First 30 days in Greece for Russian speakers: AFM, AMKA, the residence permit and a bank account

In brief

As of 6 November 2026, the first month in Greece is built around two numbers and one status question. The AFM is the nine-digit tax number issued by the tax authority AADE, and in practice banks and landlords treat it as the key to everything else. The AMKA is the social security number, free of charge at a KEP, KEM or EFKA office, for non-EU nationals normally with a valid residence permit. The status question: without a permit you can stay 90 days in any 180-day period, and since early February 2026 secondary sources report that a visitor can no longer start at least the digital-nomad permit application from inside Greece. Our sources are guides and summaries, not the official pages.

Before the clock starts: which status are you in?

Everything depends on whether you are in Greece as a visitor or already hold, or have applied for, a residence permit. Without a permit, Schengen rules limit a stay to 90 days within any 180 days. A guide we read reports that, under Law 5275/2026, since early February 2026 tourists and visa-exempt visitors cannot start an initial digital-nomad residence application from inside the country; a national D visa from a Greek consulate is needed first, even for nationalities that do not otherwise need a visa. We did not verify this against the official text, and we did not research the rules for other permit types such as investment or long-stay permits. If you are planning a move, check with a Greek consulate before travelling.

If you already have a permit, the application runs through the e-submission platform of the migration ministry (applications.migration.gov.gr, per the same guides), and the digital-nomad permit is reported to be valid for two years and renewable in two-year periods. The income threshold for it is quoted as 3,500 euro a month in one source and about 4,139 US dollars in another, so we do not give a figure as official.

This checklist is for the common case: you have a place to live and you want to be in the system. If you own or are buying a property, read our guides on the golden visa and on buying costs first; this page starts after the keys.

• General version of this checklist: first 30 days after moving abroad
• Living in Greece: Greece expat life
• Residence routes: Greece golden visa, Greece digital nomad visa
• Retirement: retiring in Greece

Days 1 to 3: arrival, address and the AFM

Keep your entry stamp or visa, the lease or purchase deed, and several photocopies of your passport. Everything later is counted from entry, and a landlord's lease is the first piece of address proof you will need.

The AFM is the first number to get. It is issued by the tax authority AADE. One source says that a non-EU applicant needs a valid residence permit or proof of application; another says a tax representative or a legalised power of attorney is enough for someone who has no Greek address, and a third says a permit is not needed. Because the sources conflict, call or visit the tax office that serves your area and ask what they accept before you pay anyone to do it for you. Non-residents without a Greek address are mentioned as able to use the tax office for foreign residents in Athens, and one source says that remote video verification is available. In person, the AFM is reported to be issued the same day.

Two quick wins on day one:

• Buy a Greek SIM. Operators ask for a passport; whether they also ask for the AFM we did not find, so take it if you have it.
• Photograph the lease, the utility bills and any paper with your address. The next steps ask for proof of address.

Week 1: bank account and the first utilities

Banks treat the AFM as necessary in practice. A first-hand account in the sources says the AFM is not always strictly required by law, but that it is impossible to open a bank account without one. The same account says the bank may ask you to state the purpose of the account. Online opening is generally limited to residents; if you have no residence permit, expect to visit a branch. Documents lists differ by bank and we found no official list. Typical items are the passport, the AFM, proof of address and, where it exists, the permit.

For Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh and Ukrainian passport holders, we found only one item: a 2022 complaint from the Russian embassy in Athens about accounts suspended without notice. We found no current data on refusals, so ask the bank before you travel. What banks ask Russian-speaking customers and why they refuse is in our guide to resident bank accounts.

Utilities and a mobile contract usually follow the lease and the AFM. We did not research SIM and utility rules in detail, so ask your landlord which utility company serves the building and what it needs.

Weeks 2 to 4: the AMKA and the permit

The AMKA is the social security number. It can be requested at a KEP (citizen service centre), a KEM (migrant integration centre) or an EFKA office, and the application is free. Some offices require an appointment, and one source mentions booking through the EFKA phone line 1555. For non-EU nationals the sources list the passport, a valid residence permit, the AFM and proof of address in Greece, such as a lease, an E9 tax document or a hospitality declaration. EU citizens can apply without a permit. A legal analysis in the same search says the AMKA requires a residence title with access to the labour market and that clerks have been unsure about older permit formats, so call the office and ask before you queue.

In parallel, your residence permit track runs on its own clock. If you arrived on a tourist entry, remember the 90 days in any 180: count them from the entry stamp and write the last day in a calendar. If a permit application can only start from a consulate, do not stay past the visitor limit hoping to switch status; the consequences of overstaying are for the migration authority to say, and we did not research them.

For health cover the permit usually carries a requirement of private cover; our article on health cover after moving explains what is required and how the public system opens up once you hold an AMKA. See health cover after moving.

Driving and everyday life

Whether a driving licence from your country can be exchanged depends on the country, the permit and a time limit. Read the driving licence article before you plan to drive.

If you expect to let the property or to stay for long periods, the tax picture changes: the 183-day rule and your tax residence in the home country matter more than the first-month paperwork. See tax residency when relocating.

Mistakes that cost weeks

• Starting the bank account before the AFM. Banks ask for it first.
• Assuming a tourist entry lets you apply for every kind of residence permit from inside Greece. Since early 2026 this reportedly no longer holds for the digital-nomad permit.
• Counting the 90 days from the day you rented a flat instead of from the entry stamp.
• Going to a KEP without the proof of address the office wants. A lease, an E9 or a hospitality declaration, as the sources list.
• Paying an agent for the AFM without asking the tax office what it accepts.
• Leaving a photocopy of your passport with a landlord who will not return it.

One-page checklist

• Day 1: entry stamp or visa kept; passport copies; lease or deed; Greek SIM.
• Day 1-3: AFM at the tax office, with a representative or a power of attorney if you have no Greek address; confirm what they accept first.
• Week 1: bank account (AFM, passport, proof of address); ask the bank about the purpose of the account.
• Week 2: AMKA at a KEP, KEM or EFKA office; book an appointment if required.
• Throughout: count the 90 days in any 180 from the entry stamp; if you plan a permit, confirm with a Greek consulate whether a D visa is needed first.
• Weeks 3-4: health cover, driving licence rules and your tax residence.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; verify each step on the pages of the Greek tax authority, EFKA, the migration ministry and a Greek consulate.

FAQ

What is the AFM and who needs it? It is the nine-digit tax number issued by AADE. In practice banks and landlords ask for it, and several services depend on it. Whether a non-EU applicant needs a residence permit to get it is described differently by different sources, so confirm at the tax office.

Can a tourist start a residence permit application in Greece? According to secondary guides, since early February 2026 a tourist or visa-exempt visitor cannot start the digital-nomad application from inside Greece and needs a national D visa first. We did not verify this on an official page and we did not research other permit types.

How do I get an AMKA? At a KEP, KEM or EFKA office, free of charge. Non-EU nationals are listed as needing a valid residence permit, the AFM and proof of address. Check with the office whether it works for non-working residents, because that was not confirmed.

Will a Greek bank open an account for me without a residence permit? Online opening is generally limited to residents, and without a permit you should expect to go to a branch. The AFM is treated as necessary in practice and the bank may ask the purpose of the account. We found no current data on refusals for Russian-speaking customers.

Does buying a flat in Greece give me residence? No. Some purchases can support a residence application above a value threshold, but you still apply and meet the requirements. See our golden visa article for the threshold and the catches.