Tourist tax in Greece in 2026, rates, rules, and how to pay

Greece charges a nightly accommodation tax called the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee. This nightly tax is also known as a tourist tax. Rates are anywhere from €0.50 per room, per night to €15. The amount you’ll be charged depends on the accommodation you choose and the time of year that you’re visiting. 

Typically, you can pay it directly to your hotel or rental, and it is usually separate from the room rate. Cruise passengers also have to pay a tourist tax, but it’s a bit different than the nightly room rate one. 

What is the tourist tax in Greece in 2026?

Most people, when they think about the Greek tourist tax, are thinking about the nightly accommodation one, but there really are two. The one most people think about is the one that is technically called the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee. This is a nightly charge that is collected through your accommodation of choice. 

However, there is another smaller one, which is a municipal occupancy levy around 0.5%, and it’s usually included in the price of the room. 

Together, the Resilience Fee and the municipal fee are used to help fund disaster recovery, improve infrastructure, and address rising climate concerns.

The Climate Crisis Resilience Fee: What it is and who collects it

Greece introduced the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee on January 1, 2024, under Law 5073/2023. The rates were raised even higher on January 1, 2025. This fee was designed to replace something called the “Stayover Tax,” which was created in 2018. 

The revenue generated from the Crisis Resilience Fee goes heavily towards natural disaster preparedness (wildfires, floods, etc.). Your hotel or lodging is responsible for collecting it and then passing it on to the Greek tax authority. 

The municipal occupancy tax, Greece's other levy

Separate from the Crisis Resilience Fee is their occupancy levy. Typically, it’s 0.5% of the accommodation cost, but can be 0.75% in some areas. When you’re looking at the pricing breakdown for your lodging, you may not even see it listed as a line item. This is because it’s usually baked into the hotel’s pricing and goes to the local council vs. the central government.

Greece tourist tax rates for 2025 and 2026

The rates found in the table below went into effect on January 1, 2025. As of 2026, they are unchanged. The fee that is charged depends on two things: your accommodation choice and the season or time of year you’re traveling. Peak tourism season runs from April to October. The low season is November through March. The prices reflect those volumes. Note that this charge is always per room, per night.

High-season rates from April to October

The summer months are the busiest. This means from April to October, the tax is higher, especially as the star rating increases, too. A couple sharing a 4-star room, for example, will need to pay 10 euros a night (on top of the actual price of the room). This is the same case for solo travelers, as the fee is per room, not per person. Over a one-week period, that comes to an additional 70 euros. The table below shows you what a 7-night stay can look like, compared to the low travel season.

Low-season rates from November to March

If you’re visiting Greece between November and March, the same room’s fee will be less than the summer rate. A 4-star room drops from €10 a night to just €3. This is all because of seasonality. 

Cruise passenger fees by port and season

Now, cruise passengers don’t have to pay the accommodation fee, since it is per nightly stay. That said, if a cruise passenger disembarks and stays overnight on land, they will need to. This isn’t common unless your cruise ends in a Greek port. 

Since July 2025, cruise passengers have to pay a disembarkation fee every time they land at a Greek port. Santorini and Mykonos have the highest fees, while the other ports have lower ones. This is because Santorini and Mykonos see staggering amounts of tourism as some of the most popular locations in Greece, and cruise stops in the entire world.

Does the rate change from one island to another?

No, currently the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee is national. This means a 4-star hotel in Corfu and a 4-star hotel in Mykonos will charge the same nightly rate in the same season. What does differ is how properties are officially classified. 

Who pays the Greece tourist tax and who is exempt?

Essentially every overnight visitor needs to pay, regardless of nationality or how the accommodation is booked. Now, it is per room, not per person, so a couple doesn’t need to pay twice as much. On the same note, children don’t increase the rate either. People often wonder if children under a certain age or seniors over another are exempt, but for Greece’s tax, neither are. This is because the charge is per room, not per guest. 

That said, for cruises, children under the age of two are exempt from the fee. 

There are a few kinds of accommodation stays that are exempt, but mainly campsites, youth hostels, and some heritage building stays. 

How and when do you pay the tourist tax in Greece?

Travelers need to pay the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee through their accommodations; typically, you pay it in person either at check-in or check-out. It’s separate from the actual lodging booking price, and depending on your lodging, it may need to be paid in cash. Make sure you ask your hotel or host ahead of time to make sure you know what to expect, especially if you need to have local currency (it’s Euros). 

How the tax works on Airbnb and short-term rentals

Short-term vacation rentals, even through platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, etc., aren’t exempt. Some hosts may collect the fee at the property (at check-in or check-out), others might include it in the payment up front. 

If you’re not sure, ask your host ahead of time.

How Greece's tourist tax compares across Europe

In comparison to other Mediterranean destinations, Greece’s tourist tax is pretty average. At up to 15 euros a night (5-star, peak season), it’s actually similar to Rome or Paris. Some cities and regions charge per person, while others (like Greece) charge per room, so pay attention to that when you’re budgeting your expenses. 

Also, Greece’s tax applies nationwide, while many European countries charge per city or region.

VAT on accommodation: the tax you do not see on a separate line

So there’s the nationwide tax (the Resilience Fee), the municipal tax (usually baked into the price), and then there is also a VAT you need to be aware of. Greek hotels charge a 13% VAT. Usually, this price is included in the overall price you see of the room, but it doesn’t hurt to check just in case. 

How to budget for the Greece tourist tax

The rate you’ll need to pay is pretty straightforward once you’ve chosen your exact accommodations and the dates you’ll be traveling. You’ll just need to look at the rate for your type of lodging, the seasonality, and then take that rate and multiply it by the number of nights you’re spending. 

For example, if you’re staying 5 nights at a 3-star hotel in June, you’ll be taxed a flat 25 euros. Here are a few examples of potential trips and what you could expect to pay.

What visiting off-peak actually saves you

If you’re looking to pay the absolute least amount possible, the best way to do that is to travel during the off-season. The savings can actually be quite high. A week in a 5-star hotel in August is about €105. In November, the same room’s tax would be €28. The longer the stay, the larger the impact traveling in the off-season can have on your finances. 

Other fees and taxes travellers pay in Greece in 2026

Apart from the tourist tax, going to Greece in 2026 can incur a few other costs you should be aware of (beyond the normal things like flights, food, etc.). The 13% VAT is typically included in the room price. Non-EU visitors without visas will need to pay for ETIAS once it launches (later this year), and major important archaeological sites also charge entry. Then there are motorway tolls to be aware of if you’re renting a car. Combined, all of these can add up to an extra €100 or even €200 euros you weren’t planning to spend, depending on what exactly your plans are. So, they’re important to just keep in mind.

VAT, the standard rate and what it covers

Greece’s standard VAT is actually 24%, and that’s applied to most retail, car hires, and alcohol purchases. The 13% figure is a reduced rate, and hotels fall into this category. 

Greece's standard VAT is 24 percent, applied to most retail, car hire and alcohol. A reduced 13 percent rate covers hotel stays, restaurant meals and domestic transport. There are some smaller islands that have a further reduced rate, too. 

ETIAS, the new entry requirement for visa-exempt travelers

While ETIAS isn’t a tax, it is a new cost that travelers heading to Greece should be aware of. ETIAS, which is short for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is a new travel authorization that non-EU visa-exempt travelers will need to get before traveling to Greece (or any other country in the Schengen area). ETIAS is expected to launch in late 2026 and will cost 20 euros per person. Authorization will last for 3 years. ETIAS isn’t a visa, and EU/Schengen visa holders will not need it. 

Archaeological site entry fees and the 2025 changes

Keep an eye out for prices to famous archaeological sites, like the Acropolis in Athens. The ticket prices significantly increased in 2025. You can check their official websites or the Greek Tourism Board to get the official prices for the sites you’re interested in going to. 

This isn’t to discourage you from going to these incredible, historic places, but it is to let you know that there is an associated cost you should prepare for.

Frequently asked questions about the Greece tourist tax

Is the Greek tourist tax per person or per room?

Is there a tourist tax in Greece for Airbnb stays?

Does Athens have its own separate tourist tax?

Is the tax included in my hotel booking price?

Do I have to pay the tourist tax in Greece?

What if the hotel charges more than the official rate?