“Greece 🇬🇷 ~Papers? What Papers?”

• May 21, 2020
• By Pen
• 4 Comments

We are still trying to figure out our way around in this world, during these unprecedented times of a global pandemic.
We have loved our time spent on Santorini Island, during lockdown, but we also knew that one day, we would be dealing with the relatively short Visa stay of only 90 days…compared to other countries, that may have visa stays good for a year or more. Greece is part of the European Union, therefore, part of the Schlegen Zone of the EU. While other EU states may grant an extension of stay, it is rare for Greece to grant such an extension, even when the world is upside down with closed borders, during a COVID19 virus pandemic. It may be because 75% of undocumented immigrants come through Greece into Europe.

Currently, trying to get permission to leave Greece, and more specifically the Island of Santorini, it would be easier to exit, IF we would show plane tickets taking us back to the USA 🇺🇸.  BUT, for us, this is not the case. We have a different plan, and it “upset the apple cart” that is called Port Authority. Sadly, our efforts to make our way off the island, became “a thing,” and were unable to arrange ferry tickets off the island, without first producing “papers.” I asked the ticket agent at the ferry office what papers? He told me to go to the Port Authority. I go to the Port Authority and sure enough, they ask me to show them my “papers.” I asked “what papers?” I’m told to show them our paperwork from US Embassy. I told the Port Authority officer, I just wanted to arrange a ferry from Santorini to Athens on the 26th of May… but can’t arrange ferry tickets without Port Authority’s approval. I explained, we will be traveling from Santorini, to Athens; by ferry, then Athens to Albania, by vehicle.

I was told, we must go back to USA 🇺🇸. I said we had no plans to go back to the USA 🇺🇸. At this point I sat down in the tiny waiting area on a chair, to call the US Embassy in Athens. As I was talking to the “civilian services” at the Embassy in Athens, (Daryl, btw had just joined me; arriving from the market) …we were then yelled at, by an officer to “leave the Port Authority office, now!” Really? I was very glad the US Embassy heard that, btw. I told the woman at the Embassy, yes, I had applied for an extension to remain in Greece, but after 2.5 weeks of trying, we were not given that permission.  So, I told her we would like assistance, because the Syros Greek Police will not let us stay, but now the Greek Port Authority will not let us leave…. Its a bit messed up!

The woman at the Embassy asked if I was comfortable passing my phone to the officer. I said of course. (the Port Authority Police might be acting like rear-ends, but I remained calm and pleasant). Reluctantly, the officer took my phone when I told him the Embassy would like to speak with him. After the officer was done speaking with the Embassy, I again spoke with the Embassy. She said they were asking for “paperwork” from the Embassy, but she needed to talk with her colleagues to figure out what paperwork. (she even spoke in Greek, but didn’t get it, either)…. I remained in the office of the Port Authority, while Daryl left to get groceries put in the fridge back home. (we are experiencing a heatwave) So, while the officers threw daggers at me with their eyes, I remained unaffected. After 10 minutes, I’m on the phone with the same gal at the Embassy. I again got clarification, that we did not have to back to the USA, but if we could wait longer in Greece, we might be able get out, easier.

So, I went back to home base, and joined the big guy. From there, we hatched a plan to remain in Greece, all the way till the end of our European Visa, in hopes of being able to take the Greek authorities out of the mix all together, and have the freedom to arrange a ferry on our own; permission, to implement an exit plan of our own choosing. 

Unfortunately, we were saving about 12 days in our 90-day Visa, to return to Europe in August to do our (once cancelled, but now rebooked) Rhine River Castle Cruise out of Amsterdam… big bummer. But, we sacrificed our cruise, in hopes of not having to go back to the states. It will now be necessary to apply for RE-entry to the EU, for just the sole purpose of our cruise, but we won’t have to ask Greece for that privilege. Most likely, it will be through Germany customs, and we pray they will be reasonable and helpful. It is unclear at this stage of the game, if our August cruise will even happen. It is too soon to know.

So now, instead of leaving Santorini on May 26, we are planning our exit to be June 6…(luckily we have good friends on the island, and a place to stay, till June). Then, in Athens we will have a short window to try and collect our stored bag at a closed Athens hotel (closed, due to COVID19 🤪), then leave Athens, Greece on the 8th of June, for Albania 🇦🇱; where we may, or may not have to quarantine for 14 days. 

Currently, I’m working online with the ferry company to get our ferry tickets for this new, future date. I was able to change our Athens hotel dates, and now we wait for an update from the Albania authorities, on when their border will open.

Life has never been dull for us, so it would seem this has not change, as we deal with a lot of “Unknowns” as pioneers in the “new normal” of world travel.