Greece introduces new residence permits for EU and non-EU nationals living in the country. Adhesive labels in passports and all other kinds of paperwork relating to foreign nationals living in Greece are to be scrapped and replaced by a new, electronic residence permit that will also double up as an identity card.
There are currently 557,476 third-country nationals living in Greece legally and, according to a circular issued by the Migration Policy Ministry on Wednesday, they will soon be able to apply for a meeting with authorities to go through the necessary process for obtaining their permits.
Within 30 days of receiving the application, Greek authorities will have to set a date for the meeting, during which their biometric data (user’s photo and fingerprints) will be recorded so it can be entered on the card’s electronic chip. The chip can also store electronic proof of identity and a qualified electronic signature.
The card will also show whether the holder has the right to work in Greece.
All European member-states are obliged to introduce the electronic residence permit based on a regulation first passed in 2002 and then updated in 2008. The aim is to design a uniform residence permit for the EU. Several other countries, such as Germany which rolled out its residence cards in September 2011, have already completed the process.
According to the ministry’s circular, the cost of obtaining the residence permit will be 16 euros.
Any foreigners living in Greece who already have residence permits will not have to update to the new format until their current documentation expires. (source)
Your article title and first paragraph are not correct. This new provision does not apply to EU nationals residing in Greece. Under Greek law, citizens of the EU member states are not foreign nationals. There is already an EU residence permit for EU nationals, but Greece does not insist on people applying for this as EU law gives very strong protection without formal documentation.
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Also, the original article sourced does not mention EU citizens as being affected by the changes.
may i ask i done my residence every 5 yrs then the last one they said i don,t have to do it again i havea disability pension from england and don,t work at all in greece just live here will i still have to get this new card done
You need to check this because if Brexit goes through then the UK will no longer be an EU country so other provisions might then apply to your situation.
But usually EU and EC (European community) countries are treated the same….like Norway. Norway is not in the EUROPEAN Union but it is an EC country.
You mean EEA, not EC. The EU countries are all part of the EEA, as a matter of law. The UK could try to keep its EEA status, but that would involve accepting free movement of persons and the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice — as well as paying for the privilege of being in the EEA (and having access to the Single Market) and having no vote or say in determining new laws.
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Since the whole cause of this is the extreme right and the uneducated masses in the UK not wanting to have free movement of EEA citizens, not wanting to accept the authority of the EU court, not wanting to accept any EU laws at all… then they have already ruled this out. Basically, the morons in my country think they can have their cake and eat it: that is, stop free movement of citizens and the application of all EU laws, while having free access for trading purposes. They tried doing this in 1961, with the EFTA structure — and it failed. The rest of Europe rejected the British obsession with not having any rules while having no rules on trade.
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There is actually no way out. The UK has made a terrible error, and will pay a heavy price for it. The problem is that British ciitizens who did not vote for this suicidal nonsense will also pay a heavy price — including those of us living in the EU. We are about to lose many of our legal rights, and a lot of money to boot. Some people will have to return to the UK, if their pensions and healthcare are not being paid. It is a catastrophe in the making — created and implemented by right wing morons.
Norway is in the European Economic Area or EEA. I don’t know if people from EEA countries can easily settle in EU countries.
As I explained, the EEA has free movement of persons, services and goods. It is the Single Market extended beyond the EU. EEA nationals are treated as EU nationals for migration and settlement purposes. Also, EU or EEA nationals have the right to work and live in all EEA countries. The only real difference is in voting rights.
The view of most lawyers is that the Vienna Convention will be upheld by the Court of Justice — meaning that all documented EU residents will be given a secure status in the EU. It is less clear what will happen in the UK, though. The biggest problem will not be with legal status, but payment of pensions and healthcare for UK nationals living in the EU. Frau Adolfa May has shown no interest at all in this topic, and as far as she is concerned we can all fuck off and die. My response is that I wish she would do so, because she and the Brexit mafia are a disgrace to our country.
Can anyone Give any information where we would go to apply for this new electronic Residence Permit and what paperwork, if any, we would need to have available? We have been resident in Greece for 6 years and already have a folded beige colored card with our photo attached which was issued by the local Police here on Lefkáda. Thanks in advance for any info.
I suppose, you should ask again at the local police.