Subjects are in alphabetical order

CONTENT

- Cars
- Lawyers
- Legalisation of documents (Apostille)
- Official Holidays
- Taxation
- Tourist information
- Translators
- Travel to Greece for non-EU citizens

CARS

Temporary importation of private passenger cars to Greece

All relevant information concerning the procedures and customs duties. Download here.

LAWYERS

Indicative list of lawyers

To see the list, click here.

LEGALISATION OF DOCUMENTS

Legalisation of Documents with Apostille

An apostille is a special seal applied by an authority to certify that a document is a true copy of an original (“legalise” a document). Apostilles are available in countries, which signed the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, popularly known as The Hague Convention. This convention, created in 1961, replaces the time consuming chain certification process used so far, where you had to go to four different authorities to get a document certified.

Greece and Netherlands are both part of the Hague Convention. Thus, documents from one country that carry the apostille seal on them are recognised by the other country.

Consulates cannot “apostille” documents. To get an apostille for an official Greek document you have to go:

a)      to a prefecture authority (Nomarchia)
b)      to a region authority (Periferia)
c)      to a Court of First Instance (Protodikio)

Click on one of the underlined words to find the addresses and phone numbers of these authorities.

For more information concerning the Dutch instances who are competent for legalisation of documents and apostille, have a look at the following information from the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs: in Dutch or English. For health matters (hospital certificates etc.) you should contact RIBIZ (http://www.ribiz.nl/s40contact/)

OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS

The Embassy and the Consular Office will be closed during these days. Click here.

TAXATION

Tax guide for residents abroad

You can find all information about the tax authority concerning residents abroad, the relevant legislation and your obligations. You can download the tax guide here.

ATTENTION: As the government is planning changes in the taxation system, you are advised to check regularly the GSIS webpage (04.04.2010)

TOURIST INFORMATION

For tourist information on Greece, please contact the office of the Greek National Tourist Organisation in Amsterdam: Kerkstraat 61, 1017 GC Amsterdam, tel. 0900–2025905, http://www.gnto.nl

Furthermore, you can visit the official tourism website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism: http://www.visitgreece.gr/, where you can find information about preparing your trip and places worth visiting.

You can also see and share pics on Flickr, share your experiences on Facebook, watch videos about Greece on Youtube and subscribe to a newsletter with the latest information.

TRANSLATORS

Official Translators - Interpreters

Click here in order to see a list of official translators-interpreters.

ATTENTION! Please keep in mind that since 1st January of 2009, Dutch law obliges the translators to register with an official translators/interpreters union, following a certain procedure (more information at http://www.bureaubtv.nl/).

If you need to translate documents for the Dutch authorities, we advise you, before you hire a translator from the above list, to ask him/her if he/she is registered with this union. Depending on your case, it might be a prerequisite for the authorities.

If you need to translate documents for the Greek authorities, you can choose any translator from the list.

For official translators‐interpreters: If your name is not on the list or if you want to change something, please contact us by mail (grcon.hag@mfa.gr), or call us (070–3621780, Monday to Friday, 13.30–15.30)

Travel to Greece for non-EU citizens

Greece, as well as Netherlands, are parties of the Schengen Agreement. This means that non-EU citizens who are living in the Netherlands and have a valid Dutch residence permit are entitled to travel to Greece for a stay up to three months. In this case, you do not need a visa. Or, if you already have a Schengen visa, you can also travel to Greece, as long as the visa is valid.

The following documents are accepted:

- Verblijfsvergunning Regulier Bepaalde Tijd
- Verblijfsvergunning Regulier Onbepaalde Tijd
- Verblijfsvergunning Asiel Regulier Bepaalde Tijd
- Verblijfsvergunning Asiel Onbepaalde Tijd
- Verblijfsvergunning Gemeenschapsonderdanen

For citizens of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) an additional procedure is requested (in this case, please contact the Consular Office).

 Please notice that:

- In order to travel to Greece, aside from the residence permit, you need to present also your passport from your country of origin or, if you do not have it, a valid Dutch reisdocument voor vreemdelingen (please click here for more information).

- To avoid any problem at the inter-Schengen controls, it is recommended that the expiry date of your documents is not too close to the date of your trip.

- The Consular Office does not issue visas. Citizens of non-EU countries without residence permit in the Netherlands can apply for a Schengen Visa only at a Greek consulate in their country of origin.