The EU Card offers EU residents the opportunity to live, work, or study in Greece for more than 3 months. This guide provides a clear and concise overview of the steps required to obtain your EU residence permit, ensuring you have tax residency, as well as the freedom and legal security to pursue your ambitions within Greece.
Why Do I Need an EU Card?
For citizens from EU member countries who are planning to stay in Greece for more than 90 days, must apply for the EU Citizen Registration Card as a proof of residence and serves the purpose of becoming a local tax resident. It is valid for an unlimited period of time.
How Do I Obtain it?
In order to obtain an EU card, you must visit the Aliens' Bureau of the Police Station in your neighborhood. This means that based on your address in Greece, you need to search for the nearest police station. The card is issued on the same day as submitting the application. Prior to going to the police station, you should call them to find out at what time you should go.
Eligibility
The documentation differs on whether or not you are applying as a professional or as an independent individual.
- For professionals: those who are currently employed by the Greek job market, you must show supporting documents that prove you are hired by a company in Greece. An applicant applying for the EU card must show:
- Employer certificate: An official document provided by an employer or the relevant HR department that confirms an individual's employment status. It typically includes details such as the company's information, employee's job title, employment dates, salary, and sometimes the nature of the work.
- Job announcement: The employer's HR department should be able to provide a formal job offer letter or employment contract, which serves as a more official document than a job announcement. The job offer letter typically includes the job title, responsibilities, salary, and other terms of employment, and it is written specifically for the employee.
- For independent individuals: the applicant should prove that they must have sufficient money in a bank (Greek or European) and a private health insurance (or an EU social security card). The amount that has to be in the bank should be more than €5,000.
Required Documents
- All applicants must also show of proof of address in Greece, either through a Taxisnet contract from myaade.gr, or a host declaration form from the KEP (Citizen's Center) and the host's contract from Taxisnet. This host declaration is also called 'ΥΠΕΥΘΥΝΗ ΔΗΛΛΩΣΗ' in Greek. If the host is unable to provide their contract through Taxisnet, then they can provide their passport details and a utility bill. (Note: in order to sign a lease agreement, you would need an AFM. See here on how to obtain a Greek TIN.)
- 3 passport photos
- 1 photocopy of passport or ID, and original
Note: the applicant can use an Airbnb address as their proof of address, given that they provide the above details, but they cannot use the same address to open a bank account or for declaring one's tax residency.
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