How to Open a Bank Account in Greece as a Foreigner (2026)

Yes, you can open a bank account in Greece as a foreigner, whether or not you live here yet. If you live outside the EU – in the US, UK, Canada or Australia, for example – you need a Greek tax number (AFM) before a bank will take you on. If you live in an EU country, Piraeus Bank says you don't need a Greek tax number to open an account with them. Either way, expect to show a passport, proof of address, proof of income and a phone number in your name. Most people still need a branch appointment in person, though Alpha Bank now opens accounts remotely for US, UK and Israeli residents.

This guide covers the AFM rule, the documents Greek banks ask for, the steps you need to take and how long each part really takes.

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Greece?

Yes. Greek banks open accounts for foreign citizens and for people who live abroad, as long as you can prove who you are, where you live, how you earn your money and where you pay tax.

Piraeus Bank groups this into five things it has to document for every new customer: identity, residence address, contact phone number, financial and tax data, and professional data. Its published list for customers living abroad doesn't include a Greek residence permit, though a branch may ask for yours if you already live here as a non-EU resident.

If you're legally resident in an EU country, EU law goes a step further. You're entitled to a basic payment account, and a bank can't refuse you just because you don't live in the country where the bank is established. That right covers an everyday account, not savings accounts, and a bank may ask you to show a genuine interest in opening one outside your home country.

What a bank can still do is ask for more paperwork, and that's where most of the friction is. Greek bureaucracy is typically slow-moving, and banks are no exception.

Do you need an AFM to open a bank account in Greece?

Generally, yes. To open a bank account in Greece, you must have an AFM number. However, if you’re planning on opening an account at Piraeus Bank, you may open an account without a Greek tax registration number if you’re an EU resident.

The AFM (Arithmos Forologikou Mitroou) is a 9-digit Greek Tax Identification Number. When it comes to the AFM, three details are easy to miss:

• The AFM does not make you a tax resident. Also known as your VAT number, your Greek Tax Identification Number or AFM does not automatically register you as a tax resident of Greece. This is why it's important you hire a seasoned accountant to make sure you don’t accidentally declare tax residency when applying for one.
• Your home tax number still matters. At Piraeus Bank, they record your tax number for every country where you're taxable, and accept a non-Greek one only if that country takes part in the CRS or FATCA information-exchange schemes.
• The EU exception is Piraeus Bank's published rule. Other banks and branches may still ask EU residents for an AFM, so confirm with the branch you plan to use. If you live outside the EU, you need one at every Greek bank.

Our standing guidance to clients is simpler: get the AFM before you move, wherever you live. You'll need it anyway to sign a lease (leases are registered on Taxisnet), connect utilities, buy property or a car, and apply for residency.

You don't have to be in Greece to get it. Here's how to get an AFM as a non-resident.

💡 Pro Tip: Greek records place your father's first name after your own, so your Greek tax record will show a name you've never used. That's normal, and it's why the AFM application asks for your parents' names.

Opening a joint account? Each account holder needs their own AFM and their own set of documents.

Get Your AFM Before You Book a Bank Appointment

If you live outside the EU, the AFM is the one thing a Greek bank won't start without. It's also the part we handle for you.

• €250 per person, VAT included. A flat fee, quoted up front.
• Fully remote. You send a scanned passport and a few personal details. We prepare the authorization form, and you sign it at a Greek consulate or before a notary with an apostille.
• Usually 3 business days once we have your signed paperwork.
• What you receive: your AFM, your AFM certificate and your Taxisnet (myAADE) credentials, with a tax representative appointed where one is required.
• Support after it's issued. Phone and email support is included. Locked out of Taxisnet or forgotten your password? We check your credentials with our accountant and walk you through the reset.
• Help with complications. If a duplicate AFM turns up, most often for people of Greek descent or with a previous stay in Greece, we coordinate the correction with the tax office.

👉 Get your Greek tax number (AFM) in 3 days via email

What documents do you need to open a bank account in Greece?

You need a valid passport, your Greek AFM if you live outside the EU, proof of address, proof of income or employment, and a phone number in your name. Documents must be recent: Piraeus Bank asks for an issue date within the last six months, and tax documents for the current tax year.

This is the list we share with clients before a branch appointment, checked against Piraeus Bank's published document list.

At the appointment, expect an account application form and a few questions: what transactions you expect to make, how long you'll stay in Greece, and why you'd be depositing foreign currency.

Three practical rules catch people out:

• Translation. Documents in Greek or English are accepted as they are. Anything else needs an official translation – by a certified translator, a lawyer or a Greek consulate. We can arrange this for you: certified translations from a range of languages, done by a translator in our vetted network and delivered with the certification stamp. Translations are quoted separately. To give you a quote, we need a scan of the original documents first, because the price depends on the number of words and pages.
• Validation. If you hand over a copy instead of an original, it may need consular authentication or an apostille, depending on the bank’s requirements. Bring your original passport to the appointment.
• Source of funds. Depending on what the account is for and how much moves through it, the bank can ask for extra documents proving where the money came from. Bring statements or sale records if you plan a large first deposit.

Utility bills in your spouse's name aren't a dead end. Piraeus Bank lets you fill in a form at the branch and hand over the bill in your spouse's name.

How do you open a Greek bank account, step by step?

Get your AFM, choose a bank and book a branch appointment, bring your documents, sign the forms, then wait for the bank's checks before your card and e-banking arrive. The appointment is the one step that normally needs you in Greece.

1. Get your AFM. Do this before you travel if you can. Here's how the AFM application works, or have us obtain it for you.
2. Print your tax paperwork. Log in to myAADE (Taxisnet) and download your AFM certificate and your registry details. Banks commonly ask for both.
3. Choose a bank and a branch. Pick a branch that deals with foreign customers regularly, then book an appointment instead of walking in. Piraeus Bank runs a Customers Living Abroad team for exactly this (+30 210 3288400).
4. Prepare your documents. Check the dates, get any translations done, and have copies authenticated or apostilled.
5. Attend the appointment. Bring originals, answer the bank's questions and sign the account forms.
6. Wait for the bank's checks. Once the bank is satisfied, you receive your account details, e-banking access and debit card.

How long does it take to open a bank account in Greece?

There are two stages: the AFM, then the bank. Piraeus Bank says a customer who visits a branch in person can complete all the necessary processes the same day, and Eurobank says app applicants hear back by SMS within 15 minutes to 2 days.

Those are the banks' own figures for a complete, clean file. In practice the calendar is set by everything around the appointment:

• The AFM – usually 3 business days once we have your signed paperwork.
• Getting an appointment – depends on the branch and the season. August is slow everywhere in Greece.
• Apostilles and translations – often the longest part if your documents aren't in Greek or English.
• Follow-up questions – the bank can come back for more proof of income or source of funds.
• Your debit card – it's issued after the account opens, so it arrives later.

We don't quote a timeline for the bank's part, and we'd be wary of anyone who does. The decision belongs to the bank.

Can you open a Greek bank account online or from abroad?

Yes. Alpha Bank now opens accounts by video call for residents of the US, UK and Israel, Eurobank does it by app for people who live and work in a country on its approved list, and Piraeus Bank lets a representative in Greece open an account for you under a power of attorney.

The video-call route (Alpha Bank). Alpha Bank now lets people living in the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel open a Greek bank account without traveling to Greece, Greek Reporter reported on September 28. You apply through an online form, verify your identity on a secure video call with a bank representative, and then receive a deposit account, a debit card and e-banking access.

The service isn't restricted to Greek citizens. It covers Greeks living in those three countries and other residents who have ties to Greece. Until now the bank's Remote Onboarding program covered residents of Germany and Cyprus, and it plans to add more countries gradually.

The remote route doesn't change the AFM rule. US, UK and Israeli residents live outside the EU, so you need a Greek tax number before you apply. Confirm the rest of the document list with Alpha Bank.

The app route (Eurobank). Eurobank's Digital Customer Onboarding is open to adults who are permanent residents of, work in, and hold a passport or ID from a country on the bank's PRADO list. You upload your passport, latest income tax return, proof of employment and a utility or mobile bill from the last six months, then take a video call of about three minutes. The debit card comes by post. You can't use it if you have two or more foreign residencies, so check the list before you start.

The representative route (Piraeus Bank). If you can't travel, Piraeus Bank accepts a proxy: a relative, friend or lawyer in Greece who presents your documents and signs for you. The conditions are specific:

• The power of attorney is drawn up at a Greek consulate, or at a notary with a Hague apostille.
• It must include the bank's own predefined text.
• In Canada, it can only be drawn up at the Greek Embassy or a consular office.
• You add a reference letter from a bank you already use.
• US-connected customers sign their own tax forms – a proxy can't.
• You need to be reachable by phone during the appointment.

A word of caution from experience: a published procedure and a branch's practice aren't always the same thing. Before you pay for a power of attorney, confirm with the exact branch that it will accept one.

Which Greek bank is best for foreigners?

There's no single best bank. The four most widely used are Piraeus Bank, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank and Eurobank, and the right one is usually the one whose nearest branch handles foreign customers well.

Choose on three things:

• The branch, not the brand. A branch that opens accounts for foreigners every week will know what to ask for.
• Remote options. If you can't visit, look at Alpha Bank's video-call route, Eurobank's app route or Piraeus Bank's representative route.
• The fees you'll actually pay. Compare international transfer charges and ATM fees, not headline account fees.

For a bank-by-bank comparison, see our guide to the most popular banks in Greece. If you move money between currencies often, a multi-currency account alongside your Greek account is worth a look.

Do you need a Greek bank account for a residence permit?

No. A Greek bank account isn't required for the Financially Independent Person (FIP) or Digital Nomad permit applications, because your proof of funds has to come from abroad.

This surprises people, and it changes the order of your move. You don't need to rush a bank appointment before your residency application. You do need the AFM early, because your lease has to be registered on Taxisnet.

Once you live here, a Greek account earns its place in daily life. It's what you use to pay rent, Greek taxes or to set up direct debits for utilities. There's a quieter benefit too: Greek e-banking can be used to verify your mobile number for gov.gr and myAADE, which otherwise means a trip to a Citizens' Service Center (KEP).

Planning the wider move? Start with our guides to moving from the USA to Greece, retiring in Greece and Greek residency permits.

Does My Greek Expat Journey open bank accounts for you?

No. We stopped offering bank account opening because the outcome of a branch appointment is outside our control, even with perfect paperwork.

When we prepared each client's file exactly as the branch had asked, in several cases the documents still weren't accepted at the appointment. The final decision rests with the bank officer on the day. We chose to stop offering the service rather than charge for an outcome we can't control.

What we do instead:

• Your AFM and Taxisnet credentials – €250, handled remotely, usually 3 business days after we receive your paperwork. This is the part a bank won't move without.
• Guidance for clients, at no extra cost – the branches our clients have had success with, and the document list above, before your appointment.
• What we can't do – attend the appointment with you or go on your behalf.

If you're a tax resident, a freelancer or a property owner, you'll also want an accountant for what comes after the account opens. Here's how to find an accountant in Greece.

Frequently Asked Questions About Opening a Bank Account in Greece

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Greece?

Yes. Greek banks open accounts for foreign citizens and non-residents who can document their identity, address, phone number, income and tax details. If you live outside the EU, you need a Greek tax number (AFM) first.

Do I need an AFM to open a bank account in Greece?

If you live outside the EU, yes. Piraeus Bank states that EU residents don't need a Greek tax registration number to become customers, while non-EU residents must get one. We advise every client to get the AFM first, because you need it for a lease anyway.

Can I open a Greek bank account as a non-resident?

Yes. You don't need to live in Greece or hold a residence permit. Non-residents show proof of address and tax details from their home country, and non-EU residents add a Greek AFM.

Can I open a bank account in Greece online?

In a growing number of cases. Alpha Bank opens accounts by video call for residents of the US, UK and Israel who have ties to Greece, and Eurobank does it through its mobile app for residents of countries on its approved list. Everyone else should plan on a branch appointment in person.

Can Americans open a bank account in Greece?

Yes. US residents fall under the non-EU rule, so plan on getting a Greek AFM before you apply. Alpha Bank now also lets US residents with ties to Greece open an account remotely by video call. Expect to declare your US tax number and sign US tax forms such as the W-9 yourself.

Can someone open the account for me with a power of attorney?

Piraeus Bank publishes a route for this: a representative in Greece acts under a power of attorney that contains the bank's predefined text. Branch practice varies, so confirm with the specific branch before you arrange one.

How long does it take to open a bank account in Greece?

Allow about 3 business days for the AFM, then the bank's own process. Piraeus Bank says an in-person visit can be completed the same day, and Eurobank quotes 15 minutes to 2 days for app applications. Appointments, apostilles and follow-up questions are what usually add time.

Do my documents need to be translated or apostilled?

Documents in Greek or English don't need translating. Documents in other languages need an official translation, and copies of originals may need consular authentication or an apostille, depending on the bank.

Can my spouse and I open a joint account?

Yes. Each account holder needs their own AFM and their own set of documents. Each adult can also open a separate personal account – accounts don't have to be joint.

Do I need a Greek bank account for my residence permit?

No. For the FIP and Digital Nomad permits, proof of funds must come from abroad, so a Greek account isn't part of the application. You'll want one afterwards for rent, utilities and taxes.

Can I deposit €10,000 in cash into a Greek bank account?

Yes, but the bank will ask where it came from, so bring documents that show the source. Separately, anyone entering the EU with €10,000 or more in cash must declare it to customs. How the money is treated for tax is a question for an accountant.

Is my money safe in a Greek bank?

Deposits are covered by the Hellenic Deposit and Investment Guarantee Fund (TEKE) up to €100,000 per depositor, per bank. On a joint account, the limit applies to each depositor.

Which bank is best for foreigners in Greece?

The four most widely used are Piraeus Bank, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank and Eurobank. Pick the branch that handles foreign customers regularly over the brand name.

Does My Greek Expat Journey open bank accounts for clients?

No. We obtain your AFM and Taxisnet credentials for €250, and we share the branches and document list our clients have had success with. We don't attend bank appointments or act in your place.

Get a Straight Answer on Your Own Case

Every relocation turns on the details, and the wrong permit or tax status can cost you months. Before you file anything, book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will go through your situation and tell you plainly what you need, what it costs and how long it takes.

Written by Chloe Mason, founder of My Greek Expat Journey. Chloe has lived in seven countries and has personally guided 300+ people through Greek residency, tax, property and bureaucracy. More articles by Chloe.