Attention! The information is outdated. For up-to-date information on obtaining a residence permit in Greece, see here: www.homesoverseas.ru/articles/5382
Visas
Russian citizens need to obtain a visa to stay in the country.
To do this, you need to fill out an application form for a Schengen visa at the consular department of the Embassy of Greece, as well as submit all the necessary documents:
- two 30x40 color photos;
- international passport;
- photocopy of all informative pages of the Russian passport;
- insurance policy for traveling abroad;
- confirmation of the applicant's availability of funds to cover the costs associated with the trip;
- original certificate from the place of work or study;
- for pensioners - a copy of the pension certificate;
- documents confirming the purpose of the trip;
- for minors – birth certificate, etc.
A Type C visa is a tourist visa and is issued for short-term trips to the country for up to three months of stay within six months. If a Russian citizen wants to stay for a longer period (for example, for the purpose of study or work), then he needs to apply for a national Greek type D visa.
Russian citizens who purchase real estate in Greece can get a tourist visa. In addition, family members of the property owner have the right to obtain a tourist visa. The visa is issued for a year, and the period of stay in Greece will be three months in half a year.
The consular fee is 35 euros for Russians. To speed up the visa procedure, Russian citizens can apply to the visa application center operating at the embassy. In this case, the cost of the visa will be 60 euros. The application review period is on average 10 working days. In case of refusal, the consular services are obliged to motivate their decision, while the consular fee is not refunded.
For tourists visiting the Greek Dodecanese Islands, in particular, the island of Rhodes, a visa-free regime began to work from the end of summer 2012 (when visiting from Turkey, for no more than five days). This is good information for those who want to choose a property in Rhodes when vacationing in Turkey. Further plans for visa-free visits to the Greek islands when flying from Russia have not yet been specified by any laws and instructions.
Residence permit
Russians must obtain a residence permit to stay in Greece for more than six months.
Buying a property in Greece is not a basis for issuing a residence permit. According to the legislation of this country, citizens of countries outside the European Union can be granted a Greek residence permit only after obtaining a type D visa.
There are several types of residence permits, which are given depending on the purpose of stay, in particular with or without the opportunity to work. The basis for obtaining a residence permit may be entrepreneurial activity. There are "entrepreneurial" and "investment" residence permits.
An entrepreneurial residence permit is issued through the registration of your company in Greece, in order to receive it, at least 60,000 euros must be transferred to the Bank of Greece. This type of residence permit is issued for a period of two years, after which it can be extended.
An investment residence permit is issued on the basis of articles 26 and 27 of Law 3386/ 2005 for persons wishing to invest at least 300,000 euros in Greece for the purpose of doing business in the country. The relevant residence permit is issued by the Greek Ministry of the Interior for a period of three years and can be extended.
Study or professional training. Such a residence permit can also be obtained by financially independent persons. To do this, you need to prove that you have a monthly income of at least 2000 euros.
Also, a residence permit in Greece can be obtained by someone who has found a job in this country (for hire, seasonal, etc.), wants to reunite with his family, or for exceptional reasons.
In addition, permission to stay in Greece can be obtained under the category of "Economically independent foreigners", on the basis of Law 36 of Law No. 3386/05. A residence permit on this basis can be obtained by citizens who have sufficient income at home, however, without the right to work or conduct business in Greece. The availability of Greek real estate for financially independent individuals will only be a plus and will speed up obtaining a residence permit.
The procedure for reviewing documents for obtaining a residence permit in Greece consists of two stages and takes a total of about 3 months. At the first stage, it is required to obtain a tourist visa at the Greek Consulate (for multiple visits), it is necessary to submit documents on the territory of the country. Only if you have such a visa, you can apply for a residence permit to a local authority in Greece. A special visa is issued at the Greek Consulate quickly, within 3 working days. An interview with the applicant is possible immediately upon receipt of the documents. The validity period of this visa is 90 days. At the second stage, it is necessary to submit a document to the Greek city Hall, where the case will be considered from 1 to 3 months.
An application for a residence permit is submitted to the Prefecture of Greece upon arrival. Initially, a residence permit is issued for one year, then extended every two years.
Permanent residence and citizenship
The application for permanent residence can be made only after five years from the date of obtaining a residence permit. Permanent residence grants a foreigner all the rights and freedoms that Greek citizens have, with the exception of the right to participate in elections. Permanent residence status does not require a permanent extension, its validity period is unlimited.
The right to obtain Greek citizenship is possible only after ten years of legal residence in Greece. But if the applicant is the spouse of a Greek citizen (citizen) and they have a common child in marriage, then the applicant receives citizenship after three years of residence in the country.
At this point, he must be at least 18 years old, he must not have a criminal record for the last ten years with a term of imprisonment of one year or more, and not have been previously subjected to the deportation procedure.
The application is submitted to the Minister of Internal Affairs at the Mayor's Office at the place of residence. From there, the documents are sent to the authorized department of the district, and then to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After reviewing the application, the candidate is invited to an interview with the Naturalization Commission, during which his knowledge of the language, history and culture of Greece is checked. The commission sends its opinion about him to the Minister, who makes the final decision. After a positive decision is made, an announcement about it will be printed in all government media.
Evgenia Lisina
HomesOverseas.ru
Portal HomesOverseas.ru Thanks Natalia Kovaleva from Real Estate Services agency, Yulia Smagina from Albatros company, Yulia Titova from Rentsale company, Elena Utyumova from INDOM company for their help in preparing the material.
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