How Britain leaving the EU affects your rights to Live & Work in Greece.
The Withdrawal Agreement (WA) covers Citizens Rights and has now been signed into law, protecting those who are already legally (i.e. registered) living/working/retired living in the EU.
From 31st January 2020 we lose our right to vote in local & European elections in our host country.
After 31 December 2020 (end of the transition period) we will become Third Country Nationals (TCN) in Greece and be required to change our EU residence certificates (beige or blue) for Biometric Permits.
The AUTOMATIC right to move to live, work or retire in Greece/EU ends 31 December 2020 when UK citizens will no longer have EU Freedom of Movement.
Throughout the transition period, until 31st December 2020, nothing much changes and you can travel back and forth freely between the UK and Greece/EU and/ or live and work in Greece.
Until the end of 2020 you can still move to Greece to live but must obtain a registration certificate in order to have the right to stay beyond Dec 2020 and ‘exchange’ that in Jan 2021 to a new Biometric Permit.
GET REGISTERED
YOU NEED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A BEIGE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE OR A BLUE PERMANENT RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE before December 2020 to secure your residence rights after the end of the transition period.
The British Embassy in Athens is strongly pushing this message out, especailly to long tern residents who have never bothered to register. EVERYONE needs to do this, even those Brits married to Greeks if they don''t have Greek citizenship.
Each resident family member requires their own registration Certificate, including British CHILDREN & BABIES (but not Greek-British dual nationals).
If you have held a beige certificate for 5 years or more you should upgrade NOW (before end of 2020) to a blue permanent residence certifcate if you have resided for 5 consequtive years in Greece as the blue card permits you more rights under EU law. You will need to show evidence of your residence with utility bills, bank statements or Greek tax returns (for 5 years) to upgrade to the blue card.
See link below under ' Further Information' for more info on Registration Certificates.
NEW BIOMETRIC PERMITS from JAN 2021
As of January 2021 the current residence documents (beige/blue cards) for UK citizens will expire and will be replaced by biometric residence permits, issued in the common format of Regulation (EU) 1030/2002. Residence document holders will then be invited by the Ministry for Migration Policy, at the end of 2020, to change their documents to the new biometric residence permits.
More information on this issue will follow in the Greek gov BREXIT website and the Ministry of Migration Policy website later. (No details yet).
Note that Beige residence card holders will again probably have to prove health insurance and sufficient resources to change to the new biometric permit at the end of 2020, while blue permit holders (permanent residents) should not have to again prove their entitlement & it should be a more straighforward exchange, if Greece follows the WA. (See Residence Rights under https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ )
EHIC
The EHIC (European Health Insurance) card for tourists' health cover beyond 2020 within EU is unknown as it comes under the next round of negotiations.
HOWEVER Article 30 of the WA covers the right to use an EHIC, after Jan 2021, as follows:
1. S1 holders who have a UK issued EHIC will be able to use it across the EU/EEA Pensioner S1 holders will also continue to be able to access UK health care under UK regs, as they can now.
2. People working in their host countries who hold the country equivalent of the EHIC issued by the health scheme of that country (e.g. Greek issued EHIC) will be able to continue to use this card in the UK and across the EU beyond 2020.
Healthcare For UK State Pensioners S1
S1 form holders who have moved to Greece before 31st December 2020 will continue to have life-long healthcare rights provided they remain registered as resident in Greece, according to the Withdrawal Agreement. This means access to healthcare in Greece will not change for those S1 form holders for as long as they remain resident in Greece.
In addition, if you’re (registered) living in Greece before the end of the transition period but you haven’t reached state pension age at that point, you will be entitled to receive an S1 form when you qualify for your UK state pension, as long as you you haven't worked long enough in Greece to qualify for a Greek pension.
Married to a Greek citizen?
You still need to be registered and hold a beige or blue residence certificate before the end of 2020 in order to exchange it for the new biometric permit in 2021. It will be compulsory to apply for the new biometric permit in 2021 as without it you will not be allowed to remain in Greece for longer than 90 days in any 180 day period. Under the WA you can exchange your beige or blue certificate for the new biometic permit, but without the beige or blue certificate after the end of 2020 you will come under much sticter immigration laws, for third country nationals, with harder conditions to obtain the biometric permit.
Moving to the UK with a Greek partner
There are restrictions after 2022 if you want to move to the UK with your Greek spouse. They will fall under the much tougher UK immigration laws for third country nationals (minimum income requirements etc.)
FURTHER INFORMATION
How to obtain a REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE ( beige and blue cards - to be exchanged Jan 2021) livingincrete.net/residencepermit.html
How to change a UK DRIVING LICENCE to a Greek Licence livingincrete.net/drivingincrete.html
How to get an AMKA number (for residents for Primary Healthcare cover in GR) https://livingincrete.net/natinsika.html
British in Europe. Easy six-part informative Guide to the Withdrawal Agreement and Citizens Rights for Brits living in Europe https://britishineurope.org/
Living in Crete Forum on Brexit livingincrete.net/board/viewforum.php?f=31
Facebook British in Greece group (aligned with British in Europe) www.facebook.com/groups/313197395758514/
