Residence Permit in Greece (of Type D/National visa)

Question

I have a National/Type D visa issued by Greece for purpose indicated as "public interest" in the visa sticker (I am doing a clinical observership program in a public hospital). I arrived on October 20, and will be staying until April 26, 2020.

Am I required to apply for a residence permit, even if I am staying for less than a year? The consul herself in my home country was not sure of the answer. I read somewhere that residence permits are not required for stays more than 3 months but less than 1 year. Is this true?

Answer 1

Yes, you are required to apply for a residence permit.

For most, but not all, countries the main purpose of the issuing of a D-Visa is for the issuing of a residence permit.

This defined in Article 7(1) LAW No 4251 for Greece, wheere no time contraint is meantioned.

See also the answer to

• greece - Residence permit for Type D visa (for public interest) apply in Athens when I'm in Thessaloniki?

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LAW No 4251 (Immigration and Social Integration Code and other provisions)

• Article 7 Categories of residence permits

1. A third-country national who has been granted a visa in Greece for one of the reasons set out herein must request a residence permit for the same reason on entry to the country, without prejudice to the more specific Articles of this Code, provided that he meets the requirements set out in the Code.

2. The categories of residence permits and the types of permissions that these include are:
...
C3 Public interest
...

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Sources:

• Foreign Office National Visas - Visa Types
• Pdf: LAW No 4251 Immigration and Social Integration Code and other provisions
  • from 2014-04-01