Allervibe
Eating with a food allergy in Greece and Cyprus
Greece is in the EU, so the 14-allergen rules apply and a taverna is obliged to tell you what is in a dish. In practice the person who knows is in the kitchen and the person at your table may not speak English — a card in Greek gets the question to the right person in the right words.
What labels and restaurants will tell you
- Packaged food must highlight the 14 EU allergens in the ingredients list (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011); labels are in Greek, often with English on imports.
- Restaurants, bakeries and takeaways must provide allergen information for the 14 allergens on request. Many tavernas have no written chart, so the answer comes from the cook — your card is what they read.
- "Nistísimo" (νηστίσιμο, Lenten/fasting) food is dairy- and egg-free by tradition and often clearly marked, which makes it a useful shortcut for milk and egg allergies — but it may contain sesame, nuts and seafood.
Where the common allergens hide
- Sesame: koulouri bread rings, tahini in soups and sweets, halva, pasteli bars.
- Nuts: walnuts and almonds in baklava, kataifi and most sweets; pistachios in ice cream.
- Milk: feta on almost every salad, yoghurt in tzatziki, cheese in pies (tiropita, spanakopita).
- Fish and shellfish: taramosalata (fish roe), anchovies in salads, squid and octopus in mezze.
How to use the card
Hand it over before you order, not after the food arrives, and wait for the person who cooks — not just the one who takes the order — to read it. If a dish is doubtful, the safest answer is a different dish, not a modified one. For packaged food, scan the barcode with Allervibe: it reads the ingredient list in the local language and checks it against the same allergens on your card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Greek allergy card free?
Yes. Pick your allergens, add a name if you want one, and print. No account, no app, no email.
Who translated the card?
The allergen names and the card wording are the same translations used inside the Allervibe app, reviewed by native speakers. They use the legal allergen terms, not slang, so a cook or waiter recognises them at once.
What size is it?
Credit-card size (85.6 × 54 mm), so it fits a wallet or phone case. Print two and keep one in your passport.
Can I make one in a language other than Greek?
Yes — the language picker on this page offers fourteen languages, and you can print a card in each.
Cards in other languages
Japanese · Thai · Vietnamese · Turkish · German · French · Spanish · Italian · Portuguese · Dutch · Polish · Croatian · All languages
