Visa Info & Residence Permit

VISA AND RESIDENCE PERMIT GUIDE FOR ERASMUS+/INTERNATIONAL CREDIT MOBILITY STUDENTS

Visa Types

Schengen Visa Type C: this visa type allows you to stay for less than 3-months period in Greece and/or the Schengen Area.

National Visa Type D: this visa type allows you to stay for more than 3-months and apply for a Residence Permit equal to your duration of studies.

All third-country nationals are obliged to have a visa before entering the Greek territory.

If your passport is from a country outside the EU/EEA and wish to spend a semester at the University of West Attica, then you will need to apply for a Student Visa (national visa type D) and after your admission to Greece for a Residence Permit.

You can download here the Visa and Residence Permit Guide for Students, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Visa Issuance Process

The Erasmus+ office of the University of West Attica, will issue an Invitation Letter for visa issuance for the participant student.

In case the respective Consular Office/Embassy requires the original document, the Erasmus+ office will send it by registered post.

The participant student needs to gather the documents needed for an application for a national visa type D, as mentioned in the Visa and Residence Permit Guide for Students, or according to the guidelines of the respective Consular Office/Embassy. Then the student will schedule an appointment for submitting their application’s documents and/or an interview for visa issuance.

Residence Permit (issued by the Decentralized Administration)

After your admission to Greece, you need to apply for a Residence Permit in the Decentralized Administration.

Duration: Equal to the duration of studies/grant

1. Photocopy of a valid passport or a travel document recognized by Greece
2. National visa type D
3. Certificate of Insurance covering the costs of hospitalization and medical care in Greece and/or Schengen Area translated in Greek, by a Greek accredited lawyer or the official Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs*
4. Certificate of the Receiving Institution for the duration of the program and the granted scholarship (issued by the Erasmus+ office of UniWA in Greek)
5. Evidence that he/she has sufficient resources, including the scholarship, without providing dependent work or engaging in independent economic activities to cover study and living expenses (for example, you can provide a recent Bank Statement)
6. Grant Agreement between the student and the University of West Attica in Greek
7. Supporting documents for issuance of the Residence Permit Card:

1. Four (4) recent, colored, passport type photos (40×60 mm without frame/high resolution/on white background/neutral expression etc.) + in digital format (CD) in JPEG 2000 graphic format
2. Administrative fee of 16 € (e-payment/ code 2119). For issuing the administrative fee online, visit: https://www1.gsis.gr/sgsisapps/eparavolo/public/welcome.htm?langId=2
3. An official public document of the country of birth or origin officially certified and translated* from which the place of birth is clearly stated. The translation must also indicate the place of birth in Latin characters (presented only if the passport does not show the place of birth in Latin characters)

PROCESS

Once the applicant enters Greece, he/she needs to send an email to the relevant authority, according to the place of residence in Athens, Greece. Please note that you need to know the exact address (and the Postal Code of your residence in Athens) in order to send an email to the relevant Decentralized Administration of Attica. The physical presence of the applicant is mandatory before the relevant authority for the process to begin after having booked an appointment via email. The issuing of the Residence Permit Card may take some time. After the successful submission of the documents needed and the collection of biometrical data/fingerprints of the applicant, the respective administration will issue a temporary Blue Certificate to the applicant until the Residence Permit Card is ready.

For information visit: https://www.apdattikis.gov.gr

Category of Residence Permit: 6.3a

*Official Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.mfa.gr/en/citizen-services/translation-service/translation-service.html

Telephone: +30 2103285711 (Monday – Friday 09:00 – 13:00)

Email: idiotikesmetafraseis@mfa.gr

The student needs to contact the Translation Service by email <idiotikesmetafraseis@mfa.gr> to schedule an appointment to submit the documents for translation along with the application for translation. Submission of documents only by appointment and on Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays from 09.00 – 12.45.

Translation Cost per document category and type of document:

https://www.mfa.gr/images/docs/ypiresies/English_analytiko_timologio_eggrafon.pdf

*Please note that the Translation Service only accepts cash.

For any assistance, please refer to your Erasmus+ office.