Athens Airport Customs

Passengers traveling from one EU country to another (or Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) can freely carry tobacco and smoking products, provided they don’t intend to sell them. However, passengers up to 17 years of age aren’t allowed to import or export tobacco. If you plan to carry quantities larger than those described below, you may need to prove that they are for personal use to avoid paying excise duties:

• 800 cigarettes
• 400 cigarillos (each no more than 3g)
• 200 cigars
• 1kg of smoking tobacco

Travelers arriving at Athens Airport from a non-EU destination are subject to different regulations. Thus, they can carry tobacco in the following quantities:

• 200 cigarettes
• 100 cigarillos
• 50 cigars
• 250g tobacco

Please keep in mind that you may combine any of these products, as long as you don’t exceed the overall maximum limits. For example, you can bring 100 cigarettes and 50 cigarillos on your journey to Athens.

Travelers moving between EU countries can carry alcohol for personal use in the following quantities:

• 10 liters of spirits
• 20 liters of fortified wine (e.g., port)
• 90 liters of wine (but only 60 liters out of the 90 can be sparkling wine)
• 110 liters of beer

It’s important to remember that only travelers over 17 years of age are allowed to have alcohol in their luggage. Moreover, if you travel with alcohol exceeding the allowed quantities (either separately or combined), you’ll need to prove that you don’t intend to sell to avoid paying excise duties or having the products confiscated.

On the other hand, passengers arriving from a non-EU destination can have in their luggage:

• 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer
• 1 liter of spirits over 22 % vol.
• 1 liter of undenatured alcohol of 80% vol. (or over)
• 2 liters of fortified or sparkling wine

Our Tip: You may combine any of the items listed above, as long as the total doesn’t exceed the maximum permitted limits.

Passengers can freely transport animal products, plants, and plant products from one member country of the EU to another, but only for personal consumption and use.

Special regulation applies to travelers flying from the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Are you flying from a non-EU country to Athens Airport? You aren’t allowed to carry meat and dairy products. However, you can pack fruits and vegetables, eggs, and honey, as well as fish and fish products. That being said, restrictions apply to the import of these products from a non-EU country to the EU:

• Each person can carry 20 kg of fish or fishery products or 1 fish.
• Plant and plant products must be accompanied by a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate.
• Up to 2kg of products that don’t contain meat or milk (such as honey) are allowed per passenger.

If you don’t declare those products, you risk having them confiscated.

Our Tip: You can carry animals and plants within the EU. However, special rules apply to endangered animals and products derived from them.

Travelers can bring less than 10kg of powdered baby milk, baby food, medical pet nutrition, or food for medical reasons, provided:

• the product does not require refrigeration before use.

• it is in its original, commercial packaging.

• the packaging remains unopened unless the product is currently being used.

Those regulations apply to transport within the EU. Travelers flying from a non-EU destination to Athens can carry up to 2kg of these products.

If you are traveling from Athens International Airport to an EU country, you should check the local customs regulations of your destination country regarding whether you need to declare cash. Overall, you don’t have to declare cash up to 10.000€ (or the equivalent amount in other currency). If you are flying to Athens from an EU country, you’ll have to declare cash of a value of 10.000€ or more.

Is your departure destination a non-EU country? Are you traveling from Athens to a country beyond the EU? You must declare cash up to 10.000€ or more (or their equivalent to other currencies) electronically before your journey or at the airport. The currency declaration offices at ATH Airport can be found at the baggage claim zone (for Arrivals) and on the right after the passport control zone at the non-Schengen area (for Departures).

Are you flying to ATH Airport from a destination outside the EU? Are you departing from the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, or Gibraltar? You may carry goods that are exempt from VAT and excise duties, provided they don’t exceed the maximum allowed limits.

Each air traveler can carry goods (including perfumes) up to a value of 430€/506$. Stricter rules apply to travelers under 15 years old. They can typically carry goods worth up to 150€/176$. These rules don’t apply to air journeys within the EU.