Starting Monday, visitors arriving by cruise ship to Greece’s idyllic islands will notice a small new cost added to their holiday experience.

As of 21 July, a new government regulation has gone into effect that charges passengers a disembarkation fee — part of Greece’s wider plan to support sustainable tourism. This new measure is officially called the “sustainable tourism fee”, and it applies to all cruise visitors who step off their ships onto Greek island ports.

Why the New Fee?

This added charge is designed to help control overtourism, especially on the nation’s most visited islands, and to support aging infrastructure in these high-demand destinations.

Two islands in particular — Mykonos and Santorini — are seeing the highest fees, due to the strain from heavy cruise traffic. According to the Hellenic Ports Association, 768 cruise vessels and nearly 1.3 million visitors arrived in Mykonos alone last year.

Photo: unsplash.com/@isaw

The fee amount varies depending on the season and port of arrival.

Here’s a breakdown of the current rates:

Season- Mykonos & Santorini - Other Islands

1 June – 30 September
€20 [Mykonos & Santorini] 
€5 [Other Islands]

1 April – 31 May & October  
€12 [Mykonos & Santorini]
€3 [Other Islands]

1 November – 31 March
€4 [Mykonos & Santorini]
€1 [Other Islands]

The fee is charged per person and per island port where a passenger gets off the ship.

So, if your cruise stops at both Mykonos and Santorini during high season, you’d pay €40 total.

Cruise lines or their local agents are responsible for declaring and paying the fee through an official digital system set up by Greek authorities.

Payment is due quarterly, based on the number of passengers who disembark from the vessel.

If the cruise company fails to settle the charges, Greek port authorities can block the ship from docking or prevent passengers from getting off at future stops.