Overstaying in Greece: fine, entry ban and enforcement
This is what Greece's own national law adds on top of the EU-wide entry-ban mechanism — every Schengen country runs that same baseline process, explained on the general overstay-penalties page, but the fine amount and exact enforcement style are set by each country individually.
Fine
At least EUR 5,000, as part of a criminal sentence (not a standalone administrative fine) — rising to EUR 10,000+ for a repeat offense after a prior deportation
Entry ban
Not a fixed range — Greece treats a repeat offense (returning after deportation) as an aggravated version of the same criminal offense rather than issuing a separate administrative entry-ban duration figure
How it's enforced in practice
Greece criminalized simple illegal stay via Law 5275/2026 (Government Gazette, published 6 February 2026) — converting what most other Schengen countries treat as an administrative matter into a criminal one. At least 2 years' imprisonment plus the fine above applies to a first offense; a repeat offense after deportation draws at least 3 years plus EUR 10,000+. This is a genuinely different, and much harsher, enforcement model than the administrative-fine approach used elsewhere in this dataset, and a recent, active policy shift (nearly 300 people were reported imprisoned under it as of this check) — don't assume Greece follows the same pattern as its neighbors. This supersedes the older Law 4251/2014, which an earlier research pass had been targeting for this question.
This is informational only, not legal advice — consult a qualified adviser if you're facing an actual return decision or entry ban.
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-18.