Greece is regarded as a relatively safe country by European standards. ⚠Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has no travel advisory in force for Greece at all — not even its lowest level. Even so, the methods and the areas where losses cluster are identified precisely, and ⚠the fact that resort islands such as Santorini are named among the places where cases concentrate is exactly what anyone planning an island trip should know first.
⚠The official source used here is the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “basic safety data”, which is an assessment written for Japanese nationals and built on cases involving them. For advisory levels that apply to you, check your own government’s current guidance — but the methods and the places where losses cluster are the same whatever passport you hold. This article covers method, where it concentrates, and what to do about a late-night arrival (as of July 2026).
The advisory level — nothing has been issued
Japan’s MOFA runs four advisory levels, from Level 1 “exercise caution” to Level 4 “evacuate”, and ⚠Greece has none of them.
The same material notes at the same time that demonstrations and strikes called by trade unions and others are frequent, and that crime by irregular migrants and organised groups occurs, requiring care. ⚠Strikes bite less as a safety problem than as a risk of your itinerary falling apart, so the practical response is to hold a fallback for any day that uses a ferry or an airport.
Four common methods — surround, spill, divert, press
Four methods are listed as occurring particularly often. ⚠Every one of them is two-stage: divert your attention first, take second.
- 1. Surrounded by several people: on buses and the metro or inside stations, several people close in and a wallet is taken from a bag or the backpack on your back. ⚠The material states explicitly that there have been cases where it was not crowded at all — “it’s quiet, so it’s fine” does not hold
- 2. Liquid on your clothes: liquid is spilled on your clothing, or someone speaks to you, to divert your attention while the bag is taken. The instant your attention goes to the stain is the main event
- 3. The moment your eyes are off it: a bag taken in a park, a restaurant or a café while your attention is away from your things
- 4. The flower seller: valuables taken while a flower is pressed on you in the street. Getting your hands full reaching to accept it is the object
Where losses concentrate — the islands are named too
The material says crime occurs mainly in urban areas, and then lists specific areas within Athens where cases concentrate.
- ⚠Around Syntagma Square — the area with the most cases: the method of spilling liquid or speaking to you to divert attention and take your things is frequent here
- Buses, the metro and inside metro stations: maximum caution against pickpocketing is advised
- Sights such as the Acropolis
- ⚠Resort islands such as Santorini, and cities outside Athens: being an island does not make it safe. Oia and Fira, covered in our Greece: 11 Top Attractions, meet exactly the same condition as an urban sight — places where people pack together and stand still
If you land late at night — arrival day is the most exposed
⚠The strongest warning in the material concerns late-night arrivals. It states plainly that walking around at night looking for a hotel with your suitcase is dangerous, and strongly recommends considering the following four.
- Book the hotel in advance
- If you have not booked, rest or stay the arrival night at a hotel adjacent to the airport
- Take a taxi from the airport directly to the hotel you booked
- Arrange the hotel’s own transfer service in advance
This is the same conclusion we reach in Greek Island Hopping: if your international flight lands after midday, it is safer to spend the first night in Athens and cross to the islands on a morning boat. Designing the arrival evening without a dinner booking or a transfer to make means a delay can only push you toward the safe side.
Five defences, as listed
- Do not dress conspicuously: avoid designer bags and expensive jewellery, and aim to blend in with the people around you
- ⚠Hold your bag in front of your chest: in crowds, always keep it held firmly in front of you. ⚠The material names specifically that there are many cases of a backpack worn on the back being opened without the wearer noticing and the wallet taken
- Do not carry large amounts of cash
- Stay out of areas identified as dangerous
- Avoid unnecessary trips out late at night and early in the morning, and do not approach a noisy crowd out of curiosity
The underlying stance is to hold the attitude that your safety is your own to protect, and to keep gathering current information. ⚠Because every Greek method starts by diverting your attention, training the reflex of putting a hand on your bag first whenever something happens is what takes you out of the pattern.
Common questions
Is Greece safe?
No advisory is in force, and it is described as relatively safe by European standards. ⚠But the pickpocketing methods and the areas where losses cluster are identified in specific terms, so “safe, but anti-pickpocket measures are compulsory” is closer to reality.
Are Santorini and Mykonos safer?
⚠No. “Resort islands such as Santorini, and cities outside Athens” are also listed among the areas where cases concentrate. Carry your things on the islands exactly as you would in Athens.
Is it all right to walk around with a backpack?
⚠The material states that there are many cases of a backpack worn on the back being opened without the wearer noticing and the wallet taken. Swing it to the front in crowds, or keep valuables out of the backpack entirely.
How do strikes affect a trip?
⚠With demonstrations and strikes described as frequent, they bite as an itinerary risk rather than a safety one. Hold a fallback for any day that uses a ferry or an airport, and never put a long crossing the day before your flight home — the same design that protects you against meltemi cancellations.
If it happens — settle the order in advance
Researching only after the theft costs you time in time zones and language. ⚠Fix the order alone beforehand and you will not hesitate on the ground.
- 1) Call your card issuer — the sooner it is frozen, the smaller the second wave of damage. What actually helps is having written down the contact number, not the card number
- 2) Report it to the local police — an insurance claim almost always needs a police report. Treat getting the theft certificate in hand as part of the same task
- 3) If the passport is gone, go to the embassy or consulate of your own country — you will need paperwork such as an emergency travel document. ⚠Keeping a passport copy and a passport photo in the cloud makes it faster
- 4) The travel insurance hotline — cover differs between a credit-card policy and a standalone one. Before you leave, at least check whether personal belongings are covered (Travel Insurance Guide)
Related reading — building the trip
- The full trip design → Greek Island Hopping
- The sights in one list → Greece: 11 Top Attractions
- Which part of the island to stay on → Where to Stay in Santorini
- The country at a glance → Greece Travel Guide
⚠Security conditions and advisory levels change. Check your own government’s current travel advice before you go (the published material quoted here is the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ position as of 28 July 2026).
