Does Greece Offer Visa on Arrival to Indians?

Some destinations issue visas at the airport; Greece is not one of them. The answers below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full process, see our Greece visa guide for Indian travellers.

Can Indians get a visa on arrival at a Greek airport or port?

No. India is listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, the EU list of nationalities that must hold a visa when crossing the Schengen external borders. Greece is a Schengen state, so the rule applies whether you land in Athens, fly into an island airport or arrive by sea.

There is no arrival visa for Indian tourists at any Greek entry point, so plan the visa before you book anything non-refundable.

Is there a Greece eVisa or a visa-free option instead?

• eVisa: not available. You complete the form online on the GVCW website, print it and lodge it in person at a Visa Application Centre, where fingerprints and a photo are taken. Postal applications are not accepted.
• Visa-free entry: not available for Indian passport holders. Greece and the rest of the Schengen area require a visa under Annex I.
• Diplomatic and service passports: holders are exempt from the visa fee, but this is a fee rule, not visa-free entry.

Which Greek visa should you apply for instead?

The 15 GVCW centres are in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Puducherry and Pune. The Delhi centre is at Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Mezzanine Level, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place. Online appointment booking is free. Children under 12 are among the applicants exempt from the visa fee.

How early must you apply when there is no arrival option?

The Embassy of Greece decides Schengen visas within up to 15 working days of receiving an admissible application, extendable up to 45 calendar days in individual cases. The clock starts only when your file reaches New Delhi, and delivery takes time:

You can apply no more than 6 months before the trip. The Embassy says it is not responsible if you submit less than 15 days, plus delivery days, before travel. April to July is peak season, so apply well ahead for summer holidays.

What will Greek border officers check, even with a visa?

A Schengen visa does not automatically guarantee entry. At the border you may have to show means of subsistence and documents on the purpose of your stay, so carry copies of what you submitted.

• Money: Greece's reference amount is EUR 50 per person per day (EUR 25 for minors), with a minimum of EUR 300 for a stay of up to 5 days (European Commission table, 8 June 2026).
• Biometric registration: the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. Short-stay visitors are registered with fingerprints and a facial image, replacing passport stamps.
• Bookings: your return flight reservation and hotel or host details should match the visa dates.

What goes into the type C application instead?

The Embassy of Greece's 2026 checklist for applicants in India asks for:

• The Schengen application form, fully filled in and signed, and two recent colour photos with a white background to ICAO specifications (GVCW gives the size as 3.5 cm x 4 cm).
• A passport valid 3 months beyond the visa's end date, with at least two blank pages, issued within the last 10 years, plus copies of the first and last pages and all previous visas and stamps.
• A cover letter explaining the visit, a return flight reservation and proof of lodging such as a hotel booking or your host's sponsorship papers.
• An original bank statement for the last three months, stamped and signed by the bank, and Indian income tax return acknowledgements for the last two assessment years.
• Employees: pay slips for the last three months, the employment contract and the employer's leave approval. Self-employed applicants: the company registration certificate. Retired applicants: pension statements for the last three months.
• Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, with cover of at least EUR 30,000, from an approved Indian insurer.

Spouses travelling together need the spouse's name endorsed in both passports or an MEA-apostilled marriage certificate. Minors need notarised consent from any parent who is not travelling.

How often are Greek Schengen visas refused in India?

These are European Commission refusal rates for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Greek consulates in India. They describe the whole year's applicants, not your individual chances. The part you control is the file itself, built to the Embassy's checklist.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares verifiable flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for Greek visa files, from INR 1,000 for a reservation to INR 3,000 for all four. Contact us or WhatsApp +91 95230 91018.

Frequently asked questions

Can I enter Greece on a Schengen visa issued by another country?

A uniform Schengen visa covers the Schengen area, which includes Greece, within its dates and the limit of 90 days in any 180. If your trip covers several countries, Greece's checklist asks for intra-Schengen travel bookings.

How much is the GVCW service fee for a Greece visa?

GVCW charges EUR 30 per application, inclusive of taxes, payable in INR at the daily ECB exchange rate on top of the visa fee. Optional extras such as courier return (INR 700) are charged separately.

Can I walk in at a Greece visa centre without an appointment?

GVCW accepts walk-ins but strongly encourages booking a free online appointment. It suspended walk-ins on 15, 16 and 19 October 2026, resuming on 21 October 2026.

Can Indians get a multiple-entry visa for Greece?

Yes, under EU rules from 18 April 2024. Indians living in India who obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa, normally followed by a five-year visa if the passport is valid long enough.