First, you must have a residence permit in Greece. A green card, waiting paper, or red book is acceptable. You must also have an ΑΦΜ (tax number). I would like to emphasize the red book; it is best to have one that has been extended, the more extensions, the better. If you have not extended it, it is preferable that its validity is at least four to five months at the time of registration. (Additionally: A reminder for those with a red book - it is absolutely forbidden to hold both a red book and a Chinese passport simultaneously; being discovered by the police could lead to legal consequences. If certain driving schools request your passport, it is because they are unaware; just tell them you do not have it and that you possess a red book instead, no need for a passport!)
Secondly, you must be able to read Greek words. You may not speak Greek very well, but you must be able to spell and pronounce Greek words, and it is best to understand some basic grammar. Understanding the meanings of certain words is not a major issue since you can look them up online or use a smartphone during your studies, and the commonly used words in textbooks are quite limited, so there's no need to worry too much. Moreover, all the exam questions are multiple-choice, so you just need to spend some time memorizing them. Spending a few hours each day learning will suffice; starting from zero can take only about a month to learn the necessary words and sentences for the exam (motorcycle exam materials will take about a week, while car exam materials will take about three weeks).
During the exam, motorcycle and car questions are tested together, with a total of 40 questions, 10 for motorcycles and 30 for cars. Timing: motorcycles have 20 minutes, cars have 35 minutes; even using two-thirds of the time, you can complete it, so it can be seen that there is plenty of time during the exam! Note: The motorcycle textbook contains a total of 172 questions, all in text with no images; during the exam, 10 questions are randomly drawn, and if you get two or more wrong, you cannot pass. The car textbook has around one thousand questions, about one-third of which contain images; during the exam, 30 questions are randomly drawn, and if you get three or more wrong, you cannot pass. Additionally, if you only want to take the motorcycle exam, then both motorcycle and car questions will be tested. If you only need the car license, then you do not have to take the motorcycle questions, which is quite strange since getting a motorcycle license is seemingly more complicated than a car license. However, if you obtain a motorcycle license and later wish to get a car license, you can skip the written exam; conversely, if you hold a car license and want a motorcycle license, you will have to retake the motorcycle written exam!
With the prerequisites established, let's discuss what you need to prepare before registering at a driving school:
First: You need to prepare 4 passport-sized photographs. Go to a photo studio and tell them you need photos for a Greek driving license; they all know what that entails.
Second: Go to Εθνική Τράπεζα (I am not sure if this is the commonly referred Greek National Bank) and spend 120 euros to purchase Πληρωμές (I interpret this as “payment slips”, although I am not aware if the actual term is different. I hope experts can clarify; just bring your passport or red book inside, go to the deposit and withdrawal window, and tell them you want to buy the driving license Πληρωμές; they will understand. The Πληρωμές consists of three slips: one for the ophthalmologist, one for the internist, and one used for the department that issues the driving license, to be utilized for form submission!)
Then, you can find an ophthalmologist and an internist to get each a certificate! (Note: The ophthalmologist is reportedly called: Οφθαλμίατρος; the internist called: Παθολόγος. There are many private clinics on the streets; when you visit, just tell them it's for your driving license, and they might not even do a thorough check but will accept the Πληρωμές and issue you a certificate, as you are providing them with money, so there's no need to fear; they will treat you courteously, haha.)
Finally, with the two medical reports and the final Πληρωμές, along with your ID, photos, and ΑΦΜ, go to a driving school and register! After registration, ask them for the textbook and the CD; these are free.
Driving school fees:
When you present those materials at a driving school (driving schools in Greece are essentially just an office!), some may request 40 or 50 euros for obtaining a card; however, that fee is actually for the final Πληρωμές. They are only asking for running costs; you can decide whether to pay or not. If you do not want to pay, you may either change schools or apply for a driving license directly from the issuing department. It’s quite simple; just take those materials and tell them you want to take the driving license exam, and they will give you a card. You will then use this card to find a school; the purpose of finding a school is mainly to obtain a certificate proving that you have undergone training.
After completing your training at the driving school (approximately one month, and if only for the motorcycle, it takes around 10 days), you can go for the exam. (Note: During the training, you can either attend school or not; as long as you pay, once the required days are met, they will issue you a certificate.) After training, they will schedule an exam time for you; at that time, you must bring your passport, ID, and this certificate issued by the instructor to enter the examination room. (In the examination room, phones must be turned off; if your phone rings during the exam, you will be dismissed, and banned from re-taking the exam for six months, so please be mindful of this.) The exam is entirely computerized, completed just like the usual mock questions. You can also apply to use an earpiece for voice assistance (but this must be communicated to the instructor before the exam application), so there’s no need to worry; there is ample time, and there is no need to be nervous! After finishing the exam, when you leave the room, they will announce whether you passed. If you pass, you can then schedule your road test, which usually takes place after three to four working days; if you fail, you can re-take the exam after a week. (Note: There is no need to pay any fees for re-taking the written exam.)