How to renew your Travel Document

*The following process also applies to Ukrainian nationals that have been rejected and haven’t obtained the Temporary Protection status.

 

To renew your travel document, you need to take the following 5 actions/steps:

1. First, you apply to the Asylum Service by email.
2. You send Solemn Declarations by post or via email to the Asylum Service
3. You receive an email reply from the Asylum Service with instructions on steps 4 and 5. If you cannot find this email, check your SPAM folder.
4. You submit documents to the Passport Office of the Greek Police (or Offices for Aliens).
5. You pick up your renewed travel document from the Regional Asylum Office or Asylum Unit of the Asylum Service.

See all the steps in detail below:

1. You apply to the Asylum Service by email

• To apply for the renewal of your travel document, you need to submit an application to the following email address: GAS.traveldoc@migration.gov.gr
• You can find the application here, It is available in Greek and English.
• For each member of your family, you need to send a separate email with a separate application
• In your email message, apart from the application, you also need to attach a recent digital photo of you, according to the specifications for Greek passport photos.
• In the subject of the email, you have to type: “Travel Doc Renewals,” as well as the number of the valid Residence Permit in your possession (e.g. “Travel Doc Renewals P123456789”). Make sure to mention in your email the Regional Asylum Office from which you would prefer to collect your travel documents. There are currently two competent offices, one in Athens and one in Thessaloniki.
• If you change your place of residence or your contact details you need to immediately inform the Asylum Unit of International Protection Beneficiaries.

Make sure you have the right high-quality passport photos. The first step is to visit a professional photography shop in your neighbourhood and ask for high-quality passport photos. You will need passport photos for each of your family members applying for Travel Documents renewal. Usually, you get 4 colour printed passport-sized photos that cost around € 10 to 15. When you are at the photography shop, ask the photographer to also provide you with the same photo in a digital file in a cd. You will need the photo file to attach it to your online application for the renewal of the Travel Document. You will need separate photo files for each of your family members. Ask the staff at the photography shop to give you the photos in a digital file in a cd.

2. You send Solemn Declarations by post to the Asylum Service

At the same time, you need to send Solemn Declarations in one of the following ways:

• via post to the following postal address: Asylum Service – Ministry of Migration & Asylum Asylum Unit of International Protection Beneficiaries: Asylum Service Beneficiaries Asylum Unit 2, P.Kanellopoulou street P.C. 10177 Athens
• or you can send the solemn declaration with your application to the following email : gas.traveldoc@migration.gov.gr

More specifically, the solemn declarations are: - The Solemn Declaration A’ (or Annex A’) where you declare that you have not committed a serious crime or offence, as per the competent legal framework of Greek Law. If your child is over fifteen (15) years of age you need to submit the same Solemn Declaration for your child. In this case, both the parents as well the child need to sign the Solemn Declaration. You can find the Solemn Declaration A’ here in Amharic, Arabic, English, Farsi, French, Pashto, Tigrinya and Urdu. - You should send Solemn Declaration B’ (or Annex B’) only if you wish to renew the travel documents of your underage children. In this case, you need to declare that you give your consent for the renewal of the travel documents of your children. Both parents need to submit this Solemn Declaration. You will find the Solemn Declaration B’ (or Annex B’) here in Amharic, Arabic, English, Farsi, French, Pashto, Tigrinya and Urdu.

These Solemn Declarations need to be signed. Afterwards, the signatures must be verified by the competent authorities, such as the Citizen Service Centers (KEP) and police stations.

There are other very important details that you need to know in order to submit the application and the solemn declarations. Read these detailed instructions very carefully.

3. You receive an email reply from the Asylum Service with instructions on steps 4 and 5 from the Asylum Service

• Make sure you have given your correct email address in your application
• After some time, you will receive a reply via email from the Asylum Service. The reply will be written in a language that you understand.
• The email reply will contain information with regards to whether your travel documents are renewed or not (whether a decision has been issued and whether this decision is positive or negative) as well as further instructions.
• If the decision is positive, the email reply will refer you to Passport Offices of the Greek Police (or Alien Offices), where you will have to submit additional documents.
• More specifically, the email reply will mention the specific Passport Office (or office of Aliens) you need to visit and the documents you need to submit to these passport offices.
• If the Asylum Service has decided not to renew your travel documents, you will be informed in the email reply that you have to go to a Regional Asylum Office or an Asylum Unit in order to pick up this decision (which specifies that your renewal will not be further processed).

4. You submit documents to the Passport Office of the Greek Police (or Offices for Aliens or Γραφείο Αλλοδαπών/Grafeio allodapon)

You need to have with you the following documents when you visit the Passport Office (or Office for Aliens):

• A printout of the email you received from the Asylum Service
• The file attached to the email contains the decision on the renewal of your travel documents.
• Your current travel documents.
• Your residence permit (ADET), should be valid.
• Two (2) recent personal photos (Greek passport type).
• Receipt of administrative fee payment for travel documents.

You will receive a receipt from the Passport Offices for the documents you have submitted. You must not lose this receipt as you will need it in the last stage when you pick up your travel documents. The period for the Asylum Office to process your application and inform you that you can take the next steps varies and can last several months.

Keep in mind that, depending on the region in Greece you reside, exceptional measures might apply, for example, on the island of Lesvos, where a housing contract is an additional requirement for the issuance of travel.

If you change your phone number or email address, write an email to traveldoc@asylo.gov.gr and inform the Greek Asylum Office about your updated contact info.

After you get an email from the Greek Asylum Office that you are ready to proceed with the issuance of your new Travel Document, you will need to pay a fee that is:

• € 84,40 for adults and minors above the age of 14 who have been granted either Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection;
• € 73,60 for minors under the age of 14 who have been granted either Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection;

5. Collecting your renewed travel document

• You should pick up your renewed travel document from the competent Regional Asylum Office. At the moment, there are two such units, one in Athens and one in Thessaloniki.
• The email reply you received from the Asylum Service will specifically state the Regional Asylum Office (or Asylum Unit) from which you can pick up your renewed travel document.
• View the contact information of the Regional Asylum Offices or Asylum Units.
• In order to pick up your renewed travel document, you have to follow the announcements of Travel Documents that are ready.
• The announcement that contains the number of your current travel document mentions the day and time you can pick up your renewed travel documents.
• You have to pick up your travel documents at the specific day and time mentioned in the announcement.
• You have to come in person. You can’t send someone else on your behalf
• You have to wear a mask when you visit the Regional Asylum Office to pick up your residence permit.

What documents do you need to receive your travel document

You have to have with you in the Regional Asylum Office or Asylum Unit the following documents in order to receive your travel document:

• Your current travel document (TDV)
• Your valid residence permit (ADET)
• The receipt (Barcode) you received from the Passport Office for the documents you submitted

Giving consent for renewing your children’s Travel Documents

For all children under 18, both parents must also provide written consent for the renewal of their Travel Document. This is an additional step for all parents with minor children.

Each parent must fill in and sign a written declaration of consent signed and validated by competent Greek authorities, such as a KEP officer or a police officer etc.

Then you must send both parents’ forms to the Greek Asylum Office address by post.

You can send all forms of all your family members in one envelope, paying postal costs of around € 0,72 to 1,60 depending on the total weight of the envelope.

Caution! If you cannot provide written consent by both parents, either because one of the parents is not currently in Greece, if you are a single-parent family, or for any other reason, you have to apply in person for the renewal of the child's Travel Document. You might also be asked to provide an affidavit, which is a sworn statement before a notary or a court decision granting you the sole custody of your child or children. 

What are the fees I need to pay?

After you get an email from the Greek Asylum Office that you are ready to proceed with the issuance of your new Travel Document, you will need to pay a fee that is:

• € 84,40 for adults and minors above the age of 14, who have been granted with either Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection;
• € 73,60 for minors under the age of 14 who have been granted with either Refugee Status or Subsidiary Protection;

How to pay the renewal fees

You can pay the fees for the renewal of your Travel Document through the so-called e-paravolo online platform (all information on this platform is in Greek).

If you have a tax number (AFM), you can use it to access this platform and all your personal information (name, surname, father's name, mother's name, date of birth, etc) will appear automatically.

You can also access this platform without having an AFM. In that case, though, you cannot request your money back if anything goes wrong.

You can pay the fee online on the e-paravolo platform, using web banking or a credit card. Another option is to print the unique code you will get from the e-paravolo online platform and pay the fees at a bank or at a post office with a regular cash deposit.

After you are informed that the decision of the renewal of your travelling document is ready, you should book an appointment with the competent Police Department to give your fingerprints again and the paid paravolo (fee).

Find more details about the documents and the procedure on the Ministry’s website.

Important Note: There is no deadline for the renewal of your Travel Document, but we advice you to apply for the renewal of your travel document before its expiry date, especially if you need to travel abroad, because if your travel documents expire while abroad, you will not be able to return to Greece and complete the process.