What is the difference between the tax number (AFM) and the social security number (AMKA)?

The tax number (AFM) is used for leases, banking and payroll. The social security number (AMKA) connects the person to healthcare and insurance contributions. Most people need both, and in that order.

Can we start any of the settling-in admin before arrival?

Some of it. Document gathering, translations, school shortlisting and bank pre-checks all happen before the flight, which is why the first weeks go faster.

Do spouses and children need their own numbers?

Yes. Family members generally need their own tax number (AFM) and social security number (AMKA) for healthcare, schooling and any income of their own.

How do international schools work in Athens?

There are public, private Greek, bilingual and international options, with very different fees, curricula and admission windows. Popular schools fill early, so this should start well before the move date.

Is settling in included with the immigration service?

It's a defined part of the package rather than a favour we squeeze in. We set out in writing what's included and what costs extra before you sign.

← All servicesRelocation & settling in

Housing, paperwork and the first month, on the ground in Greece

Relocation support covers everything around the permit: finding and leasing a home, then the tax number (AFM), social security number (AMKA), bank account, healthcare and school enrolment. The permit is only half the move — renting in Athens without an AFM, a local guarantor or the language is where relocations quietly stall.

We search, view, negotiate and sign alongside your employee
Landlords filtered for those who accept newly arrived foreign tenants
Tax number (AFM), social security number (AMKA), bank account, healthcare and schools for the employee and their family

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Also on this page:Settling in: tax number (AFM), social security (AMKA), banking, schools

A modern Athens apartment building with glass balconies, warm wood panels and plants on the terraces

Before you commit, you get the scope and a fixed fee in writing. Licensed Greek counsel handles the legal work wherever the law requires it, and one team stays with the case from the permit to settling in, with every step visible in your HR dashboard.

What relocation support covers

Needs brief and budget

Commute, schools, neighbourhood character, pets, furnishing and budget — captured once, so the shortlist is genuinely relevant.

Market search beyond the portals

Listing platforms, agency stock and local networks, filtered for landlords who actually accept a newly arrived foreign tenant.

Accompanied or video viewings

We attend in person for employees still abroad, film the flat, and flag the things photos hide — noise, damp, heating, building condition.

Lease negotiation and review

Terms, deposit, duration, indexation, exit clauses and utilities checked before signature, with the Greek lease explained line by line.

Signing and registration

Lease signature, deposit handling and electronic submission of the lease to the tax authority, which the residence permit file will need.

Move-in logistics

Utilities, internet, movers and shipping coordination so the first week is about the job, not the boiler.

How the process runs

01Week 1
Brief and shortlist
A 30-minute intake with the employee, then a shortlist of properties matched to budget, commute and family needs.
02Weeks 1–3
Viewings
Accompanied viewings in person or by video, with honest write-ups after each one.
03Days after selection
Offer and negotiation
We put the offer to the landlord, negotiate terms and deposit, and review the draft lease before anyone commits.
04Move-in week
Signature and handover
Lease signing, deposit, meter readings, keys, and the lease declaration filed with the tax authority.
05First month
Settling in
Utilities, internet and the tax number (AFM), social security (AMKA), banking and schools track handled in parallel — see Settling in below.

What landlords usually ask for

5 documents · click to open the list

Passport or ID of the tenant
Greek tax number (AFM) — we obtain it if the employee doesn't have one
Proof of income or an employer letter confirming the contract
Deposit, commonly one to two months' rent
Bank account details for standing payments

Landlord requirements vary by property, location and the tenant's employment and financial profile. We confirm what's needed before viewings and before any commitment is made.

Settling in

Tax number (AFM), social security (AMKA), banking, schools — the part nobody warns you about

A residence permit doesn't open a bank account, register a child at school or get anyone into the healthcare system. This is the admin layer where new arrivals lose weeks — handled locally, in person, for the employee and their family.

What settling-in covers

Greek tax number (AFM)

Required for a lease, a bank account, a phone contract and payroll. We prepare the file and handle the tax office, including for family members.

Social security (AMKA) registration

The social security number (AMKA) that unlocks public healthcare and correct payroll contributions, with the documents each office actually asks for.

Bank account opening

Greek banks vary widely in what they accept from newly arrived foreign nationals. We prepare the pack and go with the employee.

Healthcare and doctors

Public system registration, plus guidance on private cover and English-speaking doctors, paediatricians and hospitals.

Schools and childcare

Public, private, international and bilingual options by neighbourhood, with realistic advice on fees, waiting lists and admission timing.

Daily-life setup

Mobile plans, utilities, transport cards, driving licence exchange and the government portals everything runs through.

How settling in runs

01
Arrival checklist
Before arrival
A sequenced plan per person, because these steps typically depend on each other — the tax number (AFM) usually before the lease, lease usually before some bank accounts. The exact order is adjusted to the employee's circumstances and each authority or provider's requirements.
02
Tax and social security
First 2 weeks
Tax number (AFM) issued, social security (AMKA) registered, and payroll given what it needs to run the first salary on time.
03
Banking and utilities
Weeks 2–4
Bank account opened where the employee's profile is accepted, utilities and internet in the employee's name, standing payments set up.
04
Family and schools
Aligned to term dates
School shortlist, applications and enrolment support, plus healthcare registration for spouse and children.
05
Ongoing support
Ongoing
Renewals, address changes, driving licence exchange and the questions that only appear in month three.

What to have ready

Passport and residence permit or blue receipt
Registered lease or proof of address
Employment contract and employer details
Birth and marriage certificates for family cases, translated and apostilled
Previous school records for children, translated where required

Exact requirements vary by municipality, tax office, bank and each person's employment and family situation. We confirm your list before any appointment is booked.

Questions we get asked

Do you cover cities outside Athens?

Yes — Athens in person, and elsewhere in Greece, including Thessaloniki and the islands, with local partners where the employer has a site. Availability and pricing differ sharply by location, and we say so before you commit.

Can you find housing before the permit is issued?

Often yes, and sometimes you should: the residence permit file benefits from a registered lease. We sequence the two so neither blocks the other.

Does the employee need a Greek tax number (AFM) to rent?

In practice yes, because the lease is declared electronically to the tax authority. Obtaining the Greek tax number (AFM) is part of our settling-in service.

What about temporary accommodation on arrival?

We arrange short-term housing to bridge the gap when the permanent flat isn't ready, so nobody signs a bad twelve-month lease under time pressure.

Who pays the agency fee?

In the Greek market the tenant commonly pays the letting agent a fee, typically around one month's rent plus VAT. We tell you upfront what a given property will cost in total.

Another question? See all our FAQs

Moving someone to Athens?

Tell us the budget, the start date and who's coming. We'll tell you what that gets in the current market, and what your arriving employee and their family will need, in order.

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