Getting a Residence Permit in Greece

Step-by-Step

1. 1

   Identify Which Track Applies to You

   1. If you are an EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Swiss citizen, you do not need a residence permit — you register after three months and receive a registration certificate. Follow the EU/EEA/Swiss steps below.
   2. If you are a citizen of any other country, you are a third-country national and need a residence permit under the Immigration Code. Follow the third-country steps below.

   💡 Tip: The two tracks are governed by different laws and handled by different authorities. Confusing them is the single most common mistake newcomers make.

2. 2

   EU/EEA/Swiss: Live on Your ID for Three Months, Then Prepare to Register

   New Arrival
   If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

   1. Live in Greece for up to three months on your valid national ID or passport alone — no registration is needed during this initial period, and the right of residence is automatic.
   2. As the three-month mark approaches, assemble your documents: an ID or passport copy, three 4x4 cm photos, proof of address, and the proof relevant to your sub-category.
   3. Financially inactive applicants must show resources and health insurance; the registry requires evidence of sufficient resources for themselves and their family members.

   💡 Tip: The financially inactive sub-category turns on the source requirement of "sufficient resources for themselves and their family members" plus full health insurance coverage.

3. 3

   EU/EEA/Swiss: Pay the Stamp Fee and Appear Before the Hellenic Police

   βεβαίωση εγγραφής

   New Arrival
   If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

   1. Pay the small Hellenic Police stamp fee through a bank cashier, digital banking or card, or Hellenic Post, and keep the proof of payment.
   2. After the three-month period expires, appear in person at the competent Hellenic Police authority of your place of residence — the Immigration Department if you live in Attica or Thessaloniki, otherwise the local Security Sub-Directorate, Security Department, or Police Department that handles foreigners' matters.
   3. The police verify your file, prepare the administrative record, and issue the βεβαίωση εγγραφής (registration certificate). It is typically completed at the appointment with your photograph and signatures.

   💡 Tip: The registration certificate does not expire. Keep it with your other identity documents — it confirms your right of residence rather than granting a new one.

4. 4

   Third-Country: Identify Your Category and Obtain a Type D Visa

   New Arrival
   If you are a third-country national

   1. Identify your permit category — employment and professional reasons, family reunification, study and research, financially independent persons, or investment — because the visa type, documents, fee, and validity all flow from it.
   2. Apply for a national entry visa (Type D) at the Greek consulate in your country of residence, matched to your purpose of stay; the consulate takes your biometrics and issues the visa.
   3. Some in-country categories and renewals are exceptions to the visa-first rule — confirm whether your category requires an entry visa first.

   💡 Tip: Residence by investment (the route commonly called the investment permit) is one category among many; residence-by-investment is covered separately.

5. 5

   Third-Country: Get Your AFM and Assemble Your In-Country File

   ΑΦΜ

   New Arrival
   If you are a third-country national

   1. After entering Greece on the Type D visa, obtain your ΑΦΜ (AFM) tax registration number, which underpins the tax-clearance and insurance documents.
   2. Assemble the in-country document set: certified passport photocopy, photographs to spec, the entry visa, an insurance policy, a certified and translated birth certificate, and your tax documentation.

   💡 Tip: Most third-country document sets are incomplete without an AFM. Obtaining it first prevents a wasted submission trip.

6. 6

   Third-Country: Submit, Pay the Fees, and Take the Acknowledgement

   άδεια διαμονής

   New Arrival
   If you are a third-country national

   1. Submit your άδεια διαμονής (residence permit) application — for most categories to the competent Decentralised Administration (Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση, the regional administrative authority) of your area, or through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's online platform where the category supports electronic filing.
   2. Pay the category's administrative fee and the card-printing fee through the e-paravolo system, and submit proof with your file.
   3. On submission of a complete file you are given an immediate acknowledgement of receipt (commonly called the blue receipt), which legalises your stay while the application is processed.

   💡 Tip: The immediate acknowledgement of receipt means the long decision window does not interrupt your lawful residence.

   ⚠️ Watch out: If your file is incomplete — most commonly because the AFM-dependent tax or insurance document is missing — the submission is not accepted as complete and the protective acknowledgement of receipt is not issued. Complete the missing document and resubmit.

   Ministry of Migration and Asylum — immigration e-services (applications.migration.gov.gr ↗)
7. 7

   Third-Country: Wait for the Decision and Collect Your Card

   New Arrival
   If you are a third-country national

   1. A decision for many discretionary categories is issued within six months of receiving a complete file.
   2. When approved, book a delivery appointment — the online platform supports e-appointments for permit delivery — and collect your biometric residence-permit card.

   💡 Tip: Keep the acknowledgement of receipt safe until you collect the card; it is your proof of lawful stay throughout the wait.