Can You Vape in Greece?

Short answer: yes, you can vape in Greece. It is legal, you can bring your own device and e-liquid, and vapes are sold on nearly every corner.

The catch is a reputation that is out of date. Greece was once the smoker's paradise of Europe, but since 2019 it has enforced a strict indoor ban that explicitly includes vaping, with fines of up to 500 euros. The good news is the flip side: outdoors, including on the beach and at the outdoor tables of a taverna, you are fine, so you can ignore the scare stories about beach fines. Here is exactly where the line falls.

Is vaping legal in Greece?

Yes. Nicotine vaping is legal and regulated in Greece under the EU framework. E-cigarettes are sold to over-18s in kiosks, tobacconists and online, e-liquid is capped at 20mg/ml with 2ml tanks, and unlike some neighbours there is currently no flavour ban. There is no special customs barrier for a tourist bringing their own kit from the UK.

So legality is not the issue. The thing to get right is where you use it, because the indoor rule is real and, in the tourist cities at least, actually enforced.

Can you bring your vape to Greece?

Yes, and it is easy. Pack your device and e-liquid in your cabin bag, never the hold, because of the lithium battery. Bring a personal amount, a device and a spare plus enough liquid for the trip, and you will walk through with no trouble. Greece is an EU country, so there is no special customs hurdle for a tourist carrying their own supply.

You can top up locally too, but there are reasons to travel with your own, which we come to below.

The indoor ban: Greece's reputation is out of date

This is the rule that catches people who remember the old Greece. The 2019 smoking law bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces, and it explicitly includes e-cigarettes. That means no vaping inside bars, cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies, shops, airports or on public transport. Individual fines run from 50 to 500 euros, and operators who allow it face far more.

Enforcement is not uniform. In Athens, Thessaloniki and the busy island resorts it is taken seriously, especially in peak season, while smaller villages are more relaxed. But you have no way of knowing which you will get, so the safe rule is the simple one: if you would not light a cigarette there, do not vape there. Step outside. A covered terrace with open sides is usually fine, and if you see ashtrays on the tables, vaping is tolerated.

Can you vape on the beach in Greece?

Yes. Some guides claim a specific beach vaping fine, often quoted as a couple of hundred euros, and that is not a real Greek rule. Outdoor vaping, including on the beach, is allowed. The only things to watch are litter and courtesy: never drop a disposable or a pod in the sand, some beaches now have smoke-free sections, and organised beaches with sun loungers often ask you to use the ashtrays provided. Vape considerately away from families and you will have no problems at all.

Can you buy vapes in Greece?

Yes, easily. Greece is a land of kiosks, the periptera, and you will find vapes and e-liquid in them as well as in tobacconists and online. Disposables are still sold, since Greece has not banned them. The catch is price: nicotine e-liquid is often dearer than at home, with a 10ml bottle frequently 6 to 8 euros, and the brands and flavours may not match your usual.

For that reason it is worth travelling with your own. Pack plenty of your usual e-liquid or nic salt e-liquid, and take a spare pod kit or refillable kit, so a lost or broken device does not leave you paying Greek prices for an unfamiliar replacement.

What is coming: a flavour ban

One change worth knowing about. Greece's government has been preparing a ban on flavoured e-cigarettes, leaving only tobacco and mint. As of now this is proposed, not yet in force, and it still needs to clear the usual EU steps, so flavours remain on sale for the moment. But it is another good reason to travel with the flavour you actually use, rather than assume it will be there next summer.

A word on THC and CBD vapes

Nicotine vaping is fine. THC and CBD vapes are not. Cannabis in any form, including a CBD vape you bought legally in the UK, is treated as a drug at the Greek border, and Greek drug laws are strict. Keep it simple: bring nicotine only, and leave anything cannabis related at home.

What to pack for Greece

Your device and a spare in your cabin bag, enough e-liquid or nic salt for the trip so you skip the Greek prices, a charger and cable, and a refillable kit rather than a bag of disposables. Vape outdoors, never inside a bar or cafe, keep the beach clean, and leave anything cannabis related at home. Do that and Greece is an easy, legal place to vape, as long as you remember the indoors line the old reputation forgets.