Can I hunt without a licence?
No: hunting without a hunting licence is illegal. The annual hunting licence is issued by the Forest Service, via a Hunting Club → Federation → Confederation, in three categories (local/regional/general). Required: a firearm-possession permit, valid hunting-liability insurance, a declaration and documents; first-time hunters sit an exam. The 2025–2026 season is 20.8.2025 – 28.2.2026 (hare until 10.3.2026). Hunting is banned in wildlife refuges, national-park cores, near dwellings/settlements, at night, and with traps/poisons/nets. In short: no without a licence, insurance and respecting the season.
📋 The rules
- Annual hunting licence from the Forest Service
- Required: firearm permit + hunting-liability insurance
- First-timers: mandatory exam
- Season 2025–2026: 20.8 – 28.2 (hare until 10.3)
- Banned in refuges, at night, with traps/poisons
🔓 Exceptions
- Wildlife refuges / park cores: absolute ban
- Within 250 m of a settlement or 100 m of a dwelling: no
- Protected species: banned year-round
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Penalties (Art. 205, Law 5037/2023) are graduated: hunting without a licence €300 + up to 1 year; out of season €300 + up to 2 years; traps/poisons €1,000 + up to 2 years; killing a deer €3,000 compensation. Serious poaching reaches up to €10,000 and/or 3 years, with weapon confiscation. Note two points: "a flat €10,000 fine for any illegal hunting" is misleading — everyday violations are graduated €50–€3,000; and many "poaching fines" results concern Cyprus, not Greece. To stay compliant: get a licence via a Hunting Club, keep insurance and a firearm permit, and respect the season and banned zones.
📎 Official sources
- Hunting Regulatory Decision 2025–26 (Gazette 4348/B/2025) →
- Law 5037/2023 (Art. 205) — hunting penalties →
- Hunting Confederation of Greece →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need a licence to hunt?
Yes. Hunting without an annual hunting licence is illegal, an administrative and criminal offence. The licence is issued by the Forest Service via a Hunting Club and requires a firearm-possession permit, valid hunting-liability insurance and, for first-timers, passing an exam.
When is the hunting season?
The 2025–2026 hunting season runs from 20 August 2025 to 28 February 2026, with the wild hare hunted until 10 March 2026, per the Regulatory Decision. Outside this period hunting is banned and punished.
Where is hunting banned?
It's banned in wildlife refuges, national-park cores, near settlements (within 250 metres) and dwellings (within 100 metres), and at night. Traps, poisons, nets and the killing of protected species are also banned.
How much are the fines?
Penalties are graduated: €300 for hunting without a licence or out of season, €1,000 for traps or poisons, €3,000 compensation for killing a deer. Serious poaching reaches up to €10,000 and imprisonment, with weapon confiscation. It's a myth that every violation is fined €10,000.
Is insurance needed?
Yes. Issuing the hunting licence requires valid hunting-liability insurance, along with the firearm-possession permit and the other documents. The insurance covers damage or accidents during hunting and is a condition for lawfully practising it.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “hunting licence issuance greece”
- “hunting season 2025 2026”
- “hunting without licence fine”
- “poaching fines greece”
- “hunting insurance”
- “law 5037/2023 hunting”