All residents and non-residents are allowed to open a bank account in Greece. The minimum and necessary documents for non-residents for the opening of a bank account in Greece are:
- Passport
- AFM or Arithmo Forologiko Mitro which is a tax number. This may be obtained by visiting a tax office in Greece with a passport and birth certificate and get the AFM which is a 9 digit tax number.
According to each bank institution, you may be requested to provide additional documents, such as:
- Tax returns from your previous country of residence
- utility bills
- evidence of your salary (pay slip)
- Reference from previous bank to show that you are creditworthy
In addition to the above requirements, you may be asked to sign a declaration confirming that the account is for personal use rather than for a business as this is illegal in Greece.
You may open a business bank accounts if you wish to receive and make payments as a business.
You may be asked to pay a minimum deposit into the account. Some banking institutions allows to start the application for opening a bank account online but before your account will be fully activated, you’ll need to visit the bank personally physically sign the documents. As a foreigner, you might need to have documents translated or notarized, which can add to the expense and complexity but some banks will accept documents in English as well as Greek.
