Further details concerning Greek residence permit

 

A large number of non-EU citizens have expressed their interest in acquiring a five year residence permit in Greece, in accordance with the L. 4146/2013. The Minister of Interior, in order to facilitate and specify the procedures to be carried out, issued the Circular No. 58305/7-11-2013, regulating all these issues.

Let’s recall the persons who are entitled to the five year residence permit and mention the indispensible supporting documents to be submitted in Directorate of Immigration Policy.

  • Third-country citizens, who own individually or through a company, property or properties in Greece with value that exceeds 250,000€. The property may be derived from purchasing, donation or parental grant.

In this case, the following documents should be submitted to the competent authority: passport with visa, photos, health certificate, and a certificate from an insurance institution for covering the costs of hospitalization and medical care.

Additional documents constitute: purchase contract and transcription recipe issued by the competent land registry.

  • Non-EU citizens who concluded at least ten-year lease of hotel accommodation or tourist furnished houses in a tourist accommodation complex, and the minimum height of the lease amounts to 250.000€.

In this case, except the abovementioned documents, both a copy of notarial lease document and transcription recipe by the competent land registry should be considered indispensible.

  • Third-country citizens who acquired a property, with value greater than 250.000€, prior to the implementation of the L. 4146/2013.

Except the documents referred in the first case, a notary certificate stating the current objective value of the property is presented to the competent authority.

  • Non-EU citizen who buys a site or a land plot and intends to construct a building. In this case, the aggregate value of the purchase contract and the building construction agreement should exceed 250,000€.

Additional documents constitute the purchase contract, the construction or renovation contract which is submitted to the tax authority, the building license in the name of the person concerned, contractor’s invoices and receipts.

After referring to the major categories of beneficiaries, it’s worth mentioning that spouses and below 18 year old children, including those who have been adopted, are entitled to residence permit.

The application for residence permit or any renewal can be submitted by physical presence or representation by attorney, defined in a power of attorney. However, the application for residence permit is forbidden for third country citizens who have never entered Greece.

For the residence permit is also required to submit a medical certificate attesting that the third country national is not suffering from any disease, capable to constitute serious danger to public health, in accordance with international standards and the World Health Organization.

We mention that the permit does not provide access to any form of work. Moreover, upon transfer of the property before the five year period, the non EU citizen loses the right of residence.

In conclusion, obtaining a residence permit is a too complicated and time consuming process, so, on your next visit to Greece, you‘d better not forget to consult a trusted professional, who can provide you with the legal and reliable guidelines for your next step in Greece.