Asylum and international protection in Greece

Any third-country national or stateless person at an official entry point or within Greek territory can apply, as can people transferred to Greece under the EU responsibility rules. First applications are lodged at the Reception and Identification Centres on Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kos and in Evros (Fylakio) for people entering there, and otherwise at the centres of Malakasa or Diavata after booking an online appointment. Greek embassies and consulates abroad do not accept asylum claims.

You hand over your passport or identity documents, give personal and family details, a photo and fingerprints (family members over 14 too). People who entered irregularly go through reception and identification first, staying at the centre for no more than 25 days. You receive the International Protection Applicant Card with a tax number and a temporary health number (PAAYPA). You are informed of the interview; interpretation is free and a lawyer or counsellor may attend.

Applicants may work 60 days after lodging the claim, have access to public health care through the PAAYPA, minors attend public school free of charge and adults have access to secondary education. You have a right to accommodation and, without other resources, to financial support. You must report any change of address, carry the original card and renew it on time; failing to appear for renewal by the day after expiry ends the examination. Leaving Greece while the claim is pending leads to refusal, except in extraordinary circumstances.

A first-instance refusal can be appealed to the Appeals Authority within the deadline written in the decision, at the office that issued it, or the nearest one if you live far away; detained applicants file through the detention centre. Independent Appeals Committees usually decide on the file within 15 days to three months; if summoned, you are told at least 10 days ahead. Free legal aid for the appeal is available from a registry of lawyers. A further application for annulment to the administrative court must be filed within 30 days and requires a lawyer at your own cost.

Since June 2026 the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum applies, including the new rules on which EU state is responsible for examining a claim, replacing the earlier Dublin system. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum call centre is 213 212 8400; UNHCR and accredited organisations offer legal, medical and psychological support.