Your First 30 Days In Greece: Greek Phone Number, AFM, AMKA, Bank Account & The Order That Matters

You have arrived in Greece. You have a place to live, perhaps a job or a new business, and a suitcase that still needs unpacking.

Then reality sets in.

You need a Greek phone number. A tax number. A bank account. A registered lease. AMKA. Taxisnet. Suddenly, your first few weeks in Greece can feel like a tour of government offices and bank branches.

The good news? You don't necessarily have to do everything after you arrive.

The Greek administrative system is interconnected, and the order in which you complete these steps can make a significant difference. Some things can even be prepared while you are still abroad.

Here's how to approach your first month in Greece.

It might sound like the least important item on the list, but a Greek mobile number is often one of the foundations for getting everything else organised.

Many public services and online procedures require a Greek telephone number, particularly for registrations, verification and communication.

Using a foreign number can sometimes leave you unable to complete a procedure online, meaning you have to visit an office in person instead.

 

The AFM (Αριθμός Φορολογικού Μητρώου) is your Greek tax identification number.

It is one of the most important numbers you will have in Greece and is needed for a wide range of everyday activities, including:

• opening a bank account;
• registering a lease;
• setting up utilities;
• buying or registering a vehicle;
• signing certain contracts;
• dealing with tax matters.

An AFM can also be obtained before you arrive in Greece, in some circumstances, through a power of attorney.

For someone moving from abroad, this can be particularly useful because it means you can start preparing the administrative side of your move before you land.

 

Once you have your AFM, the next important step is gaining access to Taxisnet, Greece's online tax platform.

Taxisnet is used for far more than filing taxes. It provides access to a range of digital government services and is used for processes such as registering and accepting rental agreements and accessing tax information.

Getting your Taxisnet credentials organised early can save you from having to visit offices for procedures that can be completed online.

 

The AMKA is Greece's social security number and is connected to healthcare, employment and certain benefits and services.

However, one important point for newcomers is that AMKA is not necessarily automatic.

Whether and when you can obtain or activate an AMKA depends on your individual status and residence or employment situation.

This is one reason the order of your paperwork matters. Don't assume that you can simply arrive and obtain every Greek administrative number immediately.

 

Opening a Greek bank account is another common priority for newcomers, particularly if you are working in Greece or need to pay rent and household expenses.

Banks generally ask for documentation such as:

• your AFM;
• proof of identity;
• proof of address;
• proof of income or employment;
• your Greek telephone number.

Requirements can vary between banks and even between branches, so it is worth checking what your chosen bank requires before making an appointment.

Some of the groundwork can also be prepared before you arrive, meaning that your account-opening process can potentially be much smoother once you are in Greece.

 

Finding a home is only part of the process.

Your rental agreement needs to be declared electronically through the Greek tax system. The landlord submits the rental declaration and the tenant then accepts it through Taxisnet.

This is important because a properly registered lease can also serve as evidence of your Greek address.

And proof of address is something you will likely need for several other administrative procedures.

A registered rental agreement or, depending on the procedure, a utility bill in your name can provide the proof of address that banks and public authorities require.

A hotel booking or simply giving a friend's address may not be enough for the procedure you are trying to complete.

This is why getting your lease properly registered early can make everything that follows easier.

 

Moving to Greece often involves bringing more than your luggage.

Foreign documents may need to be apostilled and officially translated before they can be used by Greek authorities.

The order matters, too. An incorrectly prepared document can mean going back to the beginning and obtaining it again.

If you are preparing documents before moving, check exactly what is required for your specific procedure. Where relevant, make sure you have the long-form versions of certificates rather than short extracts, and confirm the accepted requirements for apostilles and translations.

 

This is another area where newcomers need to be careful.

Your rights while an application is pending can depend on the specific certificate or document you have been issued at that stage.

This can be particularly important if you are planning to travel outside Greece.

Before booking a flight while your residence application is pending, make sure you understand exactly what your current documentation allows you to do, particularly when it comes to leaving and re-entering Greece.

Yes. Depending on your circumstances, some of the administrative preparation can be handled while you are still abroad.

With an appropriate power of attorney, Nikos can obtain your AFM, arrange Taxisnet access, deal with AMKA where applicable and prepare the groundwork for opening a Greek bank account. 

That means your first weeks in Greece can be spent settling into your new home rather than spending every morning travelling between offices.

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A few mistakes come up repeatedly:

Going to the bank before getting your Greek telephone number and AFM.
You may find yourself returning later with additional documentation.

Signing a lease that is never properly registered.
Without a registered lease, you may struggle to prove your address when another service asks for it.

Assuming AMKA is automatic.
Its availability and timing depend on your individual circumstances.

Trying to use a foreign phone number for everything.
Some registrations and verification processes require a Greek number.

Travelling while your residence application is pending without checking your documents.
Don't assume that having an application pending automatically gives you the same travel rights as having a residence permit.

Arriving with documents that are not correctly prepared.
Missing apostilles, incorrect legalisation or unacceptable translations can create unnecessary delays.

 

Consider two newcomers.

The first arrives with a lease, a job offer and a suitcase full of documents. They spend the next three weeks moving between offices, only to discover that each procedure requires something that should have been obtained through another procedure first.

The second, in almost the same situation, arrives with their AFM, Taxisnet access and much of their banking paperwork already prepared.

Within days, they are largely set up.

The difference isn't necessarily effort.

 

Moving to Greece involves plenty of exciting decisions: where you will live, which neighbourhood will become home, where you will have your first coffee and how quickly you will settle into Greek life.

Administrative paperwork may not be the most exciting part of the move, but getting it right early can make everything else considerably easier.

The key is to understand which steps depend on others and what can be prepared before you arrive.

Greece rewards the well-prepared and makes improvisation considerably more complicated. The right preparation can mean arriving with the groundwork already done, so your first 30 days can be about settling into Greece rather than simply figuring out how to navigate its paperwork.

 

If you are moving to Greece and want to avoid spending your first weeks navigating paperwork and different public services, Nikos Paterakis can help you organise the administrative side of your move, including the steps that can be prepared before you arrive.

To get started, simply send Nikos a short email saying when you hope to arrive, who is moving with you and which steps you would like to have in place before you land, and he can advise you on the next steps. 

You can contact Nikos at info@paterakislegal.com or +30 694 760 1994 (WhatsApp & Viber), or connect with him on LinkedIn. His office is located at 64 Panepistimiou Street, Athens 106 77, 3rd floor.