For those looking to immigrate to Greece, facing a foreign country and living in a completely unfamiliar environment can be chaotic if you are not aware of some basic information. Today, Worldway Group provides a basic introduction to the operating hours of essential services in Greece, such as banks, water, electricity, and gas, to help make your life after immigrating to Greece smoother!
I. After immigrating to Greece, you will find that bank operating hours are truly short
Mobile payments in Greece are nowhere near as developed as they are in China, so Alipay and WeChat Pay are not applicable in every situation. Bank cards, especially credit cards, are used quite frequently; in this case, Greek banks are very important in daily life!
For many applicants who have immigrated to Greece, they might initially choose to go to the bank around 3:00 PM to handle business, only to arrive and find—what? It's closed! Yes! That's right, the bank closes at 2:00 PM!
Greek banks only extend their business hours until 2:30 PM on Fridays—yes, they stay open for an extra half hour! As for opening on weekends to handle business? That doesn't exist! What about switching to another bank? Think again; the vast majority of banks have the same operating hours, and they are very fixed!
This also reflects the lifestyle and attitude of the local Greeks from another perspective: rather than spending the day in a serious and tense manner, they value their leisure and private time more. And clearly, civil service and similar banking jobs are among their favorite employment choices.
II. After immigrating to Greece, can the medical aspects closely related to life provide great convenience?
Pharmacy Operating Hours
Although bank operating hours can sometimes feel quite inconvenient, when it comes to matters closely related to personal health, Greece is very reliable.
For example, the operating hours of pharmacies in Greece are very reasonable. While different types of pharmacies have different hours, they can basically ensure that there is a pharmacy open 24 hours a day. After all, hospitals in Greece do not sell medicine; the only way to get it is through a pharmacy, so ensuring that you can buy the necessary medicine at any time is very important.
In Greece, general pharmacy hours are from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Some are open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and then from 5:00 PM until the early morning. Others are open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and then from 5:00 PM until 8:00 AM the next morning. Of course, if you want to inquire about which specific pharmacy is currently open, you can call 1434 to ask.
Mobile Operator Operating Hours
This aspect is actually not very urgent in many cases, so the working hours of different operators vary.
Common Greek mobile operator Wind generally operates from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, but they take a break between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. On Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, they only operate between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, and they are closed on Sundays.
What are the operating hours for department stores?
Taking the well-known Greek department store Hondos as an example, the operating hours of different branches vary and can be checked on their official website. Similar to large shopping malls in China, they are often open from 9:00 AM until around 9:00 PM. However, unlike in China, the closing time on weekends in Greece is often about two hours earlier.
Overall, there are not as many shops closing early in Greece as one might imagine. Some large shopping malls and supermarkets stay open quite late, which brings great convenience to the lives of applicants who have immigrated to Greece. However, there are also many differences, and after immigrating to Greece, you still need to adapt as soon as possible.
III. After immigrating to Greece, where should you go to pay bills and open accounts for water, electricity, and gas?
Electricity Bills
The largest electricity supplier in Greece is DEH. You can go to the nearest branch to open an account and pay bills. A strange point about electricity bills in Greece is that the cost is related to the distance between your residence and the power station.
Water Bills
Greece has a specialized management agency for water bills called DEYA. Fees are paid once a month; you will receive relevant bills and can choose a convenient way to pay them.
Gas Bills
Not all places in Greece have natural gas; it is generally only available in certain areas, such as downtown Athens. The common natural gas company is Diesel, and the costs are not very high.
Generally speaking, bills for water, electricity, and gas can be deducted through the bank account opened by the owner in Greece, so there is no need to queue manually to pay.
IV. Regarding the cost of living in Greece
The cost of living in Greece is very low, which can be seen from the actual local prices in Greece.
If you dine out, Chinese food is the cheapest; two dishes and one soup (one meat and one vegetable) usually cost around 10-15 Euros. Next is Greek food; a plate of seafood pasta plus a plate of vegetable salad, a glass of aperitif, and a piece of bread costs about 15-25 Euros. In addition, there are many fast-food restaurants in Greece where you can basically get full for 4 Euros per person.
Of course, if you buy groceries and cook at home, the cost will be much cheaper. Calculating the prices of various daily necessities, a family of three can live very well on about 600-700 Euros per month.
Many investors who immigrate to Greece through property purchases choose to buy two properties starting from 250,000 Euros at the beginning—one for self-occupation and the other for short-term or long-term rental. The monthly rent from the rented property is already enough to cover the family's living expenses. Moreover, although the law stipulates that one cannot be employed, it does not restrict permanent residence card holders from starting their own businesses. After immigrating to Greece, you can open a Chinese supermarket or start your own company, and life can be very comfortable and pleasant.
In 2018, with the steady recovery of the European economy, the 8-year Greek debt crisis was officially resolved. The Greek tourism and real estate markets also showed "explosive" development. The Greek property purchase immigration program, starting from 250,000 Euros, swept through the immigration world with unstoppable momentum. By purchasing Greek property starting from just 250,000 Euros, you can not only obtain permanent property rights that can be passed down through generations and enjoy the appreciation dividends brought by economic recovery, but also quickly obtain Greek permanent residency for three generations of the whole family, travel freely through 26 Schengen countries, and enjoy the generous welfare benefits of European countries. Multiple advantages make the Greek property purchase immigration program highly sought after by investors, becoming one of the hottest immigration projects in 2018 and successfully being selected as one of the "Top Ten Immigration Events of 2018".
As a pioneer of the Greek property purchase immigration program, Worldway Group joined hands with the Greek Embassy in China as early as 2013 to introduce "Greek Property Investment Immigration" to China, and has maintained a good relationship with the Greek government for many years. In terms of Greek property purchase immigration, Worldway Group has always taken the interests of investors as the starting point, used its consistent forward-looking vision to unite with powerful Greek real estate developers, and selected high-quality Greek real estate projects for investors, serving as a solid backing on your investment immigration journey. Choose Worldway Group for Greek property investment immigration, and your immigration journey will be easier!
