Living in Greece after Brexit? 5 Tips for UK expats
Brexit: What you need to know if you are a UK Citizen living in Greece!
Whether it is for a short visit or for a desire to live in Greece for longer periods of time, Brexit will have consequences on the rights of British nationals and the formalities they will need to follow to stay in Greece permanently.
Based on UK Government advice these are the most important things UK expats in Greece should do now:
1) Make sure you are legally resident in your host country
The current rules are that all UK nationals resident in Greece should apply for a registration certificate. If you have held a beige EU registration card for five years the advise is to upgrade to the blue permanent registration card before Brexit.
The application for the residence permit, should be accompanied by a letter certifying that the applicant is covered for outpatient medical expenses, hospitalization, medical evacuation/repatriation, and medical care related to accidents.
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Check our guide on how to get your residence permit here.
2) Check your passport expiry date
You’ll need to comply with different rules to enter and travel around the Schengen area. There are issues that may affect your right to travel or to live here legally after exit and this may affect you even if you don’t travel – in order to remain a legal resident in your host country you need to make sure that the issue date on your passport is in line with these rules. Use the UK Gov passport checker tool to check the validity of your passport.
3) Check that you have an adequate healthcare coverage in Greece
Your options for how you access healthcare in Greece may change if there is a no-deal Brexit. But in any case you will not be able to rely on your current healthcare system to access your healthcare as you do now.
UK citizens that enter and stay legally in Greece, from withdrawal date until the 31st December 2019, will enjoy temporary healthcare coverage (in public hospitals and for public services) which will need to be paid by private insurance or private funds but at low rates. EU residents with private healthcare policies that cover care abroad will not be affected.
You need to make the best decisions for your circumstances and consider buying comprehensive health insurance while you are applying for residency, or if you are not eligible for local schemes. Both EU and UK residents that already have private healthcare policies should also check with their insurer.
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4) Get your travel insurance when visiting Greece or travelling to UK
Based on government advises, health statistics, etc, EU residents planning to travel in the UK and UK residents planning to travel to the EU after Brexit should ensure they have adequate travel or health insurance to cover any health services needed while travelling. Travellers without adequate insurance cover could have to pay the full cost of any health services needed while travelling.
If you are living in Greece and are not currently eligible for a UK-issued S1 form or EHIC, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK. You should take out appropriate travel insurance when visiting the UK, as you would when visiting any other country. But even if you have a valid EHIC, this is not an alternative to travel insurance and you should have both when you travel abroad as there are limitations to EHIC.
Moreover, your EHIC may not even be valid if there is a no-deal Brexit so it is important you take out travel insurance and check that it covers your current circumstances, including any medical conditions.
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5) Check your motor insurance
Motorists insured in the UK driving their vehicle in the EU and motorists insured in the EU driving their vehicle in the UK may need to buy additional cover and may also need to carry a Green Card (an international certificate proving that a motorist has the necessary third-party motor insurance).
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For more information please visit the following web sites:
