Greece Long Stay Category D Visa

[touchngo]

This is just a post so that those who are interested know that it is possible to get a 12 Month Visa to visit Greece.

We are a Kiwi and a Brit/Ozzie currently cruising our boat in the Med and have wintered in Turkey (where we obtained Residency).

Last year we cruised in Greece but ran into the Schengen 90 day issue, but did meet some cruisers who had tried to use NZ's Bilateral agreements with the Med countries to get 90 days in Greece, 90 in Italy, 90 in France etc...

Prior to starting our cruise, we had attempted to get this via the Greece embassy in Abu Dhabi (we were working in the UAE) but had got nowhere. So we began the process again by contacting the Greece Embassy in Australia (as there is no longer a Consulate in NZ apparently) and were told that yes, it was possible to get a Long Stay Visa, and here is what is required;
"Further to your emails, please note that in order to apply for a long stay visa (national visa type D) as finantially independent persons (the type of visa I assume you will be applying for unless otherwise specified)
you have to provide the following:


-Visa Application Form duly filled in (www.mfa.gr/australia, visa, application form)
-1 photograph, recent
-current passport (valid for at least 1 year)
-financial documentation - proof of montly income (primary visa holder) of 3.000,00 AUD. The amount to be increase by 20% per accompanying family member (spouse, children)
Such documents are: Tax Declaration Forms of the past 2 years, bank/credit card statements of the past 6 months, etc.
If accompanied by spouse, Marriage Certificate, if by children, birth certificates. Please note that, in cases of de facto relationships, each applicant applies for a primary visa holder.
-National Police Clearance
-Health insurance to cover you overseas for at least the duration of the visa (1 year). Minimum coverage for repatriation & medical emergencies
-Airline ticket (or reservation)
-Fee of the equivalent amount of 180 euro to be paid in cash in AUD
-Medical certificate (Form for your doctor to fill in also available on line)

We may only process applications 3 months in advance of your trip, at the earliest"

Armed with this knowledge we contacted the Greece Embassy here in Turkey who instructed us to deal with the Consulate in Izmir, and when we contacted them, they faxed us slightly similar requirements;

- Application Form (see here. National Visas - Visas)
- Current Passport
- 2 Photo's
- Medical Clearance Certificate (see here for the template. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8LvlsA&cad=rja)
- Police Report
- Health Insurance
- Bank Statements (proving that you have a minimum of EUR 22,000)


We duly booked an appointment (Wednesday's only) and drove up to Izmir with all the docs.

So, we now have Visa's to allow us to cruise Greece for the next 12 months, that allow us to come and go, and can be renewed in Greece at the end of the 12 months and more importantly, that do not impact on any Schengen travel we may opt to do (ie. If we decide to visit Italy).

So.... If it's easy enough for a Kiwi and an Aussie to do, I'm thinking you might just find it is easy enough for most of the rest of you.

Cheers, PT

[Budawang]

Hi Touchngo, I know it's been over two years since you posted this but I'd like to know how your Greek national visa worked out. Were you able to renew it? Do the same rules still apply? Is it true that time in Greece under their national visa doesn't count as time spent in the Schengen area? Thanks.

[touchngo]

Originally Posted by Budawang

Hi Touchngo, I know it's been over two years since you posted this but I'd like to know how your Greek national visa worked out. Were you able to renew it? Do the same rules still apply? Is it true that time in Greece under their national visa doesn't count as time spent in the Schengen area? Thanks.

Hi Budawang.

We did it and over the last two years we have met a number of others that have done it to. Extending the visa is not possible (at least it wasn't for us) but you can apply for a temporary residence visa once you arrive in Greece. The immigration office in Agios Nikoloas in Crete is familiar with this process and we know of one couple who have done this. Sadly we fell foul of a Greek law that prevents the skipper of a non EU flagged vessel from using the vessel for more that 6 months in every 12 months, if the Skipper is 'resident' in the EU. The customs officials deemed a Cat D Long Stay Visa 'residence' in spite of the fact that it mentions that you may apply for a temporary residence visa upon arrival (why would you apply for temporary residence if you are already considered resident?). Sadly we had neither time, funds nor inclanation to fight this interpretation and managed to persuade them that our time in the Marina over winter constituted 'out of use'. We cleared out and sailed up to Croatia. The boat is now back in Greece but on the hard and the TL has been deposited with Customs and is considered as 'in bond' so the TO clock has been effectively stopped. If your vessel is VAT paid, you will not have this issue and the Cat D visa and subsequent Temporary Residence visa would work fine.

Hope this helps.

Cheers PT

[touchngo]

Originally Posted by touchngo

Hi Budawang.

We did it and over the last two years we have met a number of others that have done it to. Extending the visa is not possible (at least it wasn't for us) but you can apply for a temporary residence visa once you arrive in Greece. The immigration office in Agios Nikoloas in Crete is familiar with this process and we know of one couple who have done this. Sadly we fell foul of a Greek law that prevents the skipper of a non EU flagged vessel from using the vessel for more that 6 months in every 12 months, if the Skipper is 'resident' in the EU. The customs officials deemed a Cat D Long Stay Visa 'residence' in spite of the fact that it mentions that you may apply for a temporary residence visa upon arrival (why would you apply for temporary residence if you are already considered resident?). Sadly we had neither time, funds nor inclanation to fight this interpretation and managed to persuade them that our time in the Marina over winter constituted 'out of use'. We cleared out and sailed up to Croatia. The boat is now back in Greece but on the hard and the TL has been deposited with Customs and is considered as 'in bond' so the TO clock has been effectively stopped. If your vessel is VAT paid, you will not have this issue and the Cat D visa and subsequent Temporary Residence visa would work fine.

Hope this helps.

Cheers PT

TI not TO. Damn Autocorrect [emoji34]

Btw. This has no effect on your Schengen time. We cleared out and were back in Greece on Schengen Visas less than 60 days later with no problems at all.

[Doug Gray]

Many thanks for this information you posted, one question, when you filled in the required paper work what did you use as the residential address as you will be on a yacht that will be going from port to port.
Is there anyone else out there that has any experience with this question
Regards
Doug