices and fines for 2026 - sorted before you set off, so they don't turn you back at the border.

Driving to Greece

What you must bring and sort out before you set off. Get this ready at home - the border is too late.

Passport

Required

Greece is in the Schengen area - you need a passport, not an ID card. Up to 90 days without a visa.

International Driving Permit

Required

For Greece you need an international driving permit alongside your Macedonian licence. You get it at AMSM.

Green Card

Required

International insurance - mandatory for Greece. Get it IN ADVANCE from your own insurer (not at the border!). Price: up to 66 kW ~1,850 denars/month or ~3,690 denars/year; over 66 kW ~3,075 denars/month or ~5,536 denars/year. Carry the original.

Vehicle registration

Required

If the car is not in your name, also bring a notarised authorisation from the owner.

First-aid kit

Required

For now a standard first-aid kit is enough. The new 16-item kit has been postponed to 1 January 2027.

💶 No kit: a fine of €40-80 (from 2027 - €30 for the new standard).

Warning triangle

Required

Mandatory. Placed behind the vehicle in case of a breakdown or accident.

💶 No triangle: a fine of €40-80.

Fire extinguisher

Required

At least one working extinguisher (type S2 / ~2 kg) in the vehicle.

💶 No extinguisher: a fine of €80.

Hi-vis vests

Recommended

Not legally mandatory in Greece, but strongly recommended - put on a vest before you step out onto the road in a breakdown. One for each passenger, in the cabin.

Don't forget this: Greece is one of the few countries where the Interior Ministry requires Macedonian drivers to hold an international driving permit. Get it at AMSM before the trip - without it, the insurer can dispute a claim in an accident.

Entering Schengen: EES and ETIAS

Biometric Control (EES)

Active

Since April 2026, fingerprints and a photo are taken at Bogorodica/Evzoni on your first entry into the Schengen area. That stretches the queues (2-3 min per traveller instead of 20-30 sec). During the heaviest congestion Greece occasionally pauses the biometrics to clear the queue faster - but assume they will take it on your first crossing.

ETIAS Authorisation

Coming soon

ETIAS (an online travel authorisation, ~€20) is NOT required yet. It is expected only towards the end of 2026 / start of 2027. For now you don't need it - just keep an eye out before the trip.

Rules and Fines

Rules of the road

50

km/h

In town

90

km/h

Open road

130

km/h

Motorway

0.5

‰

Alcohol (limit)

~2.95

€

Toll to Thessaloniki

~1.97

€/l

Fuel (petrol)

Greece has tolls (diodia), not a vignette - paid at toll plazas in cash or by card (euros only). Diesel is ~€1.70/l. For new and professional drivers the alcohol limit is stricter - 0.2‰. Fill up before the border - it is pricier in Greece.

Fines (new 2026 Traffic Code)

No seatbelt €350
Phone in hand while driving €350
Running a red light €700
Alcohol (0.5-0.8‰) €350+
Speeding over +50 km/h €700
No fire extinguisher €80

The amounts are for a first offence; repeats are pricier and often carry a temporary licence suspension.

Frequently Asked Questions

You need a passport. Greece is in the Schengen area, so an ID card is NOT enough to enter. With a valid biometric passport you can stay up to 90 days without a visa.

The price is regulated and the same at every insurer - it depends on the engine power and the term. For a car up to 66 kW it is ~1,850 denars for a month or ~3,690 denars for a year; over 66 kW, ~3,075 denars for a month or ~5,536 denars for a year. The shortest term is one month (there is no 15-day option). Get it in advance from your own insurer - do NOT count on buying it at the border, there is no desk there for the exit to Greece, and without a green card the Greek authorities can turn you back.

Yes. The Interior Ministry states that for Greece Macedonian drivers need an international driving permit alongside their domestic one. You get it at AMSM before the trip - without it, the insurer can dispute a claim in an accident.

Mandatory: a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a passport, a green card, the vehicle registration and an international driving permit. Reflective vests are not legally mandatory, but they are strongly recommended.

Want to see where to go, the prices and the live border too? Read the full Greece-by-car guide.

The full Greece-by-car guide →

This guide is updated for the 2026 season.