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Moving to Greece


Euro2004

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Hi everyone. I know this is a sports forum so I'm sorry to be posting questions which are not sports related but i'm hoping someone can provide me with some information please. i'm a British citizen as is my family and my father is cypriot while my mother is english. all of us have british citizenship but none of us have cypriot citizenship (my dad's expired years ago - he's been living in the uk for 30 years). As a family we are planning to emigrate to greece next summer, or definately within the next 5 years. Does anyone know if we have to take any legal steps to do this? do we need a visa for example? If so is it a plain card visa, an rfid chip visa, or a biometric visa; and does this play a role in how we go about getting one? I've called up the Greek embassy in England but they weren't very helpful, they just told me to email a particular lady in charge of these things, but she's never bothered to reply.

I've also heard that in Spain they will only grant a foreigner residency if they have a job lined up before they move there, is it the same in Greece? I'd really appreciate any help/advice any of you could give me about what I need to know.

P.S. as mentioned i know this might not be appropriate for a sports forum and i hope i havent annoyed the mods but i've lived in england all my life and dont know too many greeks so apart from the embassy which hasnt been helpful i dont know who else i can ask for advice. thanks guys, i really appreciate you taking the time to read this. :)

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I know this is a sports forum so I'm sorry to be posting questions which are not sports related

That's what we have the community boards for :D :P ...

But to (try to) answer to your question, I might be completely wrong here but I don't think you need a visa? Aren't we all EU-citizens? When I go from Belgium to Greece all I need is my identity card, but that might be because I don't stay longer than three months... Btw something else you should look into is your army service!

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A spouse’s citizenship is only relevant if you are applying for a visa or permit to stay, live and work permanently in Greece. In this case, you would need to enter with the visa, then apply for a residence/work permit within 30 days of arrival. However, be aware that many immigrants still come here on a tourist visa, then apply for the resident permit before the visa expires because Greece does NOT have a fiancé(e) or spouse visa program at this time.

There are only two types of visas for Greece: Schengen and national. The Greek Consulate/Embassy nearest your residence handles applications and determines which you qualify for based on your eligibility and needs.

Read everything in the source... But most info is for non-EU citizens and for the countries listed. I would guess a EU citizen would have no problem going to live in Greece but I could be wrong.

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Read more on the Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 in the village of Schengen, on the borders of Luxembourg, France and Germany. It established common immigration procedures between the signatories to the treaty. This treaty is not related to the European Union, although many of the Schengen countries are also members of the EU. A total of 26 countries – including all European Union states except the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, but including non-EU members Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland – have signed the agreement and 15 have implemented it so far.

The link above lists the countries that have participated and the scope of implementation.

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That's what we have the community boards for :D :P ...

But to (try to) answer to your question, I might be completely wrong here but I don't think you need a visa? Aren't we all EU-citizens? When I go from Belgium to Greece all I need is my identity card, but that might be because I don't stay longer than three months... Btw something else you should look into is your army service!

If he's dad's Cypriot and his mother is British then he doesn't have to do national service in Greece does he? Cyprus and Greece are seperate states so I don't think he'll have an obligation to sign up to army service will he? :unsure:
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I don't believe non-Greeks are required to perform military service in Greece, even if they move to Greece and permanently reside there.

A visa is definitely not needed either. As an EU citizen you are free to live and work in any EU member country as far as I am aware. It becomes difficult if you are not an EU citizen and would like to become one (for instance, if you are American and have no way of getting a European passport or citizenship of some kind, e.g. through ancestry).

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That's what we have the community boards for :D  :P ...

But to (try to) answer to your question, I might be completely wrong here but I don't think you need a visa? Aren't we all EU-citizens? When I go from Belgium to Greece all I need is my identity card, but that might be because I don't stay longer than three months... Btw something else you should look into is your army service!

If he's dad's Cypriot and his mother is British then he doesn't have to do national service in Greece does he? Cyprus and Greece are seperate states so I don't think he'll have an obligation to sign up to army service will he? :unsure:
no, only greek citizens have service.....if he decides to apply for greek citizenship, then he must consider he will have a service obligation, likley reduced thought becuase of the UK one.

you are a UK citizen, then you can do a lot in Greece. I think at some point you might need some forms of paperwork for work (maybe) for employment...to live its no big deal, your fine.

But seriously now, you should not be asking Phantis...ask your Greek consolate can tell you everything you need to know, or even look up their website.

and Of Spain, I know thats not the case - maybe for British, becuase the UK is slightly different with the Schengen agreement, they are not full-in....Because I know for fact with Greek papers you do not need anything to move to Spain/work there.

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lol Im saying is that the consulate knows best..its one of the reasons they are there is to help with these things.

Its always best to ask and find out. I learn this the hard way, so count my advice....I made mistake of not double checking what I needed before I relocated to Switzerland this year (long dull story, but in the end, I should have asked and confirmed). :rolleyes:

IDK if Euro2004 is going to be working or going to school, its likely with a UK passport no papers are needed, but ask the consulate first and double check. The British have set up some double standards with the Schengen Agreement, so you should ask - I know to go to UK even though its Schengen the border control is still not "open" to other EU countries so to speak. School you should be fine.

If not call, do visit their website and see what you can find. Even some British ExPats based in Greece have sites and networks and know well.

If you are Cypriot, I think you are eligible for a Greek passport if you can prove your Cypriot papers (or at least much more than others)...

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Yeah, unfortunately the public servants of Greece especially the ones serving abroad at missions, are not the best help, to say the least. Which is a bit of a drag since it gets you down as it is usually your first point of contact, and discourages you from even vacationing there let alone relocating.

Once you set your foot there, all that will go away. Gorgeous country, lovely beaches, fantastic food and drink, best climate in the world.

Can I ask what part of Greece?

I just came back to Canada from a 3-week holiday in the Peloponnese and Crete and fell in love with the place.

Schengen also plays a role in airports, I remember seeing signs at El. Venizelos.

I wish I could help but our situation is different than yours. My brother did the army but that's because our folks were born in Greece. I don't think somebody of Cypriot-British lineage is obligated to do military service, but who knows? Example, do foreigners that enter Greece (the legal ones that is) do armed forces duty? I doubt it.

Good luck. And when you make it, don't tell me... unless you wanna make a freezing Canadian jealous. :LOL:

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you dont need visa or anything..just your ID. you can live and work in any european country you want and you will have the same rights about jobs etc with the other people. i heard that if you go to one other european country and they dont give you a job becoz your not from their country, you can go to the european court of law etc so none company takes a risk about that.

thrilossalonica

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