Getting Healthcare in Athens as a Tourist
Nobody plans a trip around getting sick, needing a pharmacy at midnight, or having to figure out how Greek hospitals work.
But it can happen.
Food poisoning, dehydration during summer, scooter accidents, twisted ankles on slippery marble, random fevers after island hopping, all of that is part of daily life in a city that receives millions of visitors every year.
The good news is that Athens has plenty of pharmacies, public hospitals, private clinics, and English-speaking doctors.
The bad news is that the system can become confusing if you are unfamiliar with it.
Public hospitals can involve long waiting times, pharmacies operate with rotating schedules, and figuring out where to go depends on whether the problem is urgent, minor, or something in between.
So here’s how healthcare in Athens works for a tourist, where to go depending on the situation, and what I would avoid.
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How Healthcare in Greece Works
The Greek healthcare system is split between public and private healthcare.
Public hospitals handle the majority of emergencies and serious cases, while private clinics and private doctors are used for faster access, convenience, or specialist appointments.
Pharmacies
For minor health problems, the pharmacy will probably be your first stop.
Pharmacies are everywhere in the city, marked with a green cross sign, and Greek pharmacists play a much more active role in everyday healthcare than in many other countries.
They can help with minor illnesses, recommend over-the-counter medication, explain what requires a doctor or hospital visit, and often save you from spending hours unnecessarily sitting in an emergency department.
This is very useful during summer, when you’ll might end up dealing with things like dehydration, heat exhaustion, sunburns, stomach problems, insect bites, mild allergic reactions, or headaches from the heat.
One thing worth knowing though is that not all pharmacies stay open overnight or on Sundays.
And despite Greece’s old reputation, you cannot legally buy antibiotics without a prescription anymore.
Antibiotics now require an electronic prescription, and pharmacies are much stricter about this than they used to be.
So if antibiotics are actually necessary, you will need to see a doctor first.
Greece Doesn’t Have a GP Gatekeeping System
One thing that might surprise you is that Greece does not really function around the idea of a family doctor acting as the first point of contact for everything.
In many countries, especially in Northern Europe, you need to call your GP first, get referred somewhere, or go through a structured appointment system before seeing a specialist or going to a hospital.
Greece is much more direct than that.
If something feels urgent, people simply go straight to the emergency department.
If the issue is less serious, they may visit a private doctor directly or ask a pharmacist first.
This does not mean the system is organised well. It definitely is not.
But for a visitor, it means access to care is faster and less bureaucratic.
Public vs Private Hospitals
This is probably the part that I imagine you might worry about the most.
I think Greece has an unfair reputation abroad when it comes to public healthcare.
Are public hospitals overcrowded sometimes? Absolutely.
Can waiting times become frustrating during busy shifts? Of course.
But at the same time, many public hospitals in Athens are staffed by extremely capable doctors who deal with a very high volume of serious cases every day.
For emergencies and serious medical problems, I would feel very comfortable going to a public hospital.
Like pharmacies, public hospitals work on a rotating shift schedule.
And as a doctor myself, I would probably choose a large public hospital over many private clinics for something serious.
Private hospitals and clinics definitely have advantages too.
They are often faster, more comfortable, easier administratively, and sometimes less overwhelming for someone unfamiliar with the Greek healthcare system.
At the same time though, in my experience, private clinics can sometimes be quicker to order extensive testing that may not always be necessary.
That does not mean private healthcare is bad. Not at all.
It just means that faster and more expensive does not automatically mean better medical care.
For smaller issues, convenience alone may still make private clinics worth it for many travellers.
But for serious emergencies, I would not hesitate to use the public system in Athens.
English is usually not a problem in either system, especially with younger doctors.
Travel Insurance
Even if you are only visiting Athens, I would still recommend having travel insurance.
Accidents and health problems are impossible to predict in a city where people spend entire days walking outside, dealing with heat, slippery marble streets, and traffic.
And while healthcare in Athens is accessible, costs can still add up quickly in private clinics, imaging centres, or if you need specialist care.
Also, if you need a Schengen visa to visit Greece, travel medical insurance is mandatory. It needs to cover at least €30,000 in medical expenses and be valid throughout the Schengen Area for the full duration of the trip.
Two options I’ve personally used and recommend are SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance and IATI Travel Insurance.
Nomad insurance is a fantastic option for longer or more flexible trips, while IATI has plans that fit more traditional holidays and shorter stays.
European Health Insurance Card
If you are visiting from an EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card.
The EHIC gives you access to medically necessary state healthcare in Greece under the same conditions as Greek residents, which can be very useful if you need a public hospital or public healthcare service during your trip.
However, the EHIC is not the same thing as travel insurance.
It does not replace coverage for things like private healthcare, trip cancellation, lost luggage, medical repatriation, or travel-related emergencies outside the public healthcare system.
So if you are eligible, bring the card – but I would still consider travel insurance as something separate.
Emergency Numbers in Greece
Before closing the post, it is worth saving the main emergency numbers on your phone.
For any serious emergency, you can call 112, which is the European emergency number and works in Greece for medical, police, and fire emergencies.
For medical emergencies specifically, you can also call 166, which connects you to EKAB, the Greek ambulance service.
Other useful numbers are:
100 for police
199 for fire
108 for the coast guard
1571 for tourist police
210 779 3777 for the Poisoning Centre
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this is one of those articles you never actually need during your trip.
But if something does happen, pharmacies are everywhere, doctors speak English, and getting seen is usually much easier than in countries built around referral systems and long waiting chains.
And hopefully this guide gave you the important information you need to feel a bit more prepared, just in case something unexpected happens while you are in Athens.
