Information guide for international students, not individual legal, tax or medical advice. Check requirements, amounts and procedures with the competent source before acting.
Operational framework
In Greece, citizenship, duration, course and work determine different procedures. For an Italian the path starts from an EU registration certificate with the competent police authority for stays over three months, with registration, resources and coverage; for a non-EU citizen from a national visa and residence permit for study according to the Migration Code. The sections separate the cases and indicate tests and risks.
First three months
Rule:The EU citizen enters and stays with a valid identity card or passport.
What to do:Keep proof of entry and prepare the route for over three months.
Operational verification:Link the rule to the current source, your category, and dated proof; note the deadline and competent authority.
EU registration
Rule:The student demonstrates registration, resources and insurance at the competent police office for more than three months.
What to do:Present yourself in person after the first three months according to local instructions and keep the certificate.
Operational verification:Check identity, complete document, territory and receipt. Don’t rely on verbal confirmation.
Competence
Rule:Attica, Thessaloniki and the rest of the country use different offices.
What to do:Verify authority by address before paying e-paravolo or booking.
Operational verification:Enter the passage in the calendar with cost, deadline and alternative plan in case of delay.
Extra-EU
Rule:The route combines national visa and residence permit for study with Migration Code requirements.
What to do:Check consulate, course, funds, insurance and electronic application/appointment.
Operational verification:Review the point when your course, major, duration, job or insurance changes.
AFM
Rule:The tax code is used for rent, work, banking and taxes but does not attribute residence.
What to do:Request it through AADE with address and representation only when necessary.
Operational verification:Link the rule to the current source, your category, and dated proof; note the deadline and competent authority.
AMKA
Rule:The social security number is related to healthcare and employment, distinct from AFM and permit.
What to do:Follow e-EFKA and do not buy numbers from intermediaries.
Operational verification:Check identity, complete document, territory and receipt. Don’t rely on verbal confirmation.
Documents
Rule:Foreign documents may require apostilles/legalization and official translation.
What to do:Check authority and validity before departure.
Operational verification:Enter the passage in the calendar with cost, deadline and alternative plan in case of delay.
Renewal
Rule:Non-EU must maintain enrollment, progress, funding and coverage.
What to do:Act before the deadline and retain proof of submission.
Operational verification:Review the point when your course, major, duration, job or insurance changes.
How to manage a practice without losing control
Treat each application as an evidentiary file. Create an index with requirement, document, issuing authority, date, translation and page. Before sending, compare your passport, form, CV, offer/CoE and previous entries: names, dates and activities must tell the same story. If an answer does not fit the field, attach a numbered note that specifically addresses the question. Don’t upload dozens of files without explanation or rename a document in a deceptive way.
Keep an immutable copy of the submitted package and a separate working folder. Record receipt, application number, deadlines and messages. Communications often arrive in the portal before the email; check it regularly. A request for information should not be construed as a refusal, but the response must be complete, timely and to the point. If you can’t get a document, demonstrate attempts and ask for instructions - don’t invent substitutes.
When you really need a professional
A standard, documented case can be handled by reading the official instructions. Seek regulated advice when you have refusals or cancellations, unlawful status, criminal record, relevant medical conditions, complex family members, incorrect information already submitted, material change of route or imminent deadlines. Verify license and identity in the official register, sign a written engagement with scope, fees and document management and pay on a verified professional account.
Ask the advisor to distinguish law, policy, practice and your risk assessment. No one can guarantee concession or timing. Maintain access to the portal and receive a copy of every communication. If a strategy requires omitting a fact, creating a relationship or showing money that isn’t actually available, stop: the risk of false information can outweigh the problem you wanted to hide.
Final check before each shipment
Reread the question as a decision maker who doesn’t know you. Check validity of passport, quality of scans, translations, signature, payment and deadline time zone. Check that links and contacts are official, that the card allows the operation and that the receipt is saved. After submitting, do not change your life based solely on the expectation of approval: maintain existing status, registration, insurance and conditions until a new decision produces effects.
EU-student registration procedure
An EU/EEA/Swiss student staying beyond three months applies in person to the competent Hellenic Police office. Prepare valid ID and copy, three 4×4 colour photographs, Greek address evidence, enrolment at an approved institution, a declaration or other evidence of sufficient resources, and comprehensive health cover. The published fee is €0.50 through e-Paravolo code 2045. The certificate has indefinite validity, but the underlying EU residence right still depends on continuing to meet the conditions.
Non-EU student procedure
After the appropriate national study visa, the first residence-permit application is filed online in the correct category. Upload passport, visa, admission/enrolment, funds, insurance, fees and category documents. Successful filing produces a receipt and application certificate, not the final residence card. Keep the entire upload, payment, application number and requests for further evidence. Renewal can normally be started up to two months before expiry. AFM is a tax number; AMKA/e-EFKA concern social security. Neither replaces immigration status.
Official sources
Verified: 2026-08-22.