Travellers heading to Greece are being urged to get prepared and follow specific safety measures during their holidays. The Foreign Office has issued guidance on the official GOV.UK website, stressing that tourists must keep themselves informed – and it’s all centred around crucial alerts.

Officials on the Foreign Office’s safety and security section have emphasised that visitors need to ensure their mobile phones alert them to severe weather conditions and natural catastrophes. This vital information received an update on August 13 and remains current, with holidaymakers advised to always verify the website before departing from home.

The advice stated: “Greece can experience extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat and flash floods. To be alerted to events near where you are located in Greece, make sure your mobile phone is set to allow emergency alerts.”

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How to activate essential alerts on iPhone, Android and Samsung, reports the Liverpool Echo.

for iPhones go to Settings > Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option at the bottom

for Android 11 and higher go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts

for Samsung devices go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Notifications > Emergency Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option

The reason they urge people to do this is so that the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service can reach you and you can get to safety if needed. The guidance adds: “Always keep your phone with you as you will receive alerts according to the location of your phone.”

Think about assembling an emergency bag containing essentials such as: If you’re planning a trip to Greece in the coming month, brace yourself for potential wildfires. The Foreign Office has emphasised in its advice: “There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location.”

Consider preparing a grab bag with essentials such as:

mobile phones and device chargers

insurance and other important documents

essential medicine and prescription details

It further cautioned that “wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly” and thus, it’s crucial to do everything possible to minimise the risk.

You can achieve this by ensuring you:.

leave no litter, especially not glass which is known to start fires

make sure cigarettes are properly extinguished

What are the passport validity requirements for Greece?

Greece follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must:

have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago

have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)

Bear in mind, entry will be refused if you lack a valid travel document. Always ensure it’s current and that your photo on your passport matches your appearance.