ATHENS – Greece is gearing up to facilitate acquiring and renewing residence permits for migrants legally residing within its borders.
In this regard, Dimitris Kairidis, the Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, has disclosed plans to overhaul the existing procedures, aiming to modernize the issuance and renewal of residence permits for legal migrants in the country within less time.
As of now, under Greece’s regulations, the process of obtaining residence permits can extend up to two years but to expedite this process, an administrative mechanism modernization initiative is underway.
Minister Kairidis has announced the opening of four new biometric data collection centers within the first half of the year. Three of these centers are slated for Athens, with one in Thessaloniki.
In a statement to the Greek Parliament, Minister Kairidis highlighted the plight of migrants enduring prolonged waits for permit renewals despite abiding by legal residency requirements, including employment and tax obligations, Schengenvisainfo reported.
The proposed modernization is anticipated to clear up to 850,000 migration files by mid-2026, aiming to significantly reduce processing times and improve the quality of life for migrants within the country.
Greece has already implemented some reforms in this area. For instance, last year, the country promulgated legislation granting migrants the right to a three-year residence permit alongside a work permit.
Regarding the fresh measures, the Greek Ministry of Labour estimated that approximately 30,000 undocumented migrants would benefit from this measure, emphasizing that eligibility would be restricted to individuals with at least three years of residency in Greece.
In another development, Greece is also planning to revise its minimum investment threshold for getting a Golden Visa. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also confirmed that he would increase the threshold of real estate investment from $269,491 to $862,372 in certain pockets of the country to ease the crisis.
