Borders and customs

Flying cannabis into Greece or out of it: the short answer is no

This is the page most people reach hoping to find a loophole. There isn't one — and it is worth understanding exactly why, because the mistake here ends in a criminal file, not a fine.

01 · Inbound

Flying into Greece with your own medical cannabis

Prohibited. Including with a valid medical cannabis licence from home, and with a signed prescription.

Bringing cannabis into Greece requires prior authorisation from the Greek medicines authority. Without it, this is the import of a controlled substance — and the exposure starts at customs in the Greek airport, before you have had a chance to explain anything to anyone.

Why a licence from home offers no protection

Medicines regulation is territorial. A licence issued under your own country's law governs what you may do there. It creates no standing under Greek law, and a Greek customs officer is not bound by it.

What people tell themselves "It's a small amount", "I have a doctor's note", "nobody checks". The first two are legally irrelevant, and the third is a gamble where the cost of losing is wildly out of proportion to what you save.

02 · Outbound

Taking home what you bought in Greece

Prohibited, and this is the more serious of the two. Importing cannabis without a licence is a criminal offence in most countries.

The Greek prescription — even if entirely valid, in your passport name, and inside the 30 days — does not protect you at your arrival airport. It is a Greek document whose force ends at the Greek border.

This includes remnants. A bag with a gram left in it, an empty package with residue, a product forgotten in a coat pocket — all of it counts. If you bought it in Greece, finish it in Greece.

The simple rule worth remembering What is bought in Greece stays in Greece. Plan the quantity around the length of your stay, not around what you would like to take home.

03 · The document that does not work

Why a notarised translation is not an authorisation

This is one of the worst pieces of advice circulating online, and it sounds convincing — so it is worth taking apart.

What a notary does: certifies that a translation is faithful to the original. That is all. They verify the quality of the translation, not the validity of the underlying document.

What a notary does not do: confer standing on a document in another country, turn a foreign licence into a Greek authorisation, or oblige any foreign authority to recognise it.

The result: a foreign licence, translated and notarised, is exactly the same foreign licence — only in two languages. It does not make the import legal, and it will not change anything at customs.

The same logic applies to an apostille. An apostille authenticates the signature of the issuing authority; it does not make the content valid across a border.

04 · Common question

What about flights within Europe?

Even between EU member states, medical cannabis does not move freely. There is a Schengen arrangement allowing patients to carry controlled medicines with a specific certificate issued by a competent authority of their country of residence — not the country they are departing from — and it applies to residents of participating states, under conditions, and for limited periods.

For visitors from outside the EU this is not relevant. There is no route in which a non-EU document permits carrying cannabis into or around Europe.

The conclusion is the same in every direction: the only lawful way to obtain medical cannabis while in Greece is a local prescription, redeemed and consumed there.

05 · The alternative

What you can do instead

Approach a Greek-licensed physician, before your flight or during your stay, and obtain a local prescription redeemed at a licensed pharmacy in Greece. That route is lawful, regulated, and requires you to carry nothing across any border.

No licence from home is needed, and no translated documents.
You can start before you fly and land with the prescription ready.
Valid at any licensed pharmacy in Greece, for 30 days.
If the physician does not approve, the service fee is refunded in full.

The full guide sets out the process step by step.

Last updated: September 2026. Content here is general information and is not legal advice. For questions about your specific situation, consult a lawyer.

FAQ

Questions about flying

I hold a valid medical cannabis licence at home. Isn't that enough for Greece?

No. A national licence governs what you may do in the country that issued it. Israeli patients face a second problem before they even board: taking cannabis out of Israel is export of a dangerous drug, and the Health Ministry procedure recognises only licensed commercial exporters. There is no route for an individual patient.

Would a notarised translation of my licence solve it?

No. A notarised translation certifies that the translation is faithful to the original, nothing more. It does not turn a foreign document into a Greek authorisation and gives nobody the power to prescribe for you in Greece.

Can I bring home what I bought in Greece?

No. The Greek prescription is valid in Greek territory only. Bringing cannabis into Israel is an import offence under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, and the reform that made personal-use possession an administrative matter does not cover import. This includes residue and empty packaging.

What about the Schengen certificate everyone mentions?

Article 75 of the Schengen Convention lets a traveller carry prescribed controlled medicine between Schengen states, provided they show a certificate issued by a competent authority in their state of residence. Greece is a Schengen state, which is why the confusion is common. Israel is not, and has no authority that can issue one.

Will a Greek prescription help me in another European country?

No. The prescription and the products are valid in Greece only. Taking them across any border, including to another EU state, is a separate offence in both directions.

So what can I actually do?

See a Greek-licensed physician and get a local prescription, dispensed at a licensed Greek pharmacy. The review can happen remotely before you fly. Nothing crosses a border, so no export or import question arises in the first place.

What else is worth reading

The full guideWho is assessed, how the process works, and what it costs. Cannabis in GreeceThree separate legal tracks you must not confuse. CBD in GreeceA separate regulatory world, and what changed recently.

The lawful route is shorter than it sounds

A short questionnaire, and a Greek-licensed physician will review the request — with nothing carried through customs.

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