Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ATHENS1639
2008-12-08 10:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Athens
how-toVZCZCXRO0712 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTH #1639 3431049 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 081049Z DEC 08 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2881 INFO RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI PRIORITY 1987 RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ATHENS 001639
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR A/LM/OPS/TTM/TM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ATRN AMGT APER KSEP
SUBJECT: VISA REQUIREMENT FOR GREECE
UNCLAS ATHENS 001639
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR A/LM/OPS/TTM/TM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ATRN AMGT APER KSEP
SUBJECT: VISA REQUIREMENT FOR GREECE
1. (U) This is an action request, see para 4.
2. (U) Several USG personnel have recently been detained
in Athens for arriving on a diplomatic or official passport
without a Schengen visa, including an Ambassador, a Congressman,
and a team of FBI agents whose travel was arranged by
Carlson Wagonlit. Detention can last from several hours to
overnight at the airport police station, and travelers can
be refused entry and sent back to their point of origin.
3. (U) Greece very strictly enforces the requirement for
diplomatic or official travelers to have obtained a Schengen
visa in their passport before arriving in Greece, either as a
final destination or a transit point to another Schengen
country. US citizen travelers using US tourist passports do
not need visas for stays up to 90 days.
4. (U) Action request. Post asks TTM/TM to instruct Carlson
Wagonlit (CW) to distribute this information through their
internal system to all CW USG travel representatives worldwide,
so that when travel to or through Greece is arranged, travelers
are instructed either to use tourist passports or to get a
Schengen visa in their diplomatic or official passports prior to
departure. End Action
Request.
SPECKHARD
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR A/LM/OPS/TTM/TM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ATRN AMGT APER KSEP
SUBJECT: VISA REQUIREMENT FOR GREECE
1. (U) This is an action request, see para 4.
2. (U) Several USG personnel have recently been detained
in Athens for arriving on a diplomatic or official passport
without a Schengen visa, including an Ambassador, a Congressman,
and a team of FBI agents whose travel was arranged by
Carlson Wagonlit. Detention can last from several hours to
overnight at the airport police station, and travelers can
be refused entry and sent back to their point of origin.
3. (U) Greece very strictly enforces the requirement for
diplomatic or official travelers to have obtained a Schengen
visa in their passport before arriving in Greece, either as a
final destination or a transit point to another Schengen
country. US citizen travelers using US tourist passports do
not need visas for stays up to 90 days.
4. (U) Action request. Post asks TTM/TM to instruct Carlson
Wagonlit (CW) to distribute this information through their
internal system to all CW USG travel representatives worldwide,
so that when travel to or through Greece is arranged, travelers
are instructed either to use tourist passports or to get a
Schengen visa in their diplomatic or official passports prior to
departure. End Action
Request.
SPECKHARD