Whether you are moving abroad for the first time or relocated multiple times before, the process raises many questions. Our complete guide to relocation will ease your doubts along the way, from the initial preparations to how to negotiate a relocation package, we help you go prepared with the key answers.

For any further information of help you might need, get in contact with your embassy or consulate in Athens. Please advise the full list here.

 

For EU citizens

EU citizens who intend to reside in Greece for more than three months are obliged, after the end of the quarter, to appear in person to Police's Aliens authorities of their place of residence and register themselves. The above-mentioned authorities issue a registration certificate directly, stating the full name and address of the person registered and the date of registration.

The competent police authorities responsible for registering the residence of EU citizens are Regional Departments of Aliens in the regions of Attica and Thessaloniki, Security Sub-Divisions, Security Departments and Police's Aliens Departments in their place of residence for the rest of the country.

Citizens not exercising an economic activity (pensioners, self-sufficient persons) must present the following documents as proof of evidence:

• adequate income from legal sources, or
• adequate deposits with credit institutions in Greece or abroad (which allow banking in Greece), as well as
• proof of comprehensive health insurance cover in Greece.

When assessing a person's sufficient resources, the authority takes into account shall be his/her personal status as well as the amount of the minimum pension granted in Greece.

You must carry your registration certificate at all times. Non-compliance with the registration requirement can incur fine.

For further information on the competent police authorities responsible for registration, you may contact:

Hellenic Police Headquarters

Aliens Division

Unit of Citizenship, Homogeneous and EU citizens

Tel: +302131520427

e-mail: ad_omg.bu1@astynomia.gr

 

For third Country citizens

New EU rules on short-stay visas apply worldwide from 2 February 2020. They make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply for a visa to come to Europe, facilitating tourism, trade and business, while providing more resources for countering irregular migration risks and threats to internal security.

Which non-EU countries do the new rules apply to?

The changes apply to travellers from all countries which need visas to travel to the EU. Currently, citizens from 105 non-EU countries or entities are required to have a visa (full list available online). Nothing changes for countries benefitting from visa-free travel to the EU because the new rules do not apply to their citizens.

Which destination countries are covered by the update?

The rules cover short-stay visas for the 22 EU countries that are part of the Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden), as well as for four associated countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.A uniform short-stay visa issued by one of these countries covers travel throughout the 26 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

What are the requirements for applying for a short stay visa?

The rules have not changed. In order to apply for a short stay visa to the EU, applicants must present:

• A filled in and signed visa application form;
• A passport issued in the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the end of the stay;
• An identity photograph;
• Proof of possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance;
• Supporting documents relating to the purpose of the stay, evidence of means of support during the stay and accommodation.

Applicants must also pay the visa fee and, where applicable, have their fingerprints collected.

Do visa applicants need a travel medical insurance when travelling to the EU?

Yes, visa applicants must present a valid travel medical insurance when applying for a visa, as it was already the case under the previous rules.

Will the new rules affect the UK after the end of the transition period?

No. In 2019, the Visa Regulation was amended to grant UK nationals visa-free travel to the EU after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. This means that UK nationals will remain visa-free when travelling to the EU for short stays, so the revised visa rules will not apply to them.

For more information, please visit the official EU webpage
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy_en