Moving to Greece Isn’t as Simple as You Think

[christopherdunne]

You might enjoy making a video with rules for doing paper work in Greece. Over the years I've come up with a few, e. g.
1 Never do bureaucracy on a Monday. The answer is always no.
2 Always find the one person in the office who does all the work.
3 Never accept the initial answer. It will almost always be negative. Find another way to ask it.
4 Make jokes. Make the interaction pleasant for the bureaucrat.
5 Never tell them how to do their job.
6 Ask in different places. The answer may be different.
7 Never be in a hurry.
8 Be polite to others in line with you. Show you're nice and people will want to help.

Over the years I've noticed foreigners tend to break rules like these. They think the bureaucracy is there to be of service to them. That's only partly true. The bureaucacy is there to provide an income for bureaucrats.

[petja]

Ellen. Watching from the Netherlands 12 points😂

[renee]

thank God, I am European with a Dutch passport. I don’t need a visa. I can just move there without any problem.

[Dogworld]

i am a dual citizen ghana and usa. i hope this makes things easier for me

[chrsf]

As a Greek Canadian it took me about 4-5 years to get my Greek citizenship

[spekenbonen]

Tried to move to Rhodes, from the Netherlands in 2018.
You need ownership documents or a rental contract to register your adress.
You do this at the local policestation.
Proof you have money. They will also check if you are a felon.
Next, you want to go and get a taxnumber. Then you want your EFKA (social security and insurance).
If you don't speak Greek, you need a notary official who does all this (€50 per notary action).
I got stuck at not being officially married, but had a registered partnership from The Netherlands which needed translation (€0.30 per word, by a registered translator in Athens) for a shared bankaccount. By this moment, my wife got homesick and she was missing her children and a job. Now we are back in The Netherlands, but are thinking about another go at moving to Hellas for the 2nd time 😊

[lsseaside]

100% Even for those of us who have Greek Family. It's not a given. I'm from 🇨🇦 and well know!

[Dogworld]

my husband is active military and he will retire in 4 years. we are leaving the usa then. we are getting a golden ticket and buying a home in crete

[jasonsampler]

I'm hoping when the time comes I can get the digital nomad visa, my hangup is I work in the US for a US company that is related to a Greek company. It says you can't work for a company registered in Greece so I'm not sure how that works for me. Maybe one day I'll find out! For now Hellas is a vacation spot still for me.

[medspirit]

If you are able to get a citizenship through a parent or grandparent, do it. Be aware for males under 40 have to serve the military unless you are a father of 3 (or more children) I believe. Living in the US for the majority of my lifeI got mine during the covid times and it took about 2 yrs.. mostly waiting for the consulate to re open after being closed. Smooth process. It helps even more if parents were married in Greece and were registered. It's a simple process if you have a good consul helping you along. It's so worth it to have it. Being able to work in EU countries opens alot of options.

[shanhad]

Beginning the process to retire there. My husband was born in Athens and his dad, grandfather, etc. were/are all Greek born. Hopefully it won't be too complicated.

[carolinepartridge]

From the UK and half Irish so just in the process of sorting out my for sharing

[jflsdknf]

I'm American waiting on my German citizenship by descent. Once I get my EU passport should I have no problem moving to Greece even if I'm not working (but have a steady monthly income)?

[mariatoptsidis]

Hello Greece and hello to you, I leave in America, my family moved here when I was 11 years old, my birth place is Athens and I watch your video you didn’t say about people who are born in Greece if they still have to get papers to move back thanks!

[billysotirakos]

Very true. Every country around the planet has their set of and entry visa requirements. Some are more of a p.i.a. than others... good luck and good fortune in getting residency in Greece. If you think Greece is hard, try the USA where it is more burdensome.

[taki]

Daniel, you are spot on... I was born in Athens, moved to the US when I was 5 years old. I started the process for my Greek passport 5 years ago. had many issues because of misspelling of my last name, which is American; different iterations of my native Greek mothers' name; i.e. with her maiden name, with her married name, etc.; a priest missed a signature on my baptismal paperwork... ugh, it's been frustrating!!

[shoppie]

hoi Daniel
i am Jan, i am watching from Assendelft (Netherlands)
love your videos
we try to go on holidays to Greece twice a year 🥰 our dream is to retire Greece
for me that's maybe over 20 years 🙈

[Miss.jounan]

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your informative videos about living in Greece!

I have a question for you: Does EU citizens need to apply for a residence permit?

I worked in Athens from January to October 2022 and my accountant told me to apply for a residence permit.

[georgepapatheofilou]

Think yourself Lucky if you don't have to do military service. If over the age requirement then Blessed you . I reside in Sydney the second most expensive realty and Hong Kong being the first. Such is life. My city of Sydney can match those views and then some but culturally, multicultural environment adds to the flavour of life . Just like the Roman Empire of old, many cultures and tongues . Live it, love it, evolution baby . Hundred years ago Beunos Ares Argentina and Melbourne Australia were the richest cities . Such is life.

[annecavallo]

Being patient, give it time, accept that immigration is harder than it used to be, I also believe the Greek economy is doing better and if you are American, it also unfolds like a third world country 😊