🟨 Registration

If you are in Greece and want to apply for international protection, you must do so as soon as possible. When you arrive in Greece if received by the Hellenic Police, you will be taken to a Reception and Identification Center (RIC) which exists in Filakio (Evros), or to Closed Controlled Access Centers of Islands (CCACI) in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, where you will be submitted to reception and identification procedures,. At this point, you should express your will to apply for international protection as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, if you travel to the mainland without previously having registered your application for asylum at the Reception and Identification or the  Closed Controlled Access Centers at the borders (Fylakio in Evros, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos), you can book an appointment to register it via an application form provided by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. An email address is necessary to log in, submit the application with your personal details and be given an appointment for registration. You can choose to be registered either at the Facility of First Reception in Diavata (close to Thessaloniki) or the one in Malakasa (“Gerakini” camp close to Athens). After submitting your application, make sure to click on “download proof” so that a (PDF) file with the confirmation of your appointment can be sent to your email address.

When completing the application for the registration appointment, you will also be informed that upon arrival at the registration location, you will be required to reside in the facility “until the registration is completed, for a maximum of 25 days”. Since the asylum interview might also take place during that time, it could be helpful to contact legal actors and have legal information about the asylum procedure before your appointment. According to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, you have the right to reschedule your appointment for registration up to 2 times. Remember always to keep relevant documents which prove that you could not be there for your appointment (e.g. medical or other documents) and share them as soon as possible with the Greek authorities.

Until you get a decision on your asylum application, you DON'T have:

• AMKA: Once your asylum application is registered, you will be given a Provisional Social Security and Health Care Number, called PAYPPA, which will be written to your asylum card and allow you to have access to public health care and work. Please note that you have the right to work two months after the registration of your asylum application. If you are granted refugee or subsidiary protection status, PAAYPA will be changed to AMKA. This though, does not happen automatically. Please check here.
• Travel documents that allow you to travel outside Greece. If granted refugee status, you have the right to issue a travel document. If, though, you have received subsidiary protection, you can issue a travel document ONLY if you can prove that it is possible for you to issue a national passport.

When and where will my Registration appointment be?

Upon booking the appointment for Registration, you will be informed about the date and place of your appointment. Your Registration appointment will likely be some months after you submit the application online. Very rarely, the Asylum Service changes appointment dates. If they change your date, they will call you. A few things that are good to know:

• Don’t miss your appointment unless there is an emergency or serious health issue. If you do, immediately notify the Asylum Service and provide relevant documentation explaining why. You may have to wait several months for a new appointment to take place.
• On the day of your appointment, go to the Asylum Office at 7:30 a.m. with all your family members.
• Make sure not to forget the form verifying your appointment.
• You can bring a lawyer, a psychologist or a social worker with you.
• If you are in Greece without your family and between 15 and 18 years old, you can lodge your application yourself in person, or the guardian the Greek authorities appointed can do it for you. If you are under 15, your guardian must lodge your application. Find here more information if you are an unaccompanied minor in Greece.

If you have been arrested

If you were arrested on the Greek mainland, you can start the asylum procedure by declaring your intention to apply for asylum before the police and/or Reception and Identification Service authorities. Your request will be referred to the Asylum Office, inviting you to submit your asylum application in person. During Registration, you will need to do the following:

• You will make your formal claim for asylum.
• You will be provided with information about the asylum procedure, your obligations and your rights as an asylum seeker in Greece.
• You will be asked several questions -you will find below the list of questions asked during registration that you must answer with sincerity. If you provide false evidence or make false claims, this may have a negative effect on the judgment of your case.
• Make sure that all your personal information (name, surname, father’s and mother’s name, age, nationality) is written correctly. Changing them later on can be difficult and is only possible if you submit original documents (national passport, ID, birth certificate).
• Make sure to clarify all the details regarding your age, in case you are a minor, and the whereabouts of your family members. If your close family members live legally in another European country, you may be able to join them by filing an application for family reunification. Please note that the family reunification application must be submitted within 3 months of the registration of your asylum application.
• You will be asked to briefly explain to the Asylum Service staff why you are asking for asylum, i.e., why you had to leave your country, and what you are afraid might happen to you in case you return.
• You will give your fingerprints, and you will be photographed.
• You will be given an invitation that will mention your interview date. You should by no means miss your interview appointment, as in that case, the Asylum Service might close your file.
• The Asylum Service will not make a final decision on your case on that date. A decision will be issued after your asylum interview takes place. You will be notified about the way and timeline to receive the international applicant’s card and tax identification number (AFM). Usually,  you get the asylum seeker’s card and the AFM number on the day of your asylum registration. Fine more about the asylum seeker's card here.
• You will be given a PAAYPA (Provisional Social Security and Health Care Number) number, which you need for your health insurance, and it will be written on your asylum card.
• Make sure the Asylum Service always has your current address and phone number. Learn more about Updating your contact information. Provide an email address ONLY if you regularly check it, including your SPAM folder, as the Asylum Service might send the decision on your asylum application to your email address. If you don’t see it promptly, you risk missing the deadline for appealing the decision in case it is negative.
• You will have to submit to the asylum service your travel documents (passport) and any other document you may have in your possession that is relevant to the examination of your application, the verification of your and your family member’s identity, your country of origin, as well as your family status, medical documents and any document that might prove that you are persecuted in your country of origin if you have any.

Asylum application on behalf of family members - File Separation

You have the right to apply for asylum on behalf of your family members, provided that  adult family members give their written consent. It's important to note that this is entirely optional. Should you prefer to submit individual asylum applications, you retain the right to do so. This applies to adult applicants and minors aged fifteen (15) and above, who also have the right to submit their applications independently.

In situations where a joint case exists with family members, but later on, there is a desire to separate the files, you have the right to request the separation of your international protection application from those of your spouse, mother, father, or child. This circumstance can be due to divorce, legal separation, filing for divorce, the unfortunate death of a family member, or any other reason where privacy of information is a concern.

Learn more about the Asylum Application-File Separation

How to prepare

At Registration, you will be asked - about your and your family’s personal information - why you are claiming asylum in Greece and afraid to return to your country of origin. If you ask to apply for Family Reunification, the Asylum Service will determine your eligibility.

Learn more about what you’ll be asked at Registration here: Questions at Registration

What to bring to Registration

Identity documents: Bring all the official identity documents you have. These include:

• Your Registration Form issued by the Reception and Identification Service upon your arrival (if given to you upon arrival) if you have one
• The document verifying your appointment at Malakasa/Diavata camp, if you have one
• Your police note
• Your passport or any other ID card, if you have them
• Your Health Card (if given to you upon arrival) or any other documents related to your physical or mental health.

Other important documents: Bring all the documents you brought with you from home or that you got throughout your journey. Examples: Family books, Birth certificates, Marriage certificates, Military books, Educational diplomas, Language school certificates

Bring any documentation that proves you have a medical condition or other circumstance showing you are vulnerable.Bring any document that might prove that you have faced persecution in your country of origin and/or that you will be in danger in case you return.

If you would like to apply for Family Reunification, also bring the following:

• Copies of your family member’s documents from the country where they live, including their ID card, residence permit, refugee passport or any other documents that show their full name, birthdate and current address.
• A letter in English or Greek from your family member saying they want you to join them in the country where they live. Find an example of the letter here that you can download and edit. Make sure your family member has signed it and has put the date next to their signature

You should also bring documents that help prove your relationship, including:

• Official documents like marriage certificates and birth certificates
• Personal files like your family book, family letters and family photos
• Witness statements of lawyers or social workers
• Any contact information for your family member and their lawyers or other supporters

If you bring original documents with you, make sure to take them back after the employee takes a copy. It is preferred to bring hard copies or clear photographs or scans of your documents together with your original documents (if available).

Do not bring any family members’ original documents, either. If you bring others’ cards or documents, the Asylum Service may take them away to stop black market sales.

About the appointment

What happens to the information I provide? The information you give in the interview is confidential and will not be shared with the authorities of your country.

• The registration form will be read to you at the end to confirm the recorded statements.
• You should object to anything in the transcript you think is incorrect, especially personal information, as it is very difficult to change it afterwards.

What happens to my passport? If you have a passport, you must submit it to the Greek Asylum Service. It will be kept in your file until the Greek Asylum Service finishes with your claim. In return, you will get a receipt that says your passport is with the Asylum Service.

Will there be an interpreter? You have the right to an interpreter for your Registration interview. You do not have to bring an interpreter. The interpreter may be in the room, on Skype, or on a phone call.

I’m a woman. Can I ask for my interviewer and interpreter to be women, too? Yes. If you are a woman, you can ask for your interviewer and interpreter to be women, explaining the reason(s) for such a request. After you explain your reasons for requesting women, the Asylum Service will assess and decide on your request.

What if I don’t want to give my fingerprints? If you refuse to give your fingerprints to the Asylum Service, your claim will be examined under the “accelerated procedure” instead of the regular one. That means your claim will probably be rejected.

Registration form

The form your asylum officer will fill out during your appointment is called the “form for lodging an application for international protection.” It is reproduced below:

Form for lodging an application for international protection

Personal Information

• Date
• Location (RAO/Asylum Unit)
• Registration officer’s name
• Interpreter’s number (or name)
• Language of communication
• Only in case of tele-interpretation: Do you consent in lodging your application via tele-interpretation?
• Do you have a passport?
• Do you have other documents proving your identity?
• Do you have any kind of documents that you wish to submit?
• Spoken languages
• In which language do you want the interview to be conducted?
• If the application is made on behalf of dependants: Do you consent to the lodging of your application by your spouse?
• Surname:
• Name
• Father’s name
• Father’s surname
• Mother’s name
• Mother’s surname
• Gender
• Nationality (-ies)
• Assessed nationality (-ies)
• For stateless persons: Country of former habitual residence
• Ethnic origin or tribe
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Country
• Village or city
• Prefecture/region
• Place of the last residence in the country of origin or former habitual residence
• Relationship with the primary applicant (in case the application is made on behalf of dependants)
• Religion
• Years of education
• Occupation in the country of origin
• Family status
• In the case of a married woman: Surname before marriage
• Unaccompanied minor (yes/no)
• Personal details of guardian or representative in case of unaccompanied minor (Address in Greece, Prefecture, Municipality, Street, Number, Landline in Greece, Mobile number in Greece)
• Need for accommodation?
• When did you leave your country?
• Date of entry in Greece
• Do you have any medical/disability problems? (Do you receive any medical treatment? Pregnant? How many months?)

🟨 Questions concerning “Dublin III” Family Reunification

• Name of spouse(s):
• The surname of spouse(s):
• When and where did you get married? (Where is he/she today? If he/she is in Greece: What is her/his status?)
• Surname, name, gender, date of birth and location of child(ren)?
• Do any of your adult children suffer from any physical or mental disability?
• Your parents and sibling, where are they located today?
• Do any of your relatives depend on you (pregnancy, newborn, old age, serious illness, disability)?
• If they have family members in a European country: Do you wish to be reunited with any of the above relatives?
• If an unaccompanied minor: Are any of your relatives (uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother) located in a European country?
• Have you ever in the past come to Greece or another European country?

If yes:

1. Have you ever had a visa issued by Greece or another European country? (If yes: country of issue, date of issue, date of expiry, number)

2. Have you applied for asylum in Greece or another European country? (If yes: in which country, when and what was the outcome)

3. Do you currently have a Residence Permit issued in Greece or another European country or in the past?

• Eurodac number:

In case of Family Reunification under “Dublin III”: name and surname of family member present in a member state:

1. Date of birth:

2. Family status:

3. Relationship:

4. Address in the member state:

5. Residence status:

• Useful information (e.g., phone number of the relative present in the member state):

International protection application Information

• State in a few words the reasons for which you do not wish to return to your country (if there are more than one reasons, please briefly mention them):
• In case of SUBSEQUENT APPLICATION: Have you stated the aforementioned facts in your first application? If not, why?
• Have you ever been convicted or accused of any crime? [If yes]: for which crime? In which country?
• Have you been convicted?)
• Do you have reasons for preferring the interview to be conducted by a male or female caseworker and interpreter of the same sex, if that is possible?
• Do you have anything to add or correct?
• Do you consent to the communication of information and documents you have submitted concerning your medical data to the competent authorities of other member-state for the purposes of completion of your application’s examination?
• Do you consent to the communication of the decision concerning your asylum application to UNHCR?
• I certify that the form was read back to me, that I agree with its content and that I was informed about my rights and obligations as well as the next steps of the procedure.
• In case of registration by an EASO expert: I certify that the answers of the application to the above questions were accurately interpreted and registered.

ATTENTION: Before signing the registration form, please ensure that your personal information is written correctly because it is difficult to correct them later.