Greece: Requirements and procedures to obtain permanent residence; rights, obligations, and social benefits available to holders of permanent residence
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 30 June 2014 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GRC104754.E |
| Related Document(s) | Grèce : information sur les exigences et la marche à suivre pour obtenir la résidence permanente; les droits, les obligations et les avantages sociaux des résidents permanents |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Greece: Requirements and procedures to obtain permanent residence; rights, obligations, and social benefits available to holders of permanent residence, 30 June 2014, GRC104754.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53b138e94.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Greece: Immigration Issues 2011, a document written and published as a guide to the visa and residence permit application in Greece, by an Athens-based lawyer who specializes in immigration, indicates that
[a] residence permit is an authorisation issued by the competent Greek authority that grants its holder - a third-country national - the right to legal residence in Greece; It also ensures the right to re-enter our country, providing the holder with a right to free movement within the Schengen area for a period of ninety days during any half-year. (Vardikos & Vardikos 2011, 7)
According to the document, there are different categories of residence permits (ibid.). The Codification of Legislation on the Entry, Residence and Social Integration of Third-Country Nationals on Greek Territory provides information on the different types of residence permits and a copy is attached to this Response (Greece 2005).
According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, residence permits are also issued to persons purchasing real estate in Greece or to individuals making an investment in Greece (ibid. July 2013). A copy of Residence Permit in Greece by Real Estate Acquisition or Strategic Investment: Law 4146/2013 is attached to this Response.
A report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2013 indicates that, according to the Ministry of Interior, the number of new residence permits issued declined between 2009 and 2012: 46,500 having been issued in 2009, 33,400 in 2010, 23,200 in 2011, and 10,400 in 2012 (OECD 2013, 256). The report further states that due to unemployment, more than 150,000 non-EU citizens were unable to renew their residence permits in 2010 and 2011 (ibid.). Further or corroborating information on the residence permit could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Greece. July 2013. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Residence Permit in Greece by Real Estate Acquisition or Strategic Investment: Law 4146/2013. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2014]
_____. 2005 (amended 2009). Codification of Legislation on the Entry, Residence and Social Integration of Third-Country Nationals on Greek Territory. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2014]
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 2013. "Greece." International Migration Outlook 2013. [Accessed 30 Jan. 2014]
Vardikos & Vardikos. 2011. Greece: Immigration Issues 2011. [Accessed 30 Jan. 2014]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Embassy of Canada to Greece in Athens; Greece - embassies of Greece in Ottawa and Washington, DC, Ministry of Interior; Greek Council for Refugees. An academic of the Penteion University in Athens was unable to provide information on the requirements and procedures to obtain permanent residence in Greece.
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Balkan Human Rights Web; Balkan Insight; Canadian Institute in Greece; Constandinidou International Family Law; Council of Europe; ecoi.net; European Commission; European Ombudsman; European Parliament; EUR-lex; Factiva; Freedom House; Greece - embassies of Greece in Ottawa and Washington, DC, Ermis.gov.gr; Greek Ombudsman, Ministry of Interior; Greek Council for Refugees; Hellenic Migration Policy Institute; Hellenic Resources Network; Human Rights Watch; Invest in Greece Agency; Legislationline; Minority Rights Group International; Pro Asyl; Social Science Research Network; United Nations - Refworld, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; United States - Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Athens; World Council for Hellenes Abroad.
Attachments
1. Greece. July 2013. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Residence Permit in Greece by Real Estate Acquisition or Strategic Investment: Law 4146/2013. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2014]
2. Greece. 2005 (amended 2009). Codification of Legislation on the Entry, Residence and Social Integration of Third-Country Nationals on Greek Territory. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2014]
