Law & Regulations — 🇬🇷 Greece

A gathering of motorhomes at the coastal site “Metaxas Columns” near Fanari in Rhodope has sparked complaints from residents and bathers about prolonged stays, beach occupation, and use of shared showers with detergents. Police clarifications state that simple parking and overnight stays inside the vehicle without external equipment are legal, while violations involve setting up awnings, furniture, or connecting to external utilities. The legality of the stay depends on the zoning of the dirt strip: if it falls within the beach zone, parking is prohibited. The lack of organized camper stops with electricity, water, and waste disposal is also highlighted.

In Sithonia, Greece, three mobile homes on a rural plot in Sykia were disguised as motorhomes with fake wheels. They are being rented to tourists, mainly from Bulgaria, Serbia, and North Macedonia, violating camping regulations and building codes.

The Greek Parliament has passed Law 5170/2025, regulating caravan parking. Caravans up to 7.5 meters may stay in public parking areas, while longer vehicles are limited to 24 hours at one spot. Wild camping is banned, with fines of 300 euros. Camping fees range from 15 to 55 euros per night, and caravan rentals from 70 to 200 euros per day.

Greek law, in effect since 2009, sets fire extinguisher requirements for different vehicle categories. For passenger cars (category M1), one Type 1 powder extinguisher (8A, 34B, C) is required. For buses with more than 8 seats and a maximum mass over 5 tons, two Type 3 extinguishers (21A, 113B, C) are needed. Motorhomes also require a Type 3 extinguisher. Authorities check labeling, expiry date, seal integrity, and pressure gauge readings.

The Hellenic Police (EL.AS.) issued new instructions clarifying the legal framework for parking motorhomes and caravans in Greece. According to the documents, the traffic code takes precedence: in built-up areas, motorhomes up to 7.5 m can park without time limit, while those over 7.5 m and caravans are limited to 24 hours. Outside built-up areas, parking is allowed on designated sites or on the roadside. Mere presence of people inside a legally parked vehicle does not constitute an offense. A fine for wild camping (€300) applies only when objective evidence of occupying space beyond the vehicle outline (awnings, tables, barbecues) is present.

In February 2026, the Greek police headquarters issued a clarification to law 5170/2025, which had caused confusion among tourists. According to the new regulation, motorhomes up to 7.5 meters in length are treated as regular vehicles and can park in built-up areas without time limits, unless signs prohibit it. Overnight stays without setting up camping equipment are considered parking, not wild camping, which remains banned. Violations carry a fine of 300 euros per person.

In 2025, Greece enacted Law 5170/2025, effectively banning motorhome parking on beaches, coastal zones, archaeological sites, and most public spaces, with fines of €300 per person. Following widespread backlash, a revised traffic law (5209/2025) in June 2025 now allows parking for motorhomes up to 7.5 m in built-up areas on standard terms, and on roadsides outside towns unless signs prohibit it. A police directive clarifies that sleeping inside a closed motorhome without deployed awning, chairs, or tables is considered parking, not camping; any outdoor setup constitutes illegal wild camping and remains prohibited.

Law 5170/2025 bans camping outside designated areas, especially on beaches, forests, and near archaeological sites. Violators face a fine of about €300 per person, up to €3,000 in court proceedings, and in extreme cases up to three months imprisonment. Parking rules have also been tightened: motorhomes over 7.5 m in length may park in urban areas for a maximum of 24 hours.

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN) issued a directive activating forestry and urban planning laws to dismantle motorhomes placed on protected lands. The order references a 1991 regulation on movable property in illegal structures and targets cases where temporary motorhome parking evolves into permanent unauthorized buildings. It mandates the removal of a motorhome in Corinthia and sets a precedent for similar cases nationwide.

The Hellenic Motorhome Club (ELAT) reported unjustified pressure on motorhome owners in the Diakopto area. According to the club, following complaints from the Panhellenic Association of Camping Owners, police inspected the motorhome parking site nine times in three days, finding no violations. The club states that parking and living inside a motorhome is legal as long as no external equipment is deployed, and calls for an end to using police resources to pressure alternative tourism.

The Association of Professionals of Motorhomes and Caravans of Greece (SEARTEE/Σ.Ε.Α.Ρ.Τ.Ε.) welcomed a new clarifying police order on parking. In built-up areas, motorhomes up to 7.5 m can park without time limit, longer ones up to 24 hours; caravans up to 24 hours. Outside built-up areas, no time limits unless signs prohibit.

Since 2025, Greece has imposed restrictions on parking and camping for motorhomes and caravans. Overnight stays and long-term parking are now only allowed in organized campsites or designated areas. Fines for illegal parking range up to 300 euros with a 10-day license suspension, while unauthorized camping can lead to up to 3 years in prison.

Greece has reversed the blanket ban on parking motorhomes and caravans in public spaces, introduced in May 2025. The new legal framework distinguishes between 'parking' and 'active camping': vehicles up to 7.5 m can park in built-up areas without time limits, and outside them on roadsides if done safely. Wild camping with deployed external equipment (awnings, tables, chairs) remains illegal. The government also approved the creation of municipal 'Camper Stops' with waste disposal and water supply facilities.

Greece introduced new regulations distinguishing between overnight parking and active camping. Starting in 2026, campervans are allowed to park in public spaces like regular vehicles, provided they do not deploy awnings, tables, or outdoor gear. The government is also rolling out municipal 'Camper Stops' with waste disposal and water refill stations. This follows a strict May 2025 law that banned motorhome parking outside designated campsites, which faced backlash from travelers and tourism boards.

The Greek police headquarters issued a regulation in February 2026 clarifying when a motorhome is parked versus illegally camping. This addresses uncertainty since 2025 rule tightening, when tourists were turned away from legal spots. Violators face fines up to €3,000 or imprisonment.

Greece has reversed strict regulations for motorhomes introduced in 2025. A police decree from February 2026 reclassifies motorhomes as regular passenger vehicles. They are now allowed to park wherever passenger cars are permitted. Previously, fines of up to 3,000 euros were in place.

Greece eases parking rules: motorhomes up to 7.5 m can park indefinitely in built-up areas; larger ones up to 24 hours. Setting up awnings or outdoor equipment is still prohibited.

Greece amended its traffic regulations to allow motorhomes up to 7.5 meters to park in populated areas without time limits, like passenger cars. Larger motorhomes and caravans are restricted to 24-hour stays. The change follows a tourism law passed in early 2025 that effectively banned parking on beaches and public spaces, causing a sharp drop in visitors: only 5,000 motorhomes visited last year versus 50,000 in 2024. The new rules also permit unlimited parking in designated areas, roadside zones, or the right lane edge where no prohibition sign exists, but awnings and camping equipment must not be deployed. Greece aims to revive camper tourism, which across Europe generated 110 million overnight stays and €33 billion turnover last year.

From June 2026, Greece bans tents, caravans and campers outside licensed areas. Overnight stays in motorhomes up to 7.5 m are allowed without external signs. Fines range from 300 to 3000 euros.

Greece has introduced new regulations for campervans, effective January 2025. Campervans up to 7.5 meters in length can park indefinitely in designated areas and overnight in settlements, provided local traffic and parking rules are followed. Stricter rules apply to caravans, including a ban on more than one unit on private property. Wild camping, including setting up awnings, tables, and chairs outside the vehicle, is prohibited, with fines starting at €300 and potentially reaching several thousand euros, and in extreme cases, short-term imprisonment. Special restrictions apply in ecologically sensitive areas, beaches, forests, and near archaeological sites.