N.U.in Greece Visa Guide 2019 Non-U.S. Citizens Please check with the Greek consular authority in your region (https://www.mfa.gr/en/appendix/greece-bilateral-relations/a.html) for the most updated Greek visa requirements and processes. The information listed below is intended as informational guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Please note that the process for attaining a visa can take 6-12 weeks, or longer, so please plan accordingly. General Visa Information for Non-U.S. Citizens EEA/EU Nationals and Swiss Citizens EU nationals and citizens of Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland may freely reside in Greece during the program. The only requirement for lawful residence in Greece is the possession of a valid EEA/EU or Swiss passport. EEA/EU and Swiss nationals who wish to stay and work in Greece for more than three (3) months are provided with an EU national registration certificate, for an indefinite period of time, from the police authorities in Greece. EU national students with the N.U.in Greece Program who will be in Greece for longer than three months need to go through this process. Once students arrive on site, ACT will be able to provide guidance for completing this process. Visa-required Nationals Before travelling to Greece, visa-required nationals may need to apply for a visa for Greece from the Greek Embassy or Greek Consulate of the country of their residence. Please note that the type of visa required may depend on your nationality and your duration of the stay in Greece. If you are a U.S. citizen, please review the visa guide for U.S. citizens. The Greek Embassy website lists all nationalities and indicates whether they will need a visa or not: http://www.mfa.gr/en/visas/visas-for-foreigners-traveling-to-greece/countries-requiring-or-not-requiringvisa.html. Please check with the consulate in your city/country (https://www.mfa.gr/en/appendix/greece-bilateralrelations/a.html) to determine what type of visa you need and the specific process of attaining a visa, as the process differs by consulate. Please note that the process for attaining a visa can take 6-12 weeks at some consulates, so begin the process as soon as possible. Please note that processing timeframes are at the sole discretion of the consular authority and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
U.S. Permanent Residents U.S. Permanent Residents may need to apply for a visa, depending on the passport that they hold. To determine whether or not you will need a visa, please visit the following link, which indicates which nationalities are required to obtain a visa before entering Greece: http://www.mfa.gr/en/visas/visas-forforeigners-traveling-to-greece/countries-requiring-or-not-requiring-visa.html. Type of Visa Please check with the Greek consulate in your region (https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/about-us.html) to determine whether or not you need to apply for a visa and for the most updated Greek visa requirements and processes. The type of visa for which you will need to apply will depend on your citizenship and your length of stay in Greece/the Schengen area (http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countrieslist/). Students who will not be in Greece or in the Schengen area for a period longer than 90 days over a period of 180 days may be eligible to enter Greece with a Schengen Visa. The N.U.in Greece program is less than 90 days. Students who will be in Greece or in the Schengen area for a period longer than 90 days over a period of 180 days this includes students who plan to travel before or after the N.U.in Program or have traveled within the Schengen area in the past 180 days will need to apply for a long-term National Student Visa (also called Type-D Student Visa). The National visa allows visa-required nationals to enter and remain in Greece for a period longer than 90 days and up to 365 days. Students who must apply for the National visa will also need to apply for a residence permit after they have arrived in Greece, with the support of staff on site. Documents Required for National/Type-D Visa All students who apply for a National/Type-D Visa will need both a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) and a Letter of Support (LOS) from Northeastern University. When students identify that they need a National Type-D Visa, they must complete the following online form with all necessary information: https://neu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/sv_23pip5f87ct8rsj. Please also send a follow up email to the Assistant Director of N.U.in after submitting the online form to notify them that you are actively seeking to apply for the visa to Greece and confirm that you have submitted the online form. You also need to submit, using your student portal, a copy of your passport information page, indicating all biographical data. If your passport includes biographical data on multiple pages, please be sure to submit copies of all relevant pages. The N.U.in Boston staff will contact ACT to obtain the LOA on behalf of the student. The LOA will then be mailed to the student s mailing address listed in the above online form. Please note that the LOA needs to 2
be processed by the Greek government, so it may take 2-3 weeks to obtain. The Letter of Support (LOS) will be emailed to the student s Husky email address within 7 days of receiving the request. It is likely that students will need to submit their visa application in person at the consular authority with jurisdiction over their permanent residence. Please make sure to consult the website of the consulate responsible for your region to confirm the most up-to-date process and documents required. Residence Permit Process Students who obtained a Type-D visa to enter Greece and, for the purpose of study, will remain in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days from the date of entry into the Schengen Area with the visa will also need to apply for a Residence Permit once they are in Greece. The Residence Permit process will be undertaken once students are in Greece, with support from the ACT Student Services Coordinator. The following list of requirements is not exhaustive, and is subject to change, so please be sure to work closely with the ACT Student Services Coordinator as you move through the Residence Permit process. Residence Permit Requirements Required Documents/Processes Approximate Cost Valid passport Students holding passports that do not state the holder's town of birth in Latin characters must submit an official certificate of their town of birth. The certificate must be accompanied by a legalized translation into Greek stating the town of birth in both Greek and Latin characters. Proof of Social Security Card, or similar Tax Identification Number Students should bring a copy of this with them to Greece so that it is easily accessible Proof of Permanent Address 3
A copy of an official ID card, document or bill showing your permanent residential address. Passport Photos ~$15 Greek Health Insurance ACT will help students to obtain this upon arrival in Greece ~$145 for insurance Greek Bank Account ACT will help students to open this upon arrival in Greece Students will need to deposit 500 Euro in the account to open it, which they will then be able to use while in Greece, or withdraw following receipt of the Residence Permit Students should have access to cash through an ATM card or other means, so as to be able to easily withdraw the money needed to open the account ~$600 in cash initially, but students will be able to access this money during the semester and get it back after obtaining Residence Permit Residence Permit Application ~$200 in cash Meetings ACT will have an initial meeting with students about the Residence Permit Process during orientation Following orientation, students will be expected to fulfill appointments to open the bank account, pick up the certificate, etc. Students should monitor their Husky email upon arrival in Greece for further information about these meetings. 4
Important Reminders This document has been prepared based on the information and links provided by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Northeastern University and ACT have no influence on the outcome of immigration applications and no ability to contact the MFA to inquire about an individual visa application or residence permit application, or expedite the process for an individual student. In addition, N.U.in employees are unable to provide advice to students or families concerning visa requirements and/or application processes. Students are responsible for completing their visa application correctly and in an effective manner, and for obtaining a valid visa prior to the program start date. If the student cannot obtain a valid visa in time for the program start date, please refer to the N.U.in Withdrawal Policy and contact the N.U.in office to discuss next steps. 5