Useful Info

I have a Ukrainian passport with biometric characteristics
You can enter Greece from all points of entry without a need for additional documentation, with a maximum stay of 90 days. Within that time, you should apply for temporary protection.

The National Police will stamp your passport with the date of entry.

The National Police will note under the entry stamp on your own passport the number of minors you are accompanying.
*For more information, please visit the relevant sections below.

I have a Ukrainian passport without biometric characteristics (old type)
You can enter Greece from all points of entry with the necessary transit visa, with a maximum stay of 90 days. Within that time, you should apply for temporary protection (see relevant section)

Upon entering, the National Police will stamp your passport with the date of entry.

The National Police will note under the entry stamp on your own passport the number of minors you are accompanying
*For more information regarding minors, please visit the relevant section.
**For your convenience, you are advised to address the Ukrainian Embassy in Athens or the Ukrainian Consulate in Thessaloniki. (see: Useful Links)

I do not have any travel documents or my passport has expired
You can only enter through the Passport Control Department in Promahonas at the Greek-Bulgarian Border.

There you will be given an official transit note by the Greek Police, valid for a period of 90 days. Within that time you should apply for temporary protection, (see relevant section)

In case you have children with you, you will need to present a certificate of marital status or their birth certificates.

If you do not have any of these documents, you will need to complete and submit a solemn declaration with the personal information of your children.

*For your convenience, you are advised to address the Ukrainian Embassy in Athens or the Ukrainian Consulate in Thessaloniki. (see: Useful Links)

Unaccompanied Minors
When unaccompanied minors enter Greece, the National Mechanism for Detection and Protection of Unaccompanied Minors of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum is activated.

This means that unaccompanied minors will be transferred to special emergency accommodation facilities and will have to follow the relevant identification and guardianship procedure. 

To avoid this, adult Ukrainian relatives should be present at the point of entry (e.g., in Promahonas) upon the arrival of the unaccompanied minor(s) they are going to receive and care for.

They will also have to carry the necessary documentation:
– Proving the family relationship with the minor
– Showing the consent of the parents of the minor to them being taken care of by the receiving relative.

Following an assessment by the authorities and the partners of the National Mechanism, adult relatives will be able to take care of their minor relative.

For more information, please call: 0030 2132128888 (24-hour line), or send an e-mail to ssuam.tracing@mi-gration.gov.gr

Taking your first steps in Greece
Below are the recommended steps one should take after arriving in Greece, presented in brief (for more information, please visit the relevant sections):  

1. You should have your passport stamped or acquire an official transit note by the Greek Police.

2. Within 90 days, you should apply for temporary protection through the relevant website.

3. Then, visit the Regional Office of the Asylum Service that you chose for making an appointment during the temporary protection online application, at the date & time specified (together with all members registered in the application form)
*You should apply as soon as possible, given that in this way you will be able to acquire VAT (AFM) and Social Security (AMKA) numbers, which are necessary for doing various things in Greece, such as securing employment, opening a bank account, renting a house, and more.

4. After you get a VAT (AFM) number, you have to activate your TAXISnet numbers.

5. To secure work, rent an apartment, etc., you will need to have your VAT certificate issued.

6. Open a bank account.
*In case you have come here with a private vehicle, and you do not possess a green card, it is also necessary to have it insured within 30 days.
*In case you have come together with your children, or other minors, you can/should enrol them in the public school of your neighbourhood immediately.

What is the EU Temporary Protection Directive?
The Temporary Protection Directive is an exceptional measure of the EU in the event of a mass influx or imminent mass influx of displaced persons from non-EU countries into the European Union.

It was adopted in 2001 to address situations with which the standard asylum system might be unable to cope efficiently. 

The directive was triggered for the first time by the Council of Europe in 24 February 2022, to provide assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The Temporary Protection Directive is an exceptional measure of the EU in the event of a mass influx or imminent mass influx of displaced persons from non-EU countries into the European Union.

It was adopted in 2001 to address situations with which the standard asylum system might be unable to cope efficiently. 

The directive was triggered for the first time by the Council of Europe in 24 February 2022, to provide assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

While the directive is in effect, eligible beneficiaries of temporary protection have inter alia the right to:
• Immediate and temporary protection in any EU country (apart from Denmark). 
• A residence permit for the entire duration of the protection (which can last from one year to three years).
• Move to another EU country, before the issuance of a residence permit.
• Move freely in EU countries (other than the Member State of residence), for 90 days within a 180-day period, after a residence permit in the host EU country is issued.
• Access to employment, subject to rules applicable to the profession and to national labour market policies and general conditions of employment.
• Access to suitable accommodation or housing.
• Access to social welfare or means of subsistence if necessary.
• Access to medical care.
• Access to education for persons under 18 years to the state education SYSTEM.
• Access to banking services.
• Opportunities for families to reunite in certain circumstances.
• Guarantees for access to the asylum procedure (see the relevant question below).

For more in-depth information on the temporary protection directive, please visit the official EU website: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/migration-and-asylum/common-european-asylum-system/temporary-protection_en

Am I eligible for temporary protection? 
You are eligible for temporary protection if:
1. You have Ukrainian nationality and left Ukraine after 26 November 2021.
2. You do not have Ukrainian nationality but:
a. You were a recognised by Ukraine refugee, living in Ukraine on 23 February 2022
b. You had a valid Ukrainian residence permit on 23 February 2022
3. You are a family member of someone covered by the above and you were living in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, provided the family existed before 23 February 2022 and before the displacement.

I am not eligible for temporary protection, what should I do?
You can apply for international protection (asylum) following the normal procedures. For more information, please visit:  https://help.unhcr.org/greece/uk/applying-for-asylum/

How to apply for temporary protection?
The Temporary Protection Status is granted automatically to all eligible persons entering Greece, following the necessary procedures.

To apply for it, you have to:
1. Access the Website of the ministry of migration: https://migration.gov.gr.
2. Press on ‘e-services’ at the top right
3. Press temporary protection

Follow the detailed instructions provided by the ministry in Greek, English, and Ukrainian.

Attention! Please note that:
You will need to provide a valid email address that you can access, where you will get a One-Time-Password each time you Login to the service.
You will be given an appointment to a Regional Asylum Office at a location of your choosing. You will have to go there in person to register.  

Eligible locations include Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, and Crete.

*You should ask for a receipt of the appointment in the relevant field. If you do so, you will receive a receipt to the e-mail address you have provided.

You may include up to 10 members in your request.

Attention: If you have already entered your personal details, it does not allow you to re-enter them.
*For applying for children and minors, see the relevant section.
**The appointment is the same for all members of the application.

The temporary protection covers your legal residence in Greece for at least one year. For any issue regarding your appointment, you should send an email to tp-support@migration.gov.gr.

Children / Minors
In order for children and minors to receive the temporary protection status, you will have to include them in your own online pre-registration (you may include up to 10 members in your request), and subsequently have them accompany you at the Regional Asylum Office.

Minors are ineligible to receive a VAT number (AFM) in Greece, thus their temporary protection card is going to include only their Social Security number (AMKA).

*For unaccompanied minors aged 15-18, please see the relevant section (entering Greece: Unaccompanied Minors) 

IMPORTANT!

If one of your children arrives in Greece at a later date than yourself, and you have already stamped your own passport and/or gone through temporary protection pre-registration, you will not be able to add another member / change your pre-registration information.

 In this case, you have the following options:

• Use another adult family members’ passport or service note to register the minor that arrived later.
• If you have the necessary documentation proving the family relationship or kinship, you can register the additional member without an appointment when you arrive at the service point (Regional Asylum Office).

Activate your TAXISnet numbers
 TAXISnet is an information system through which taxpayers and businesses can interact with the General Secretariat for Information Systems.  By creating a TAXISnet account, you can access not only tax services, but also many other services provided by public administration and by the Single Digital Gateway ‘gov.gr’.

To activate you TAXISnet numbers you first have to acquire a VAT and a Social Security number, through applying for temporary protection online (see relevant section). 

After you have acquired these numbers, you have to visit the MyAADE website. Due to the website being available only in Greek, below is a  guide facilitating the procedure.

Have your VAT certificate issued
There is a difference between acquiring a tax registration number (VAT/ΑΦΜ) and having your VAT certificate issued.

The VAT number is written on your temporary protection card and is acquired automatically upon visiting a Regional Asylum Office and receiving the temporary protection status.

To have your VAT certificate issued, you first need to have activated your TAXISnet numbers, and to have a TAXISnet username as well as password. Then you need to follow an additional procedure. Doing so is necessary if you wish to work in Greece, rent an apartment, and various other things.

The procedure to have your VAT certificate issued online is complicated. Alternatively, you can visit the relevant Tax Office (based on the address you have provided at temporary protection registration) in person, preferably together with someone who speaks Greek, or English.  

If you would rather to have it issued online, please follow the guide provided below:

IMPORTANT! During the online procedure, you will need to upload a complete D21O application form, which is only available in Greek.
To facilitate this process, please follow the next guide:

Open a bank account
To open a bank account, please follow the instructions provided by the ministry:

You may go to any Greek bank to open an account having with you the following documents:
1. The Temporary Protection Residence Permit
2.a. An Accommodation verification document such as a water or electricity bill
b. In case you are accommodated in an open facility of the Ministry or in an NGO accommodation: you need the certificate of residence address.
* To download the certification, please click here
c. In case you are offered accommodation by a private landlord, he/she will need to sign a solemn declaration, confirming the hosting.
* The certificate must be signed either by a competent official of the Ministry of Migration and Asy-lum or by an NGO representative registered in the Register of the Ministry.

Due to the certification being available only in Greek, below is a picture facilitating the procedure: