Driving in Greece: the road rules for visitors

Checked 15 October 2026 against official sources

In Greece you drive on the right, with the steering wheel on the left, and roundabouts go anticlockwise. At junctions without signs or road markings, traffic from your right goes first, even from a small side street.

Watch for fixed, mobile, average speed and red light cameras, and for cameras that catch drivers holding a phone or without a seatbelt.

RightSide of the road
30km/h in towns
90km/h on country roads
130km/h on motorways
0.05blood alcohol limit
Noturning right on red
Limitedearphones while driving
112emergency number

The rules that catch visitors out

The most important first.

  1. Towns are now 30 km/h

    Since 1 January 2026 the default limit in built-up areas is 30 km/h, not 50. Only roads with two or more marked lanes in each direction, one-way roads with two or more lanes, and roads with a central island stay at 50 km/h. Signs can set other limits.

  2. Licence suspensions for everyday offences

    Most offences now cost a fine and a licence suspension. Using a phone, not wearing a seatbelt or ignoring a stop sign costs €350 and 30 days without your licence. Running a red light costs €700 and 60 days.

  3. Cameras across Attica

    Since March 2026, cameras in Attica have fined drivers automatically. 388 red-light cameras watch 100 junctions, AI cameras catch phone use and missing seatbelts or helmets, and Athens buses carry bus lane cameras. More are due in Thessaloniki and Crete. The fine reaches you through the hire company, which names you as the driver.

  4. No turning on red

    A red light means stop, including when turning right. You may only go when a green arrow lights up beside the red light, and only in the arrow's direction. Running a red light costs €700 and a 60-day licence suspension.

  5. Priority to the right

    At junctions without signs, traffic from the right has priority. At a roundabout with no sign at the entry, this means traffic entering has priority over traffic already going round. Where the entry has a give-way or stop sign, give way to traffic on the roundabout.

  6. Scooters and quad bikes need the right licence

    Your licence must cover the vehicle you hire. For mopeds the UK government says you need at least category A1, and the UK category P is not valid. Riders and passengers must wear helmets, and the fine for not wearing one is €350. Small scooter and quad bike rental firms often carry no insurance and make you pay for all damage, and your travel insurance may not cover these vehicles.

  7. Island roads

    Island roads are often narrow, winding and sometimes unpaved, with blind bends. Pedestrians, cyclists and animals such as goats share the road. Scooter and quad bike crashes injure and kill visitors on the islands every summer.

10 more rules worth knowing

Roundabouts go anticlockwise

Go anticlockwise and give way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your left.

Slower drivers use the hard shoulder

On many two-lane highways, slower drivers move onto the hard shoulder so others can pass, and some drivers overtake across the centre line. Expect it, and do not rely on lane markings. Driving in an emergency lane is an offence that the new cameras can record.

Motorbikes on every side

Motorbikes ride between lanes and pass on both sides. Check your mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes or turning.

Pedestrian crossings

Drivers must stop for pedestrians at crossings, but many local drivers do not. Stop anyway, and check your mirror first in case the driver behind does not expect it.

Electric cars on ferries

Since April 2024, electric and plug-in hybrid cars may board ferries only with the battery charged to 40 per cent or less. Plan your charging before an island crossing.

What the car must carry

The car must carry a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. Hire cars should have them, but check before you drive away, because the driver gets the fine.

Bus lanes

Bus lanes are for buses. Cameras on buses record cars that drive or stop in them. Where: Athens. Fine: €350 and a 70-day licence suspension for stopping or parking so that you block public transport. Stay out of lanes marked for buses, even to drop someone off.

Toll roads

Most Greek motorways charge tolls at toll stations along the road. You pay at each station in cash, by card or with an electronic tag. On Attiki Odos, the motorway around Athens, a car pays €2.80 once, on entry, however far it goes. Attiki Odos staffed lanes take cash and bank cards, but not Diners or American Express. Its electronic toll lanes are for e-PASS tag holders.

No smoking with children in the car

Smoking in a car is banned when a child under 12 is on board.

Drink driving

The blood alcohol limit is 0.05. The limit is 0.50 g/L in blood or 0.25 mg/L in breath.

Speed limits

Where no sign says otherwise, in kilometres per hour.

30
Towns and cities
This has been the default in built-up areas since 1 January 2026. Roads with at least two marked lanes in each direction, one-way roads with at least two lanes, and roads with a central island stay at 50 km/h.
90
Country roads
Ordinary roads outside built-up areas. Unpaved roads outside built-up areas are 40 km/h unless signposted otherwise.
110
Dual carriageways
Roads classed as expressways (οδοί ταχείας κυκλοφορίας).
130
Motorways
  • The urban default was 50 km/h until 31 December 2025.
  • In Athens, Kifisias, Mesogeion and Vouliagmenis avenues stay at 50 km/h.
  • Signs can set a different limit on any road.
  • There are no separate limits for wet weather or for new drivers.
  • Electric scooters may not use roads where the car limit is above 50 km/h.

Who goes first

Look left first

YouFrom your leftFrom your right
You stop at the stop line.
Traffic keeps to the right here, so the lane nearest you carries cars coming from your left. Look left, then right, then left again before you pull out.

Priority to the right

YouGoes first
Both cars arrive at a junction with no signs or lines.
At a junction with no signs, signals or road markings, the car coming from your right goes first, even from a small side street.

When your road has priority

YouGives way
You are on a priority road, shown by the yellow diamond.
The yellow diamond means your road has priority and side roads have a give way line. Watch for the same diamond with a black bar across it, which means priority to the right is back.

The app animates all 7 junctions for Greece, including the ones above.

Open it in the app

Signs to know

32Maximum speedΑνώτατο όριο ταχύτητας (Ρ-32)

You may not drive faster than the number shown, in km/h.

STOPStopSTOP (Ρ-2)

Stop completely at the line and give way to all traffic.

CAMERA WARNINGSIGNCamera warning sign

Enforcement cameras are installed ahead. The law requires this sign wherever the new cameras are installed and before each fixed speed camera.

Priority roadΟδός προτεραιότητας

You are on a priority road. Traffic joining from side roads must give way to you.

No entryΑπαγορεύεται η είσοδος

No vehicles may enter, usually because it is the wrong end of a one-way street.

BUSLANEBuses onlyΛεωφορειολωρίδα (Ρ-67)

The lane or road is for buses and trolleybuses only.

All 15 road signs in Greece, explained

Speed cameras

Camera enforcement grew fast in 2026, mostly in Attica. There are 388 red-light cameras at 100 junctions, AI cameras that catch phone use and missing seatbelts or helmets, an average speed check on Syngrou Avenue, cameras on Athens buses, and fixed speed cameras on Attiki Odos. By law a warning sign must be displayed wherever the new cameras are installed. Fines go electronically to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the hire company.

Red light camera

Signposted

Κάμερες ερυθρού σηματοδότη (red-light cameras)

Looks like: Cameras fitted at the traffic lights of the junction. They film the car from behind, by day and by night.

Catches: Crossing the white stop line after the light has turned red. Each case is recorded as six photos and a video.

388 cameras at 100 junctions in 66 municipalities across Attica, switched on in summer 2026 and working around the clock. They include junctions on Kifisias, Kifisou, Mesogeion, Vouliagmenis, Syngrou, Alexandras and Poseidonos avenues. Police check each case before the fine is sent. The fine is €700 and a 60-day licence suspension.

Phone and seatbelt camera

Signposted

Κάμερες τεχνητής νοημοσύνης (AI cameras)

Catches: Phone use, no seatbelt, riders and passengers without helmets, red lights, speeding and bus lane use. They also read the car's make, model and colour.

Piloted at eight high-risk points in Attica, with fines issued since 28 March 2026. The first fines were mostly for red lights and riders without helmets. By late July 2026 the camera system had produced about 4,000 fines. About 1,000 more cameras are planned for Attica, Thessaloniki and Crete during 2026.

Average speed camera

Μέτρηση μέσης ταχύτητας (average speed check)

Catches: Speeding, measured as your average speed between two cameras.

On Syngrou Avenue in Athens, two cameras about 1.3 km apart time each car. Braking only at the camera does not help.

Every camera type in Greece, the warning signs and how fines reach you

Licence and International Driving Permits

Licence fromPermitNotes
the EU, Iceland, SwitzerlandNot neededLicences from EU and EEA countries are recognised, as long as you meet the Greek minimum age for the category. Swiss licences are recognised too.
United KingdomNot neededGreek law recognises UK licences for the length of a visit. A photocard licence is enough. With an old paper licence, get a 1968 IDP or update to a photocard.
United States, Canada, AustraliaRecommendedGreek law recognises these licences for visitors, so an IDP is not legally required. Australian licences have been recognised since 5 November 2021. Some hire companies and insurers still ask for an IDP, so it is worth carrying one.
New ZealandRequiredNew Zealand is not on Greece's list of non-EU licences that are valid on their own, so carry an IDP with your licence. The AA issues the 1949 Convention IDP, which Greece accepts.
JapanRequiredJapan is not on Greece's list of non-EU licences that are valid on their own, so carry an IDP with your licence.

What to carry

  • Driving licence
  • IDP, if your licence needs one
  • Passport
  • Hire agreement
  • Insurance certificate and registration document for the car

Zones and tolls

Bus lanes

Bus lanes are for buses. Cameras on buses record cars that drive or stop in them. Where: Athens. Fine: €350 and a 70-day licence suspension for stopping or parking so that you block public transport.

Tip: Stay out of lanes marked for buses, even to drop someone off.

Tolls

Most Greek motorways charge tolls at toll stations along the road. You pay at each station in cash, by card or with an electronic tag.

  • On Attiki Odos, the motorway around Athens, a car pays €2.80 once, on entry, however far it goes.
  • Attiki Odos staffed lanes take cash and bank cards, but not Diners or American Express. Its electronic toll lanes are for e-PASS tag holders.
  • On other motorways a toll station typically charges a car €2 to €5. In January 2024 the tolls from Athens to Thessaloniki added up to about €33.55, and from Athens to Patras about €13.30.
  • Carry some cash in case a card is refused.

Driving in the cities

Athens

The default limit is 30 km/h, but Kifisias, Mesogeion and Vouliagmenis avenues stay at 50 km/h.

388 red-light cameras cover 100 junctions across Attica, including on Kifisias, Kifisou, Mesogeion, Vouliagmenis, Syngrou, Alexandras and Poseidonos avenues.

AI cameras catch phone use and missing seatbelts or helmets, and cameras on buses record cars in bus lanes.

Syngrou Avenue has an average speed check between two cameras about 1.3 km apart.

Attiki Odos, the motorway around Athens, charges a car €2.80 once, on entry.

Thessaloniki

The 30 km/h urban default applies, except on roads with two or more marked lanes in each direction or a central island.

AI cameras are due in Thessaloniki during 2026.

Questions people ask about driving in Greece

Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Greece?

Not with a licence from the EU, the EEA, Switzerland, the UK, the United States, Canada or Australia, which Greek law recognises for visitors. Drivers from New Zealand and Japan need an IDP. Some hire companies and insurers still ask US, Canadian and Australian drivers for one.

What is the speed limit in Greek towns?

30 km/h by default since 1 January 2026. Roads with two or more marked lanes in each direction, or a central island, are 50 km/h. Outside towns the limits are 90 km/h, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways.

Can you turn right on a red light in Greece?

No. You may only go on red when a green arrow lights up beside the red light, and only in the arrow's direction.

What is the drink-driving limit in Greece?

0.50 g/L in blood, or 0.25 mg/L in breath. Between 0.50 and 0.80 g/L the penalty is €350 and a 30-day licence suspension.

Can I use my phone while driving in Greece?

Only if it sits in a holder on speaker or for navigation, or with a wireless earpiece. Using it any other way costs €350 and a 30-day licence suspension.

Are there traffic cameras in Greece?

Yes, and many more since 2026. Attica has 388 red-light cameras at 100 junctions, AI cameras that catch phone use and missing seatbelts or helmets, bus lane cameras on buses and fixed speed cameras on Attiki Odos. More are due in Thessaloniki and Crete.

Do I need a helmet on a scooter or quad bike in Greece?

Yes. Riders and passengers must wear one. The fine is €350 and a 30-day licence suspension.

How do you pay tolls in Greece?

At toll stations, in cash, by card or with an electronic tag. On Attiki Odos in Athens a car pays €2.80 once on entry, and the staffed lanes take cash and bank cards except Diners and American Express.

Driving in Greece soon?

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Greece for drivers from…

The same guide, with only what's different from home.

Sources

Checked 15 October 2026. Official sources first.

  1. Law 5209/2025 (Road Traffic Code), Article 24: speed limits and speeding penalties Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025, ΦΕΚ Α' 100/13.06.2025)
  2. Law 5209/2025, Article 108: offence categories and fines Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  3. Law 5209/2025, Article 46: driving under the influence of alcohol, medicines or drugs Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  4. Law 5209/2025, Article 17: drivers (phones, earphones, screens) Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  5. Law 5209/2025, Article 9: traffic lights for vehicles Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  6. Law 5209/2025, Article 30: junctions and the duty to give way Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  7. Law 5209/2025, Article 40: use of vehicle lights Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  8. Law 5209/2025, Article 98: driving in Greece on a foreign licence Taxheaven (text of Law 5209/2025)
  9. Press release: replacement of speed limit signs in built-up areas (2 February 2026) Region of Central Macedonia
  10. Τα νέα ανώτατα όρια ταχύτητας μέσα στις πόλεις και τα πρόστιμα (new urban speed limits and fines) Οδηγός του Πολίτη (odigostoupoliti.eu)
  11. Τι αλλάζει με το νέο Κώδικα Οδικής Κυκλοφορίας (what changes with the new Road Traffic Code) Οδηγός του Πολίτη (odigostoupoliti.eu)
  12. Joint press release: start of digital certification of traffic offences from cameras (30 March 2026) Ministries of Digital Governance and AI, Citizen Protection, and Infrastructure and Transport (hosted by ERT News)
  13. Στα κινητά τα πρώτα πρόστιμα κλήσεων της Τροχαίας για παραβάσεις που «είδαν» οι κάμερες (30 March 2026) CNN Greece
  14. Πάνω από 2.400 ψηφιακές κλήσεις (30 May 2026) iefimerida.gr
  15. Νόμος 5256/2025: Ψηφιακή ενίσχυση της οδικής ασφάλειας (Law 5256/2025 on digital road safety) Οδηγός του Πολίτη (odigostoupoliti.eu)
  16. Greece travel advice: safety and security UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK)
  17. Greece International Travel Information US Department of State
  18. Greece travel advice Smartraveller, Australian Government
  19. Travel advice and advisories for Greece Government of Canada
  20. Driving in Greece RAC
  21. Press release: parking offences under the new Road Traffic Code (September 2025) Municipality of Eordaia, Municipal Police
  22. Road signs in Greece Wikipedia
  23. Κυκλικός κόμβος: Ποιος έχει προτεραιότητα; (who has priority at a roundabout, 4 September 2024) gocar.gr
  24. Οδήγηση στην Ελλάδα με άδεια οδήγησης από ξένες χώρες (driving in Greece on a foreign licence, Law 5039/2023) Οδηγός του Πολίτη (odigostoupoliti.eu)
  25. Attiki Odos home page (e-PASS) Attiki Odos
  26. Έξυπνες κάμερες: σχεδόν 4.000 κλήσεις, ενεργοποιούνται ακόμα 388 (21 July 2026) Ta Nea
  27. Σε λειτουργία 388 νέες έξυπνες κάμερες ελέγχου κυκλοφορίας στην Αττική (28 July 2026) Powergame.gr
  28. Ενεργοποιούνται οι 388 κάμερες για κόκκινο: αναλυτικά όλα τα σημεία (388 red-light cameras and their junctions) Autotypos
  29. Πρόστιμο με νοικιασμένο αυτοκίνητο: ποιος πληρώνει και πώς έρχεται η κλήση (fines on hire cars) Autotypos
  30. Αττική Οδός: Όλες οι κάμερες ταχύτητας της τροχαίας (6 July 2022) gocar.gr
  31. Road signs in Greece AARoads Wiki
  32. Athens installs smart traffic cameras to catch violations (6 October 2025) To Vima
  33. Νέος ΚΟΚ: Οδηγός για Περιφέρειες (guide to the new Road Traffic Code) Region of the Ionian Islands (pin.gov.gr)
  34. Tolls Attiki Odos
  35. Tolls in Greece: 6 things to know before your trip (2 January 2024) Motor-Plan
  36. Driving permits for driving overseas AA New Zealand
  37. Länderinfos Griechenland TCS (Touring Club Schweiz)
  38. Κάμερες νέας γενιάς στην Αθήνα: γιατί δεν μπορείς να τις ξεγελάσεις (27 July 2026) Alfavita
  39. Driving in Greece; A Survival Guide (13 January 2026) Greeking.me
  40. FAQ Griechenland TCS (Touring Club Schweiz)
  41. International Driving Permits Australian Embassy, Greece
  42. Επίσημο: Σε αυτά τα φανάρια της Αττικής θα μπουν οι 388 νέες κάμερες (11 November 2024) gocar.gr
  43. Traffic enforcement cameras now in operation (Law 5256/2025, 9 December 2025) RE+D (ered.gr)