Moving to Greece with a pet is straightforward when you know the steps. The process takes three to four months from start to finish, and most relocations vary in cost depending on your pet’s size, the departure city, and whether they fly as cargo or in-cabin. Greece follows EU pet import rules, so there is no quarantine and no rabies titer test (a blood test that checks antibody levels) for pets arriving from the United States. The one detail that catches people off guard is Greece’s requirement for a bilingual English/Greek health certificate, which takes extra lead time to request. Here’s exactly how it works.
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and Greece’s entry requirements can vary, we build a plan that fits your pet, your route, and your schedule. No two moves look the same.
Greece has its own version of the EU health certificate that must be printed in both English and Greek. We start every Greece relocation by confirming the current bilingual certificate format and the request process through APHIS, so there are no surprises at the airport. Your plan is built around Greece’s rules from day one.
Direct flights from JFK and Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH) run year-round, and connecting routes through Frankfurt or Munich can reach Thessaloniki (SKG) and approved island airports. We evaluate every routing option against airline pet policies, seasonal cargo restrictions, and your travel date to find the safest, most practical path.
One coordinator handles your file from the first call through arrival in Greece. They track vet appointments, document timelines, and airline booking windows so you always know what is happening and what comes next.
Greece is one of the more welcoming EU destinations for pets from the United States. As an EU member state, it follows the standard European pet import framework: ISO microchip, current rabies vaccination, and an EU-format health certificate endorsed by the USDA. There is no quarantine period, no rabies titer test requirement, and no breed-specific import ban. The one element unique to Greece is the bilingual English/Greek certificate, which your USDA-accredited veterinarian prepares and APHIS (the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) endorses in the required format.
If you are still in the early stages of planning your international move, our overview of how international pet shipping works walks through the general process. For pets returning to the US after time abroad, our United States import guide covers re-entry requirements.
We coordinate the full process for you. That includes:
To keep everything clear, we break the process into steps:
We confirm Greece's current import rules against your pet's microchip and vaccination history, and flag anything that affects timing before you spend a dollar.
Working backward from your travel date, we sequence every milestone so nothing expires before departure.
We give your vet the correct Greece's certificate template and confirm every field before endorsement.
We cross check the chip number, vaccination dates, and test results across every document, because one mismatch can hold a pet at arrival.
We verify the crate meets IATA standards for your route and align the booking with the airline's live animal rules.
Your pet travels on the confirmed flight, and we brief you on exactly what happens at arrival before the wheels ever leave the ground.
We keep your checklist aligned with the official rules. For the US export side, we follow USDA APHIS guidance for US to Greece travel. For EU entry rules, we reference the European Commission guidance on moving pets.
Most pets flying from the US to Greece arrive through Athens International Airport (ATH), which handles the majority of live animal imports and has a staffed veterinary border inspection post. Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) also accepts pet arrivals. Several approved island airports handle pets during peak travel season, though availability depends on the airline and time of year.
Greece is an EU member state and follows EU Regulation 2026/131 for non-commercial pet movement. The United States is listed on Annex II (the EU’s approved-country list), which means pets arriving from the US do not need a rabies titer test and are not subject to quarantine. Your pet needs an ISO-standard microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a current rabies vaccination with at least 21 days elapsed since the primary dose, and a completed EU health certificate. Greece has no breed-specific import restrictions under Law 4830/2021, which uses a behavior-based approach. You may bring up to five pets for non-commercial travel.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether airline restrictions (breed, size, or heat embargo) affect your route. Request a quote to get started.
Greece requires a bilingual English/Greek health certificate. This is specific to Greece and differs from the standard English-only EU certificate used for most other European destinations. The certificate must be typed, not handwritten, and endorsed by USDA APHIS within 10 days of travel. To request the bilingual version, contact APHIS through AskVEHCS@usda.gov and specify Greece as the destination. The APHIS endorsement fee is approximately per certificate. Your pet must also arrive within 10 days of the endorsement date. As of April 2026, pets entering the EU must travel with their owner, or a designated representative must travel within five days of the pet’s arrival.
Start three to four months before your move date. The biggest lead-time factor is requesting the bilingual certificate format from APHIS, which can take several weeks depending on volume. Your vet visit, certificate completion, and APHIS endorsement all need to fall within the final 10-day window before departure, so every earlier step must be locked in well ahead of time.
The cost of a move depends on several things: your pet’s size and weight, which set the crate and cargo price, the airline and departure city, veterinary fees for the health certificate and any required tests, government endorsement and permit fees, and how much of the process you would like us to coordinate. Because those pieces change from one pet and route to the next, we quote the full journey up front, including government fees, so there are no surprises later. Tell us your pet and your destination and we will send a clear plan and a price.
No. The United States is on the EU’s Annex II approved-country list, so Greece does not require a rabies titer test for pets arriving from the US. You do need a current rabies vaccination with at least 21 days elapsed since the primary dose, and the vaccination must be given after the microchip is implanted. This is one of the things that makes Greece simpler than destinations like Japan or Australia, which require titer testing months in advance.
No. Greece does not quarantine pets arriving from the United States as long as the import documentation is complete and valid. Your pet clears a veterinary border inspection at the airport, and assuming the microchip, vaccination records, and bilingual health certificate all match, they are released to you on the spot.
The bilingual English/Greek health certificate is the main difference. Most EU countries accept the standard English-language EU health certificate, but Greece requires a version printed in both English and Greek. The certificate must also be typed rather than handwritten. This adds a step to the preparation process because you need to request the bilingual format from APHIS before your vet appointment, not after.
It depends on the island and the time of year. Several Greek island airports are approved for pet arrivals, but direct cargo service is limited and seasonal. Most pets enter through Athens (ATH) and then connect to an island via a short domestic flight or ferry. We check the specific island’s airport status and available carriers when we build your routing plan.
We handle the full process from your first call through arrival at the Greek airport. That means confirming current requirements, requesting the bilingual certificate format through APHIS, sequencing your vet visits within the 10-day validity window, selecting a compliant crate and flight, and preparing you for the border inspection. One coordinator manages your file the entire way. Request a quote to get started with a plan built around your move date.
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