Working/Living in Greece

[edessa]

Hello all
As a young greek australian i would be very interested in working/living in greece for a few years once i finish my tertiary studies. How different is living in greece than to actually holidaying there? I have heard conflicting reports, both positive and negative about this issue, some saying i would be back home in 2months. Can members with experience in this issue help me out here...
Also, has anyone here done the army? What is the criteria for people born in the diaspora to greek parents? I heard somewhere that if i stay in Greece longer than 6 months i would automatically be declared a citizen and would have to do the army for a period of 3 to 6 months. Is this true?
I would be prepared to do the army if necessary, can anyone tell me what it is like?

[Titus]

Hello all
As a young greek australian i would be very interested in working/living in greece for a few years once i finish my tertiary studies. How different is living in greece than to actually holidaying there? I have heard conflicting reports, both positive and negative about this issue, some saying i would be back home in 2months. Can members with experience in this issue help me out here...
Also, has anyone here done the army? What is the criteria for people born in the diaspora to greek parents? I heard somewhere that if i stay in Greece longer than 6 months i would automatically be declared a citizen and would have to do the army for a period of 3 to 6 months. Is this true?
I would be prepared to do the army if necessary, can anyone tell me what it is like?

I can't really help you with this one. The way I understand it, if you have Greek parents, have been born abroad and have not served in the Greek Armed Forces, you do have outstanding military obligations. As far as I know, you could live in Greece for up to three months without being summoned, however if you stayed longer and were summoned, you would serve half of the regular term if you qualified as a "Greek citizen resident abroad" (if your father had Greek citizenship, then you're a Greek citizen whether you like it or not). The regular duration of military service is twelve months, however "Greeks citizen resident abroad" get to serve only six. To qualify as a "Greek citizen resident abroad" you would have to have been born abroad to Greek parents and to have lived there until you were eleven or since you were eleven (I can't remember which). "Greek citizens resident abroad" also get to choose when to fulfill their military obligations (i.e. you don't have to go once you're 18 if you don't have a valid ground for deferment). The official website on military service (www stratologia.gr) is pretty useless, so I'd advise you to contact the Greek embassy or consulate in Australia. They should be very experienced in dealing with such issues. Everything I said here could be fully incorrect, I'm just recalling what I read a couple of years ago.

[Titus]

I found a copy of the law.

Γεννήθηκαν στο εξωτερικό ή εγκαταστάθηκαν στο εξωτερικό και άρχισαν να διαμένουν μόνιμα σ' αυτό πριν από την 1η Ιανουαρίου του έτους που άρχισαν να διανύουν το ενδέκατο έτος της ηλικίας τους, και οι γονείς τους κατοικούσαν στο εξωτερικό κατά την γέννηση ή την εγκατάσταση.

AND

Διαμένουν μονίμως και συνεχώς στο εξωτερικό από τη γέννηση ή την εγκατάσταση μέχρι την ημερομηνία ενηλικίωσής τους, και κατοικούν στο εξωτερικό από την ενηλικίωσή τους μέχρι την ημερομηνία που αιτούνται πιστοποιητικό μονίμου κατοίκου εξωτερικού. Το μέχρι δώδεκα (12) έτη χρονικό διάστημα παραμονής στην Ελλάδα για σπουδές, συνεχώς ή τμηματικά, θεωρείται ως χρόνος παραμονής στο εξωτερικό.

Translation: [you are a Greek citizen resident abroad if]: you were born abroad or settled abroad and took up permanent residence there from the first of January in the year where you started the eleventh year of age and your parents lived abroad during birth or permanent residence.

AND

Reside permanently and continuously abroad from birth or the settling until the age of majority (= 18th birthday) until the day the application for a certificate of a permenant resident abroad is submitted. A period of up to twelve years in Greece for studies - whether continuous or in brief periods - is considered as time resident abroad.


It seems the law is complex though, and is not fully explained in the website I'm quoting. They give the following example:

Π.χ., ένας στρατεύσιμος που σε ηλικία 20 ετών είναι μόνιμος κάτοικος εξωτερικού μπορεί στα 25 χρόνια του να έχει απολέσει την ιδιότητα αυτή, αν, π.χ., στο μεταξύ παρέμεινε στην Ελλάδα για χρονική περίοδο πέρα των έξη συνεχών μηνών κατά το ίδιο έτος.

Translation: E.g. a conscript who at the age of 20 is a permanent resident abroad may lose that status at the age of 25 if for example he has resided in Greece for a period greater than six consecutive months during the same year.


Source website: www griechisches-konsulat-stuttgart.de/pages/Griechisch/Abteilungen/Zivildienst/Mon_Kat_Ausland.html

I guess this answers your question. If you go (for two years), you'll have to do 12 months.

[Spartan]

I have gone through the most of what you ask already!

If you are a "Repatriated" Greek. Meaning if you are of Greek parentage and are wanting to get your Ithageneia then you have to do the following.

1)You must show proof of your parents being Greek(at least one).

2)You must get a copy of that Greek parents family registry(Oikoyeniaki Merida) from the local city hall in Greece where they originated from.

3)And if one of your parents is non-Greek then you must provide a marriage certificate showing your parents marriage.

4)You will also need the Passport of the non-Greek parent or their Birth Certificates or you Greek parents Greek ID Card from Greece.

5)You will need a copy of your Birth Certificate. It must be a copy of the original and it must be state certified(an Aposteil) with an official stamp.

6)All of these must be translated OFFICIALLY.(This can be done with at the Greek Consulate in Australia.)

You can have the Greek Consulate help you with all of this. I did most of this in Greece so it was much easier.

Now as for the military THEY WILL NOT GRAB YOU AFTER SIX MONTHS IF YOU ARE NOT A GREEK CITIZEN!

So don't worry about that. Now if you get your Greek citizenship you will need to do the following.

1)You must prove that you have not lived in Greece for a 6 month period in the last 11 years. I must show that I either worked or went to school combined for that time frame.

Now if you can't prove that, you will have to serve the full 18 months. If you can then it is only 6 months. I believe it is about 1 months Basic Training and the other 5 months will be spent in your local area(where you reside). From what I understand if you have a University degree you will be made an officer. This is what happened to my cousin who was born and raised in Greece after he finished University.

If I can remember anything else I will post it. If you have any more questions feel free to ask!

As for living in Greece it is much easier if you are a Greek citizen to find a job than a non-Greek. I lived in Greece for 5 years and LOVED IT! Of course I feel completely Greek and have always felt as an outsider in the U.S so I was more comfortable there. If you feel more Australian than Greek you may not enjoy living in Greece as much.

I know that if you enjoy life and are full of energy you will love Greece because that is how the Greek live. They go out 5-6 nights a week even when they have to work in the morning. There will always be people out even at 1-2 in the morning so no matter what time it is you will never be bored. Also there is so much to do in Greece such as History, Culture, Clubs, Bars, Cafeneia, beaches, islands, WOMEN etc, etc.

Hope this helps!

[edessa]

Thanks for all your posts.
I went on holidays to Greece for the first time in 16 years last year and must say it is very hard adjusting to the dull and boring 9-5 working life 'back home' in australia - how ironic, i was born and raised in australia yet felt more at home in 6 weeks in greece than 20 years here
spartan i'm assuming life in america is pretty much same as life in aus (except for the demographics of course)
as Giorgios Mazonakis says in his new song: 'like here...nowhere!'

[Spartan]

Yes the U.S is quite boring, unless you live somewhere like Chicago or New york City. Those two cities have a lot of life and feel very multicultural and full of life. Unfortunately i live in Tennessee. It is a beatifull state with lots of Green, but most of the people are very country and narrow minded. In Nashville there are around 3000 Greeks but they are spread out. Every September they get together and have a Greekfest.

Anyways it seems you already have an idea about Greece, so you should know what to expect.