ELLYTIC Identity

Studying in Greece: administrative overview

Moving to Greece to study means more than enrolling: alongside your academic life, everyday tasks quietly depend on a handful of administrative steps that campus offices rarely handle for you. A Greek tax number (AFM) unlocks a rental contract, a local bank account and any stipend or part-time income, while healthcare access runs through a social-security number (AMKA), and residence formalities differ for EU and non-EU students. Documents issued in your home country often need a certified Greek translation before an authority will accept them. This overview walks through what each of these steps involves, so nothing catches you by surprise part-way through the semester.

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Typical student challenges

renting private accommodation
opening a local bank account
receiving stipends or grants
registering internships or part-time work

Why AFM often appears unexpectedly

landlords require AFM for contracts
banks need AFM for account opening
stipend payments require AFM
internships need AFM registration

How ELLYTIC supports students

fast-track AFM processing
student-friendly pricing options
comprehensive document guidance
remote application handling

Residence formalities and healthcare (AMKA)

EU and EEA students usually register their stay with the local authorities, while non-EU students hold a national student visa or a residence permit tied to their enrolment
Healthcare in Greece is reached through AMKA, the social-security number that public health services and many university clinics ask for before treatment
The AFM (Greek tax number) is issued by AADE and is separate from AMKA, so most students end up needing both numbers for different purposes
AMKA rests rather than deactivates, which means a number issued during your studies stays valid if you return to Greece in the future
Each of these registrations has its own paperwork and issuing office, and this overview describes what the process involves rather than giving tax or legal advice

Banking and document translation

Opening a Greek bank account generally calls for an AFM, a passport or national ID, and proof of your local address such as a rental contract
Enrolment letters, diplomas and civil-status records issued abroad frequently need a certified Greek translation before an office will accept them
Certified translations are signed by sworn translators, so the receiving authority can rely on them without repeating the check itself
Public documents from another country may also need a Hague Apostille (Σφραγίδα της Χάγης) added in the country that issued them
Gathering these documents early, and translating them once, spares you a return trip to the same counter later in the year