Moving to Greece combines the beauty of the Mediterranean with the friendliness of a country known for hospitality and culture. If you’re planning your move, you may be searching for the ultimate Guide to Greek bureaucracy to help you navigate each step. But before enjoying island life, café society, or remote work by the sea, expats must navigate Greece’s bureaucracy — a maze of forms, numbers, registrations, and office visits.

Thanks to digital services like gov.gr, things are improving, but paperwork still matters. This guide explains everything in a simple flow — not overwhelming, not confusing — and includes official resources and three dedicated sections for different expat profiles.

Step 1: Get a Greek Phone Number

Your paperwork journey begins with a Greek SIM card. Every public service and bank uses SMS confirmation codes. This single step eliminates dozens of future hurdles.

The AFM is your key to life in Greece. Obtained through your local DOY, part of AADE, it’s required to:

• Sign a rental contract
  
• Open a bank account
  
• Work or freelance Ï
  
• Pay taxes
  
• Apply for residency
  

Official AADE site: https://www.aade.gr

Bring your passport and address proof. Some DOYs accept online submissions, but many prefer in-person appointments.

Step 3: Set Up Your gov.gr Digital Identity

Visit https://www.gov.gr/ to create your digital account.

Through gov.gr, you can:

• Download official certificates
  
• Make appointments
  
• Sign documents digitally
  
• Access immigration services
  
• Create digital authorisations
  
• Use the gov.gr Wallet for e-ID documents
  

This is your new administrative home base.

Step 4: Get Your AMKA or PAAYPA

To access healthcare or work legally, you need:

• AMKA (permanent social security number)
  
• PAAYPA (temporary number for non-EU residents during application stage)
  

Apply through KEP or EFKA.

Official EFKA: https://www.efka.gov.gr

Healthcare in Greece later flows through EOPYY

Official EOPYY: https://www.eopyy.gov.gr

Step 5: Open a Greek Bank Account

You’ll need your passport, AFM, proof of address, and sometimes AMKA. Banks commonly used by expats include:

• National Bank of Greece
  
• Alpha Bank
  
• Eurobank
  
• Piraeus Bank
  

A Greek account makes renting, utilities, salaries, and residency compliance easier.

Step 6: Ensure Your Address Is Officially Registered

For rentals, your landlord must declare the contract electronically through Taxisnet. This declaration becomes your legal proof of residence — essential for immigration and tax procedures.

If you live with someone, they must submit a hosting declaration.

Step 7: Register for Healthcare Insurance

Once you have AMKA, you gain access to the public system.

Employees are automatically insured; freelancers must register with EFKA manually.

Public health coverage is provided by EOPYY, while many newcomers choose private insurance during the transition.

Step 8: Begin the Residency Permit Process (Non-EU Citizens)

Official portal: https://migration.gov.gr

Steps include:

• Uploading your application
  
• Submitting documents
  
• Attending biometrics
  
• Collecting your residence card
  

For Digital Nomads Moving to Greece

Greece has become one of Europe’s trending destinations for remote workers thanks to its lifestyle, affordability, and the introduction of the Digital Nomad Visa.

What digital nomads need to know:

Digital nomads follow the same AFM → AMKA → bank → residency pathway, but with additional requirements like:

• Proof of stable remote income (usually €3,500/month before tax)
  
• Foreign employment contract or company ownership documents
  
• Private health insurance
  
• Financial statements showing consistent remote earnings
  

Many choose to live in:

• Athens (Koukaki, Pangrati, Neos Kosmos, Exarchia for creatives)
  
• Thessaloniki
  
• Crete (Chania & Heraklion)
  
• Rhodes
  
• Syros and Naxos (rising remote-work hubs)
  

Good internet, coworking spaces, and mild winters make Greece ideal for year-round remote work.

For Retirees Relocating to Greece

Retirees moving to Greece often seek a calm lifestyle, affordable living, warm weather, and quality healthcare.

What retirees need to know:

The key permit category is usually the Financially Independent Persons (FIP) permit, which requires:

• Proof of sufficient passive income
  
• A Greek address
  
• Private or public health insurance
  
• AFM + bank account
  
• Clean criminal record
  
• No employment in Greece
  

Popular retirement areas include:

• Crete (Chania, Rethymno)
  
• Nafplio
  
• Corfu
  
• Rhodes
  
• Kalamata
  

The combination of walkable towns, social life, Mediterranean climate and lower costs makes Greece attractive for long-term retirement living.

For Families Relocating With Children

Families face unique challenges, especially regarding schooling, healthcare, and long-term residency.

What families need to know:

Aside from the main workflow (AFM, AMKA, etc.), families focus on:

Schools:

• Public schools are free and Greek-speaking.
  
• International schools exist in Athens, Thessaloniki, and some islands (British, IB, American, German, French curricula).
  
• Registration requires AFM, residence permit proof, vaccination documents, and proof of address.
  

Healthcare for children:

AMKA gives access to pediatricians through EOPYY; many families also use private pediatricians for shorter waiting times.

Residency:

Family reunification is a common route for spouses and children of legal residents or workers.

Once you understand the system — phone number, AFM, digital identity, AMKA, banking, address registration, healthcare, and residency — Greece becomes far easier to navigate. The country rewards patience with an exceptional quality of life, and completing these bureaucratic steps is simply the doorway to everything Greece has to offer.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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