Το φιτρί αγόρι (colourful life)

If you’re a European citizen and you want to stay in Greece for more than 3 months you’ll need a residence permit (άδεια παραμονής). In theory (take a look here and here), if you stay more than 3 months you should request a residence permit. And remember that it’s not mandatory in order to work: you have the same rights as a Greek citizen in a job opening (yes, in theory).

The real facts are that in Greece you don’t need the residence permit unless you start dealing with high level bureaucracy. You can work, have insurance and pay your taxes without the need of a residence permit. Even in some police stations they will tell you what I state here. But bureaucracy is sacred in Greece, so let’s get started to obtain our white/yellow card.

Prerequisites (or what you need):

These are the papers that you need to prepare:

• If you work: a certificate from your employer stating that you are working. This certificate must be signed in a police station or in a ΚΕΠ. It’s called  Η γνησιότητα της υπογραφής.
• If you don’t work you must have sufficient financial resource (Don’t know exactly how you can demonstrate that, I believe that a paper from the bank stating your savings will be enough).
• Insurance: any proof that you’re insured. If you have IKA: your IKA number and your Health Book.
• Passport: with your ID is supposed to work but a passport is always more trusted than a card with “strange words”.
• A copy of the contract of your house, apartment, … . You need to prove that you’re living somewhere.
• 3 passport pictures.

And remember to carry at least TWO copies of these papers. Bureaucracy is bureaucracy.

Where to go:

Go to your nearest police station and ask for a residence permit. Usually they will send you to the right main police station, but perhaps you live near the right one!.

Also ask for the phone number of that police station. You should call them before you go in order to know exactly what papers are needed and when you can go there.

How long it takes:

Usually the same day after you wait the queue and stand the bureaucracy show.

Remember that is automatically renewed. So you do it once and then forget about it

My personal experience in Athens

I had to get the permission because I needed it to get a Greek driving license (why do I need a Greek driving license is a matter of another post). I visited 3 ΚΕΠ (bureocracy offices) before they could point me to a police station. Also I visited my local police station and they pointed me to the nearest place where I could go to do the papers (+1 to Psixiko police station).

The two police stations I know you can go to do this paper are: (But remember to go to your local police station first!)

• Marousi. Behind Ygeias Hospital. (I went there).
• Petrou Ralli. I was directed there first, but then I asked in my local police station and they sent me to Marousi.

I required the help of my gf to deal with the papers. So if you have a Greek friend, well, you’ll have to invite him to frappes during all the month

They day I went there the first person was waiting since 6:55. I arrived at 7:30 and I was the 4th in the queue. Because the holidays it took them a while to warm up (50 minutes the first person). So prepare to wake up early.

My gf called the police station to obtain a list of papers to prepare. They only told us one copy (you need two) and two pictures (they asked me for 3). Lucky me I always carry a huge pack of passport pictures when I do bureocracy .

Remember that they don’t do photocopies! So bring your copies if you don’t want to look for a place with a photocopy machine near the police station (they’re going to milk you). Also bring enough pictures.

The most annoying/funny thing was when I needed “a stamp and a signature” from the office director. We went to the place he/she should be, and of course nobody there. We asked his secretary, and she “kicked us out” like “not here! not here! ask there!”. Thanks god a male secretary in the same room shouted while we were leaving “wait! wait! wait! It’s here!” and kindly he took the stamp from the table of the woman (Incredible, she said “it’s not here”) and he put his signature. By the way, the woman was making crosswords: so the scene was a woman with a magazine and a stamp in her table, scaring people out of her eyesight.

That’s all. Good luck with your permit.

More Information:

• Visit kat’s blog, she’s has lot’s of really good posts for non-european citizens.
• European union website.