Borders and customs
Flying to Greece with medical cannabis: why it doesn't work, and what does
There is no published procedure that lets a patient fly into Greece with medical cannabis from Israel, and a notarised translation does not create one. Leaving Israel with it is export of a dangerous drug, which needs a Health Ministry licence even for personal export, and we found no published route for a patient to obtain one. Bringing it into Greece is, on the text of the law, not permitted either. Taking it home from Greece exposes you to criminal charges at your arrival airport. The route that does work is a prescription from a Greek-licensed physician, issued remotely while you are still in Israel and filled at a pharmacy in Greece.
01 · Inbound
Flying into Greece with your own medical cannabis
Not permitted, even with a valid medical cannabis licence from home or a signed prescription. The Schengen certificate is issued only to residents of Schengen states.
Greek law states that the import of finished medical-cannabis products with more than 0.2% THC intended for consumption in Greece is not permitted (Art. 2ΙΖ, Law 4139/2013), and the text has no exception for travellers. Any import of a controlled drug needs a Greek Ministry of Health licence, and the published procedure is for pharmaceutical companies. Without one, 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 about EOF's 2022 note for visitors? On 15 June 2022 EOF, the Greek medicines agency, published an English note for travellers from outside the EU. It allowed medical cannabis if the product had been approved as a medicinal product in the traveller's country of origin and the traveller carried their personal licence from home, officially translated into English or Greek. A 2024 Israeli Foreign Ministry document recirculated the same wording. Three caveats apply. EOF no longer publishes the note. We found nothing that reconciles it with Art. 2ΙΖ, which preceded it by six months. And Israel's Health Ministry states that cannabis is not registered as a medicine, so it is doubtful that an Israeli product meets the first condition, approval as a medicinal product in the country of origin. Nor does the note replace the Israeli side: taking cannabis out of Israel is export of a dangerous drug, which needs a Health Ministry licence even for personal export, and there is no published route for an individual patient to obtain one.
02 · Outbound
Taking home what you bought in Greece
Prohibited. 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.
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.
| Document | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Notarised translation | Certifies that a translation is faithful to the original. That is all. The notary verifies the quality of the translation, not the validity of the underlying document | Confer standing on a document in another country, turn a foreign licence into a Greek authorisation, or oblige any foreign authority to recognise it |
| Apostille | Authenticates the signature of the issuing authority | Make the content valid across a border |
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.
04 · Common question
Flights within Europe: the Schengen certificate, and who it covers
Even between EU member states, medical cannabis does not move freely. There is a Schengen arrangement for carrying controlled medicines, but it does not cover everyone:
| Traveller | What the arrangement allows |
|---|---|
| A resident of a participating state | At most, carrying controlled medicines with a certificate issued by a competent authority of their country of residence, under conditions and for limited periods. |
| A visitor from outside the EU | Not relevant. The certificate is issued only by Schengen states to their own residents. Other countries set their own rules for visitors, and Greek law does not permit the import of finished medical-cannabis products with more than 0.2% THC intended for consumption in Greece |
We found nothing on how Greece applies this to finished cannabis products under Art. 2ΙΖ.
For a visitor from outside the Schengen area the conclusion is the same in every direction: the 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.
- From ₪289, a one-off fee.
The full guide sets out the process step by step, and Who qualifies lists the indications recognised in Greece today.
Last updated: . 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?
Would a notarised translation of my licence solve it?
Can I bring home what I bought in Greece?
What about the Schengen certificate everyone mentions?
Will a Greek prescription help me in another European country?
So what can I actually do?
Read next
What else is worth reading
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. Not approved? Full refund.
Start the eligibility check