INFORMATION FOR E.U. CITIZENS WISHING TO LIVE IN GREECE

This info is taken from the Citizens First Factsheet at: http://citizens.eu.int/

NOTE: This "Citizens First" Factsheet is intended to provide guidance
on EU law for information purposes only. It has been prepared by the
European Commission with the help of national authorities and contains
information on the national implementation of EU law. You are advised
that the texts of Community legal instruments should be relied upon in
case of doubt concerning the extent of a right or obligation arising
from EU law.

LIRRENGR.TXT
1st Revision, April 1998

CITIZENS FIRST: GREECE

Right of residence

I. Information on EC law

The EC Treaty (Article 8a) lays down the principle of the right of
citizens of the European Union to move and reside freely within the
territory of the Member States, subject to certain conditions.

Every citizen of the Union who intends to reside for more than three
months in another Member State is required to have a residence permit.
This document, which serves only to confirm the right of residence
enjoyed by all Union citizens, is issued on presentation of certain
documents, which vary according to the circumstances of the person
making the request.


II. Information on formalities in Greece
If you intend to stay in Greece for more than three months, you must
apply for a residence permit to the Aliens Office or the police
station for your place of residence within three months of your
arrival. The application will be processed by the responsible Alien
Registration Office.

Failure to submit an application, together with the other supporting
documents, for a residence permit is punishable by fines of up to DR 1
000 000.

Documents required

When applying for a residence permit, you must produce a valid
identity card or passport, three passport photos, and a medical
certificate issued by the responsible health services. Depending on
your status during your stay in Greece (employee, job-seeker, self-
employed, retired, not working, student), you will also be required to
produce various documents:

· Employees must produce a declaration from their employer stating
that they are to be employed and indicating the nature and duration of
the work; the declaration must be certified by the Labour
Inspectorate.

· Persons setting up in a self-employed capacity must provide evidence
of their status, such as membership of a professional or trade union
body, a VAT number or registration in a trade register.

· Service providers must produce supporting evidence. Employees and
the self-employed may not be asked for evidence of their resources.

· If you stay in Greece after working there as either an employed or a
self-employed person, you need to show that you fall into one of the
following categories:

(a) when you stop working, you have reached pensionable age under
Greek law, have worked for at least the last twelve months and have
lived in Greece on a continuous basis for more than three years;
(b) you have lived in Greece on a continuous basis for more than two
years and have stopped working as a result of a permanent disability.
If this disability is due to an occupational accident or illness
entitling you to a pension paid in full or in part by a Greek public
body, no residence requirement applies;

In both these cases, no period of residence is required, and the
requirement that you have worked for at least the last twelve months
ceases to apply, if your spouse is a Greek national or lost Greek
nationality as a result of marriage;

(c) after living and working in Greece on a continuous basis for three
years, you have taken up work in another Member State while retaining
residence in Greece, to which you return daily or at least once a week
(border worker).

You have two years in which to exercise your right to reside in the
country as from the time when one of the above-mentioned changes
occurs.

· If you are retired and previously worked in another Member State or
if you are an economically inactive person, you will have to prove
that you have health insurance and adequate resources. Your resources
are considered to be adequate if your income is at least equal to the
minimum social security pension. At present you must have an income of
at least DR 25 000 per month if you live alone. If you are accompanied
by members of your family, you must have a further DR 25 000 per month
for each of them.

· If you are a student, you will have to prove that you are enrolled
in a recognized educational establishment for the principal purpose of
following a vocational training course there and that you are covered
by health insurance. You will have to give an assurance that you have
sufficient resources, by means of a declaration or by such alternative
means as you may choose that are at least equivalent.

· Members of your family who also have a right of residence (the guide
"Living in another country of the European Union" explains which of
your family members enjoy this right) must produce, in addition to the
documents generally required (identity card or passport, passport
photos, and medical certificate), the following:

- a document proving their relationship to you;
- a declaration by yourself stating that you are in possession of
living accommodation suitable for your household; you are not required
to produce a rental contract;
- if the family members are not nationals of a Member State, a visa
(where required);
- documents proving that the persons concerned are dependent on you
(this does not apply to your spouse and children under 21);
- if you are retired or not working, evidence that your resources are
sufficient for you and your family and that all members of the family
are properly insured;
- if you are a student, evidence that all members of your family are
properly insured.

The right of residence of members of your family derives from your own
right of residence.

Further information

Once your application for a residence permit, together with the other
supporting documents, has been received, you will be given a
certificate of receipt, stating the purpose of your application.a

A decision on whether to grant your first residence permit must be
taken within six months of your application being received.

Residence permits are valid for a limited period (see guide "Living in
another country of the European Union" for details). Accompanying
members of your family who are nationals of a Member State of the
Union will be issued with residence permits that have the same period
of validity as your own. Accompanying members of your family who are
not nationals of a Member State will be issued with residence permits
that have the same period of validity as your own and which are
subject to Greek law.

There are no special formalities to comply with if you change
residence within Greece. If you obtained a residence permit as an
employee, for example, this does not prevent you from changing status
during its period of validity, e.g. by setting up in a self-employed
capacity.

You may renew your residence permit by carrying out the same
formalities as when you first applied (indicating any change in
status), except that this time you do not need to produce a visa,
medical certificate, declaration that you have suitable accommodation,
or proof of your ascendants'/descendants' relationship to you. If you
are employed, you need not have the declaration of employment from
your employer certified by the Labour Inspectorate. You should apply
for your permit to be renewed when it expires. If at the time the
permit is renewed you have been involuntarily unemployed for more than
twelve months in succession, renewal may be limited to a stated
period, which may not be less than one year, and the authorities may
refuse to renew your permit again if you are still unemployed when it
next expires.

Residence permits are issued and renewed on payment of an amount equal
to the charge paid by Greek citizens for the issuing of identity
cards.


III. Appeals

If your application for the issue or renewal of a residence permit has
been rejected or if a deportation order is served on you, you must be
notified of the relevant decision and the reasons underlying it,
except where considerations of state security prevent this. The
grounds for refusal are set out in the guide "Living in another
country of the European Union".

The decision is open to appeal; you have the same rights of appeal as
Greek nationals in respect of administrative decisions.

You cannot be refused a residence permit purely on the grounds that
the identity documents with which you entered the country have
expired.

How to proceed

A decision to refuse to issue or to renew a residence permit has to be
taken by the Ministry of Public Order, and will give a date by which
you must leave Greece. Except in emergencies you must be given at
least 15 days' notice in the case of a refusal of a first residence
permit and 30 days' notice in the case of a refusal to renew or
withdrawal of a residence permit. If you so request the decision will
be referred to the special committee which the Greek legislation
provides for in such cases. You have to make the request within 8 days
of being informed of the decision. There is no special form required
for such requests. The committee submits its report to the Ministry,
which has to take another decision within 30 days of the day on which
you made the request. The fresh decision can be challenged by
appealing to the supreme administrative court, the Council of State.

A decision ordering your deportation has to be taken by the Ministry
of Public Order after first consulting the same special committee. The
decision will give a date by which you must leave Greece. You must be
given at least one month's notice, except in emergencies. Here too you
may appeal to the Council of State.

Your must lodge your appeal within 60 days of being informed of the
Ministry's decision (90 days if you are outside Greece). You must be
assisted by a lawyer.

You may be given free legal aid on certain conditions, and you may be
assisted by an interpreter.

Community legislation

Employees (Regulation 1612/68 and Directive 68/360); the self-employed
(Directive 73/148); retired persons who remain in a Member State after
working there (Regulation 1251/70 and Directive 75/34); retired
persons who worked in another Member State (Directive 90/365);
economically inactive persons (Directive 90/364); students (Directive
93/96); measures taken for reasons of public policy, public safety and
public health (Directive 64/221).

National rules

Law No 1975/1991 (published in Greek Government Gazette (FEK) 184A)
Presidential Decrees 525/83 (FEK 203A/31.12.83), 499/87 (FEK
238A/31.12.87), and 278/92 (FEK 14A/28.08.92).


IV. Useful addresses in Greece

The town hall in your area will be able to tell you to which Aliens
Office or police station you should apply for a residence permit.

The telephone numbers of the Aliens Offices in Attiki (Attica) are as
follows:
Athens: +301 642.71.36 - 642 41 32 FAX 642 71 36 - L Alexandras, 173
Athens
Amarousio: +301 603.29.83-4 FAX 603 29 80 - Ath. Diakou 14 Pallini
Glifada: +301 960.13.40 FAX 964 86 65 - Karaiskaki 23, Glifada
Piraeus: +301 412.86.07 FAX 412 86 07 - Ir Politechneiou 37, Piraeus
Elefsina: +301 554.74.27 FAX 556 06 58 - Ir Politechneiou 18, Elefsina
Lavrio: +3292/25265 - Danoukara 5, Lavrio

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Rights and obligations of residents

LIVOENGR.txt
2nd Revision, April 1998


Citizens First: Greece

The right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the
European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in Greece


1. Who is entitled to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to
the European Parliament?

Persons entitled to vote must be nationals of a Member State of the
European Union who are over 18 years of age, are entered on the
electoral roll in their municipality in Greece and have not been
deprived of their right to vote either in Greece or in their home
Member State. Persons entitled to stand as candidates must meet all
the requirements for persons entitled to vote and be over 25 years of
age.

No one may vote or stand as a candidate both in Greece and in his home
Member State in the same elections.


2. What must I do in order to be able to vote?

You must apply to be entered on the special electoral roll in the
municipality where you reside.

Your application, which should be dated and signed by you, must
contain a formal declaration indicating:

- your full name, the full name of your father and, if you are a
married woman, the full name of your husband;
- your date of birth and sex;
- your occupation;
- your nationality;
- that you have not been deprived of the right to vote in your
home Member State;
- your place of residence in Greece, where you intend to exercise
your right to vote (prefecture, municipality or community, parish,
street and number);
- that you are not entered on the electoral roll of another
municipality in Greece;
- where applicable, the constituency or municipality in your home
Member State on the electoral roll of which you were last entered for
the elections to the European Parliament;
- valid proof of identity (identity card, passport, etc.);
- the date when you took up residence in Greece;
- that you will exercise your right to vote in Greece only.

Your application must be accompanied by a photocopy of your identity
card, two recent passport photographs and, if the electoral rolls are
drawn up on a parish basis, a certificate issued by the police
indicating your address, with street, number and parish.

Greek voters are also required to submit this certificate.

Your application must be submitted by you personally or by a duly
authorized representative, outside the period between the date of the
announcement of the election and polling day, to the mayor, president
of the municipality or prefect of

The Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and
Decentralisation is responsible for notifying the authorities in the
home Member States so that they can take action to prevent anyone from
voting or standing twice.

EU citizens who have been entered on the electoral roll remain
registered as long as they reside in Greece and satisfy the conditions
for exercising the right to vote.

Since voting is compulsory in Greece, EU citizens who are on the
electoral roll must exercise their right to vote (as must Greek
nationals).

Applications for removal from the electoral roll must be presented in
writing by the voter in person, outside the period between the date of
the announcement of the election and polling day, to the appropriate
office in the prefecture where the voter is normally resident.
Applications must contain all the particulars necessary to establish
the identity of the voter, the reason for the application, the
electoral roll, and the applicant's roll number. The office notifies
the applicant by letter that his name has been removed from the roll.


3. What must I do in order to be able to stand as a candidate?

Lists of candidates wishing to stand for election to the European
Parliament can be presented only by political parties or by a
coalition of parties. No list may contain more than 25 candidates. For
each list, a deposit of DR 1 000 000 must be lodged. The deposit is
returned if the party or coalition obtains at least 3% of the votes or
at least one seat. The application to stand as a candidate must be
presented to the court of jurisdiction within 14 days of the beginning
of the pre-electoral period.

When submitting his application to stand, the candidate must also
submit a formal declaration stating:

- his nationality and address in Greece;
- that he is not also standing as a candidate in the elections to
the European Parliament in another Member State or in Greece on the
list of another party or coalition;
- where applicable, the municipality or constituency on the
electoral roll of which he was last entered for elections to the
European Parliament in his home Member State;
- the date when he became a citizen of a Member State of the
Union;
The candidate must also provide:
- a certificate from the competent authorities in his home Member
State stating that he has not been deprived of his right to stand as a
candidate there or that no such disqualification is known to them. In
the absence of such a certificate, the application to stand as a
candidate will be declared invalid;
- a photocopy of valid proof of identity (identity card or
passport).

Fourteen days before polling day the First Division of the Supreme
Court announces the candidates whose candidacy has been duly submitted
by the parties. Candidates who are rejected have no right of appeal.


4. Contact points

Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation,
Elections Directorate,
Evaggelistrias 2
10 183 Athens
Tel: 3223 736 - 3251 137 - 3231 824 - 3232 829
Fax: 3247 366 - 3232 766

The town hall in your place of residence.


5. National rules

Council Directive 93/109/EC laying down detailed arrangements for the
exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to
the European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a Member
State of which they are not nationals was transposed by Law No
2196/1994 (Greek Government Gazette 41A/22.3.1994) and by Presidential
Decree No 60/1994 (Greek Government Gazette 49 A).

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Tax

LITAENGR.txt
Revision 1, April 1998


CITIZENS FIRST


TAXATION IN GREECE


I. INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY LAW

There is no specific Community legislation on the direct taxation of
individuals. However, you should be aware that, as a general rule,
national tax provisions must respect the fundamental non-
discrimination principle of EU law. Thus, nationals from one Member
State who are living in another Member State should not be taxed at
less favourable rates than nationals from the country in which they
are living. On the other hand, Member States are allowed to
distinguish between non-nationals who are resident for tax purposes
and non-nationals who are non-resident for tax purposes.


II. INFORMATION ON TAXES IN GREECE

Income tax in Greece

If you are resident in Greece, you are taxed at progressive rates on
your worldwide income earned in a calendar year. You may also be
eligible for certain tax allowances, depending on your family
situation, which are taken into account when calculating your taxable
income as well as the amount of tax you are liable to pay.

If you are employed, your employer will deduct income tax from your
wages, daily allowances or other remuneration. This amount is credited
against your total tax liability for the year, which is calculated on
the basis of your yearly income tax return. If more tax has been
deducted than you actually owe, you will receive the difference in the
form of a rebate.

Your annual income tax return should be sent to your local tax office
(County Department of the Ministry of National Economy) in March or
April of the year following the year in which income was earned. You
will be informed in May or June of the amount of tax that has been
assessed as payable. In the case of married couples, the husband must
file a tax return on behalf of his spouse. Each member of the family
is assessed separately.

A tax deposit of 50% of your total tax bill for the current year is
sometimes required, but not if your only income is from salaried
employment and if you own your own home.

Your tax bill is payable in three equal instalments. You are, however,
eligible for a 5% reduction on your total tax bill if you pay all your
tax by the date on which the first payment is due.
If you are resident in Greece, you also have to include income earned
in another Member State in your tax return. If this income has already
been taxed in the other country, you will be credited for that in your
tax assessment in Greece.


Double taxation agreements

Greece has signed double taxation agreements with 11 other Member
States (that is, all other Member States except Ireland, Portugal and
Spain).

Member States that are party to these agreements share their right to
tax income and to give tax allowances. Double taxation is avoided by
crediting the tax paid in the other Member State against the tax due
in Greece. If the tax authorities of another Member State ask you for
proof of your residence for tax purposes in Greece, the Ministry of
Economic Affairs can issue you with a "certificate of residence for
tax purposes".


III. HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS

If you have a complaint concerning your tax treatment in Greece, you
may take your case to the state courts.


IV. USEFUL ADDRESSES

For further information or clarification as to how you are assessed
for tax, you should contact your local county office of the Ministry
of Economic Affairs (Public Economic Services department - D.O.Y).

Questions on double taxation of income should be addressed to:
(Ministry of Economic Affairs)
(Income tax department)
(Section D - Double taxation agreements)
Panepistimiou 20
Tel: (+301) 36 31 545
Fax: (+301) 36 04 825

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Type-approval and Registration of Motor Vehicles

liveengr.txt
Revision 1, April 1998

CITIZENS FIRST

GREECE: TYPE-APPROVAL AND REGISTRATION OF A PRIVATE CAR

I. INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY LAW
Before registering your vehicle, the authorities will check whether it
is type-approved. In addition, if the vehicle is not a new one, they
may require it to undergo a roadworthiness test. The registration
procedure is not harmonised at Community level. In other words,
different procedures are applied and different documents required in
the various Member States. However, national rules must comply with a
number of principles under Community law.
This Factsheet gives you some general information on these rules, and
more details on the type-approval and registration procedures applied
nationally.
For further information on the legal principles applicable under
Community law, please refer to the Commission Communication on the
type-approval and registration of vehicles previously registered in
another Member State, as set out in OJ C 143 of 15.5.1996.
1. If you are moving
If you are moving to a different Community Member State, you must
register your vehicle in that country as soon as possible after
arrival and, at any rate, within six months of moving. You should have
no difficulty in getting your vehicle registered provided you follow
the set procedures.
2. Type approval
Type-approval procedures are carried out by national authorities to
ensure that a vehicle complies with the technical characteristics (for
example, safety standards) required by law. Vehicles that have been
type-approved are issued with a Certificate of Conformity. Type-
approval procedures have already been harmonised across the EC for
individual vehicles (i.e. those with seating for no more than eight
passengers) since 1 January 1996, but in certain cases, national
approval procedures remain. You can find out whether your vehicle has
undergone EC or national type-approval from the car documents or from
the manufacturer. If your vehicle is a model which has obtained EC
type-approval, the Certificate of Conformity issued by the
Manufacturer is valid in all Member States of the European Community,
and the national authorities must accept it.
If your vehicle has obtained national type-approval, the authorities
in the country in which you are applying for registration may refuse
to accept the national Certificate of Conformity only (a) if it can be
shown that the vehicle represents a serious hazard to road safety or
the environment, and (b) the decision is properly justified. The fact
that your vehicle may have technical characteristics which differ from
those prescribed by the national rules in the country in which you
wish to register it does not, in itself, constitute a sufficient
reason for refusing type-approval and registration. At any rate, the
type-approval procedure may not cause you unreasonable delay or
excessive cost, nor require you to obtain information which is already
available in the documents at your disposal.
3. Roadworthiness testing
Roadworthiness tests are designed to check on the physical condition
of your vehicle. The authorities in the country to which you are
moving may require it to undergo a roadworthiness test in order to
check its physical condition. Under Community law, though, such checks
may be imposed on an imported vehicle only where they are also
required for national vehicles. In addition, such tests may not be
stricter for imported vehicles than for vehicles of national origin.
4. Registration formalities
Registration procedures have not been harmonised by the EC, so it is
up to each Member State to specify the documents required for vehicle
registration purposes. These documents may not duplicate information
already given in any documents submitted for roadworthiness tests or
for type-approval.


4 Formalities and contact points in Greece

Roadworthiness tests

The first test for new private cars and new goods vehicles with a
gross weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes takes place four years (give or
take one week) after the vehicle first entered into service, except in
the Prefecture of Attica, where you will receive notification of when
and where to report from the Directorate for Motor Vehicle
Roadworthiness Testing of the Ministry of Transport and
Communications. Subsequently, the test is carried out every two years
(give or take one week), except in Attica, where the frequency is
every three years (give or take one week).

Tests are carried out by the Roadworthiness Test Centre (KTEO) in your
local prefecture. In the Prefectures of Athens and Thessaloniki, you
should telephone the number 167 for an appointment.

In the Prefecture of Attica, you should telephone the number 180 to
obtain details of test programming and of the documents you will be
required to produce as well as other information.

Cost of the test

Cars: Dr 8 000
Goods vehicles with a gross weight of less than 3.5 tonnes: Dr12 000
Buses: Dr 20 000
Goods vehicles with a gross weight of between 3.5 and 10 tonnes: Dr 16
000
Goods vehicles with a gross weight of more than 10 tonnes: Dr 24 000

If you present your vehicle late for its first test, you will be
charged an additional fee.

You will need to produce the following documents:

(a) the vehicle's registration document;
(b) proof that you have paid road tax;
(c) a road tax disc;
(d) your identity card;
(e) where appropriate, the certificate issued after the previous test.


Documents required for registration

For second-hand vehicles:

1. the type-approval certificate, certificate of conformity or
registration document issued by the Member State from which you come;
2. your driving licence;
3. proof that you have paid road tax and customs duties;
4. a document indicating the identity of the vehicle's owner;
5. a test certificate issued by the KTEO.

If the vehicle is brought in from a non-EU country, a certificate
concerning exhaust emissions is also required.

For new vehicles:

1. the type-approval certificate;
2. your driving licence;
3. proof that you have paid road tax and customs duties;
4. a document indicating the identity of the vehicle's owner.

Type-approval

In the case of new vehicles, the type-approval certificate is issued
by:

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Directorate-General for Transport
Directorate for Motor Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing
Xenofondos 13
T.K. 101 91 - Athens
Tel. No:+30.1.3254515
Fax :+30.1.3231054

The registration document for new and second-hand vehicles is issued
by the transport and communications authorities of your local
prefecture.

Other useful addresses, as well as details of other Factsheets, are
contained in the Citizens First Guides.

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