Island · Dodecanese

Medical Cannabis in Kos for visitors

Kos is small and flat, and that is a genuine advantage: from anywhere on the island you can reach Kos Town in under an hour, usually much less.

AirportKos Airport (KGS)

Getting thereSeasonal direct flights, otherwise via Athens

Prescription validity30 days, all of Greece

The place

What to know about Kos

A compact island: no distances that complicate anything
Kos Town concentrates most services
Very popular with families
Short ferry hops to Rhodes and neighbouring islands

Almost all licensed pharmacies are in Kos Town. The villages (Kardamena, Tigaki, Kefalos) are small, and some have no pharmacy operating outside the season. The drive into town is short, so this is rarely a real obstacle.

Local tipMost flights to Kos are seasonal. Outside the summer months the usual route is via Athens, which conveniently gives you a chance to redeem there instead.

Seasonality

When to come, and what changes

Kos is a summer destination in the clearest sense. Direct flights run mainly between May and October, and outside that window the route goes through Athens. In winter the island is very quiet and a large share of tourist businesses are closed. Kos Town keeps functioning, but at a reduced pace and on shorter hours.

Planning your timing

The island's size is the safety margin here: even if something is not arranged in advance, there is room to fix it. That said, at the height of summer traffic on the coast road is slower than you would expect.

The process

Arriving with a prescription in hand

The process is the same everywhere in Greece, and the prescription is valid at any licensed pharmacy in the country, not only in Kos. You fill in a questionnaire, a Greek-licensed physician reviews it remotely, before you fly, and decides independently. If approved, you receive a digital prescription in your passport name. Full details in the guide.

What you buy in Greece stays in Greece The prescription and products are valid inside Greece only. Taking cannabis across a border is a criminal offence in most destinations, and a Greek prescription will not protect you at arrival. Details on the flying page.

At the pharmacy

Redeeming in Kos

Redemption itself is short: you walk into a licensed pharmacy, show your passport, and the pharmacist retrieves the digital prescription from the system. This is the only step in the whole process that requires you to be physically in Greece. How redemption works without a Greek social security number.

What to know about redeeming a prescription in Kos
Getting there	Kos (KGS), seasonal direct flights
Where the pharmacies are	Kos town
Drive from the resort areas	Under an hour from anywhere on the island, usually far less
Out of season	Kos town runs at reduced pace and shorter hours; villages partly closed

Bring your passport, the digital prescription and a means of payment. What is checked at the counter, and why the passport number has to match exactly.

Opening hours

Hours are set regionally rather than nationally, the afternoon break is a local custom rather than a binding rule, and on Sundays and overnight only duty pharmacies are open. The full rule, and how to find a duty pharmacy.

On the cost The product is paid for at the pharmacy and is not included in the service fee. The prescription can be redeemed for up to 30 days from issue, inside Greece. The price list by strain.

Questions

What people ask us

We're a family staying in Kardamena. How does this work?

Kardamena is about 25 minutes from Kos Town. The questionnaire and the review happen remotely from your phone, so the only trip required is the redemption itself. Combine it with a day you are going into town anyway.

Can I take the ferry to Rhodes and redeem there?

You can. The prescription is valid throughout Greece and the islands are connected by ferry. Stock at any single pharmacy is not guaranteed on either island, so check availability in Kos Town first and only take the ferry if a pharmacy in Rhodes confirms it has what you need.

We are staying in a village. Do we need to drive to Kos town?

Almost every licensed pharmacy is in Kos town. The villages of Kardamena, Tigaki and Kefalos are small and some have no pharmacy operating out of season. The island is flat and the drive is short, so this is not a real problem.

What about Kos outside the summer?

Direct flights run mainly between May and October. In winter the island is quiet and much of the tourist economy is shut; Kos town keeps working, but at reduced pace and shorter hours.

Other destinations

The prescription works here too

One digital prescription, any licensed pharmacy in Greece.

RhodesIsland · Dodecanese AthensCapital · Mainland MykonosIsland · Cyclades

Heading to Kos?

A short questionnaire, and a Greek-licensed physician will assess whether you are suitable. No commitment.

Start the eligibility check