Speeding Fines in Greece: €150 to €2,000+ Under the New Traffic Code

Speeding up to 20 km/h over the limit in Greece now costs EUR 150.

Greece rewrote its speeding fines on 13 September 2025 — here’s the new ladder

Greece’s Road Traffic Code reform (Law 5209/2025) replaced the old speeding table on 13 September 2025. Going up to 20 km/h over the limit is now €150; 20-30 km/h over is €150 plus a 20-day licence suspension; 30-50 km/h over jumps to €350 plus a 30-day licence and vehicle-document suspension; more than 50 km/h over is €700 plus an on-the-spot 60-day licence suspension (Art. 24 §7). Absolute speed caps apply too: above 150 km/h on a motorway, 130 km/h on an expressway or 120 km/h elsewhere costs €350 plus 30 days even where the excess band is smaller. Anything caught above 200 km/h is a separate top-tier offence at €2,000 and an on-the-spot 1-year licence suspension, rising to €4,000/€8,000 for repeat offenders. Two things visitors don’t expect: fines are usually collected on the spot, with officers asking for immediate payment, and running a red light is a hefty €700. Camera tickets follow you home as well — Greece pursues cross-border collection, and an unpaid fine can catch up with you at a future border crossing.

How Much Does Speeding Cost in Greece?

Other Traffic Fines

• Mobile phone use while driving: EUR 350 + licence suspension 30 days (first offence)
• No seatbelt: EUR 350 + licence and vehicle-document suspension 30 days (the same clause covers driver and passengers)
• Running a red light: EUR 700 + licence suspension 60 days
• Speeding (up to 20 km/h over): EUR 150
• Speeding (20-30 km/h over): EUR 150 + licence suspension 20 days
• Speeding (30-50 km/h over): EUR 350 + licence and vehicle-document suspension 30 days
• Speeding (more than 50 km/h over): EUR 700 + on-the-spot licence suspension 60 days

How Fines Are Enforced

Greece has a low network of speed cameras.

The average enforcement tolerance is approximately 10 km/h over the posted limit.

Authorities in Greece can issue on-the-spot fines to drivers.

A notice can still reach your home address, because authorities use commercial address-tracing services. What does not exist is automatic EU enforcement — Directive 2015/413 covers only eight road-safety offences and emission-zone violations are not among them.

Enforcement against foreign-plated vehicles is limited but not absent.

Tourist tip: Few fixed cameras but mobile police radar common on main highways. On-the-spot fines standard practice. Keep cash available.

Speed Limits for Context

To avoid fines, keep these speed limits in mind while driving in Greece:

• Urban areas: 30 km/h is the default in built-up areas since 1 January 2026 (Law 5209/2025, Art. 24 §1; the transitional Art. 114 kept the old 50 km/h until then). 50 km/h applies only on one-way streets with at least two marked lanes, two-way roads with at least two marked lanes per direction, and roads with a central divider, unless signs say otherwise
• Rural roads: 90 km/h
• Motorways: 130 km/h

What Most Guides Don’t Tell You

Hidden Costs Beyond the Fine

The headline fine amount is only part of the story in Greece. On top of the base penalty, you may face:

• Administrative surcharge — a processing fee added by the issuing authority
• Rental company fee — most agencies charge a handling fee for forwarding camera fines to your card
• Points or demerit records — serious offences may be shared with your home country
• Cross-border collection — Greece participates in international fine recovery

These additional charges can double the cost of a moderate speeding ticket.

Camera Technology

Camera coverage in Greece is limited compared to neighbouring countries, but mobile radar units compensate. Unmarked police vehicles with rear-facing cameras are increasingly common.

Mobile radar is actively deployed. Unmarked vehicles and hand-held devices make it difficult to predict where enforcement is operating.

The Time-to-Pay Trap

Officers in Greece can demand immediate payment. Without cash or a valid card, your vehicle may be impounded until the fine is settled. Always carry a payment method that works locally.

When It Becomes Serious

Minor speeding in Greece results in a fine. But cross a certain threshold and the consequences escalate rapidly:

• Moderate excess — fine plus points on your record
• Significant excess — licence suspension, even for foreign licence holders
• Extreme excess — court appearance, possible vehicle seizure, and a criminal record

Under Law 5209/2025 the thresholds are fixed: a licence suspension starts at 20 km/h over, and more than 50 km/h over means EUR 700 and 60 days without a licence.

Other Costly Violations

Speeding is not the only expensive mistake in Greece. Common fines that catch tourists:

• Mobile phone use while driving: EUR 350 + licence suspension 30 days (first offence)
• No seatbelt: EUR 350 + licence and vehicle-document suspension 30 days (the same clause covers driver and passengers)
• Running a red light: EUR 700 + licence suspension 60 days

How to Avoid Fines in Greece

Prevention Is Cheaper Than Paying

The simplest way to avoid a speeding fine in Greece is to drive at or below the posted limit. Obvious advice, but here are the specific traps that catch tourists:

• Urban transition zones: Since 1 January 2026 the default limit inside a town is 30 km/h; 50 km/h survives only on multi-lane or divided roads. Signs can be easy to miss on unfamiliar roads.
• Roadwork zones: Temporary limits are heavily enforced. Camera fines in construction zones often carry a higher penalty.
• Variable speed signs: Electronic gantry signs override the permanent posted limit. If the gantry shows a lower number, that is your current limit.
• Dual carriageway vs motorway: A rural dual carriageway in Greece is limited to 90 km/h, not the motorway 130 km/h. The difference catches many tourists.

Use Technology Wisely

Speed camera alert apps (like Waze or TomTom) are legal in Greece and give advance warning of fixed cameras. Combined with a sat-nav that displays the current speed limit, you have a reliable safety net.

If You Receive a Fine

On-the-spot fines are common in Greece. Officers will ask for immediate payment, usually by card. If you cannot pay, expect your vehicle to be held until the fine is cleared.

Camera-generated fines arrive by post or through your rental company. Do not ignore them — Greece actively pursues cross-border collection and unpaid fines can cause problems at future border crossings.

If you believe the fine is wrong, you have the right to appeal. However, appealing typically suspends the early-payment discount and the full fine applies if you lose.

Rental Company Surcharges

Rental companies in Greece add their own administrative fee when processing camera fines. This fee is typically fixed and can equal or exceed the original fine. Check your rental contract for the exact surcharge before you sign.

How Greece Compares

Key Facts at a Glance

Useful Tools

• Complete Driving Guide for Greece

• Speeding Fine Calculator

• World Speed Limit Map

• Speed Unit Converter

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Figures previously published in leva were converted at the fixed statutory rate of 1.95583 leva to the euro.