How to Get Your Greek Tax Numbers Without Visiting a Tax Office

For years, many members of the Greek diaspora and foreign residents have assumed that obtaining a Greek tax number (AFM) requires travelling to Greece, appointing a tax representative or making an appointment at a local tax office (DOY). In reality, that is no longer generally the case.

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή Δημοσίων Εσόδων — AADE), the Greek authority responsible for tax administration, has operated a fully digital process for several years that allows eligible applicants to obtain an AFM and their Taxisnet activation key (Κλειδάριθμος) from abroad through an online application followed by a live video identity verification. No existing Taxisnet account, Greek mobile phone number or physical visit to a tax office is required.

The process is relatively straightforward, but there is one important requirement before you begin: you need someone in Greece who can provide a genuine residential address and confirm that you are staying with them.

The First Thing You Need: Someone in Greece Who Can Host You

To apply through this procedure, you need a person in Greece willing to declare that you are staying at their primary residence. This arrangement is known in Greek as filoxenia, meaning hospitality or hosting someone in your home.

The address must be a real residential address, not a mailbox or an address created only for administrative purposes. The person providing it should genuinely be able to receive correspondence at that residence if necessary.

Your host logs into Gov.gr using their own Taxisnet credentials and issues a Solemn Declaration (Υπεύθυνη Δήλωση). The declaration should clearly state that they are hosting you at their primary residence for the purpose of obtaining an AFM. It should include your full name, father’s name, nationality and passport number.

Once generated, the declaration includes a verification code and QR code confirming its authenticity. No additional certification by a Citizen Service Centre (KEP) or notarization is required. Your host simply sends you the electronic document.

Will the Person Helping You Have Any Tax Problems?

This is the question many people ask before agreeing to provide a hosting declaration. The concern usually comes from confusing two different situations under Greek tax law: hosting someone in your own home (filoxenia) and granting someone free use of a separate property (dorean parachorisi).

Filoxenia means that the owner or tenant continues living in the property while declaring that another person is staying there as a guest. It does not mean that the guest has been given independent use of the property. It does not create rental income, does not trigger the 3% deemed-rental-income taxation rules and does not increase the owner’s ENFIA property tax. It is simply a declaration that another person is being hosted at the same residence.

Dorean parachorisi is a different arrangement. It applies when an owner gives another person the exclusive use of an entire independent property without receiving rent. In that case, different tax rules apply. The exemption from imputed rental income taxation applies when the property is granted between parents and children, for properties up to 200 square metres. It does not apply to siblings, spouses, friends or more distant relatives. Outside the exempt cases, the owner may be taxed on deemed rental income calculated at 3% of the property’s objective value.

The AFM application process described in this guide relies exclusively on filoxenia. Your host is not transferring the use of a property to you, creating rental income or accepting any financial obligation. They are simply confirming that you are staying at their residence while you complete your tax registration in Greece.

The host’s only later obligation is administrative. During the following annual tax filing period, they must declare you as a hosted person (φιλοξενούμενος) on their own E1 income tax return using your AFM. This confirms that the information provided to AADE corresponds with the hosting arrangement.

Preparing Your Documents

Once you have the hosting declaration, the rest of the process requires only two documents: the electronic declaration provided by your contact in Greece and a clear colour scan of the photo page of your passport.

Because your identity will be verified during a live video appointment, the passport copy does not need to be notarized, translated or certified. Its purpose is simply to allow AADE to review your information before the video verification takes place.

Submitting Your Application Through myAADE

To begin the application, go to the myAADE portal and select the section for issuing a new AFM and obtaining a Taxisnet activation key (ΑΦΜ & Κλειδάριθμος). Because you do not yet have Taxisnet credentials, you will be directed to the application process for first-time users. You do not need an existing account to start the procedure. Complete the online form with your personal details. When entering your telephone number, select your country’s international calling code. The system accepts foreign mobile numbers, so a Greek telephone number is not required. Upload the hosting declaration and your passport copy, then submit the application. Once the submission is completed, the system generates an electronic submission code. Save this code carefully because you will need it to schedule your video identity verification.

Booking Your Video Identity Verification Appointment

After submitting your AFM application, you must book an appointment through the myAADElive platform. The service is available without a Taxisnet login. You enter your name, email address, foreign telephone number, passport number and the submission code generated during your AFM application. You can then select an available date and time for your video appointment. If you prefer not to wait for a scheduled appointment, myAADElive also provides the option of joining a live queue and connecting with the next available AADE officer.

The Video Appointment

At the scheduled time, you will receive an email containing a link to connect with an AADE officer. The video appointment is conducted through Microsoft Teams, so it is recommended to have the application installed beforehand.

During the call, the officer reviews the documents you submitted and verifies your identity. You will be asked to show your original passport to the camera so that the officer can compare your appearance with the passport photograph and check the document’s security features.

The appointment is recorded. Before the process begins, you will be asked to provide your consent for the recording. If you do not consent, the online procedure cannot continue and you will be directed to complete the process in person.

The video appointments are conducted in either Greek or English. Once the identity verification is completed successfully, your AFM and your Taxisnet activation key (Κλειδάριθμος) are approved. The information is then sent to you electronically, usually before the end of the appointment.

Who Cannot Use This Procedure

Although the digital process is available to many applicants living abroad, it is not available in every situation. Certain categories of applicants, particularly some third-country nationals whose identification is handled through specific immigration, asylum or residence-permit procedures, may be required to complete the process in person at a tax office rather than through myAADElive.

For most applicants applying from countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia or the United Kingdom, the online procedure is available provided they meet the general requirements. However, anyone whose situation involves a specific Greek residence status should confirm eligibility before starting the application.

For the majority of diaspora members and foreign residents, however, the process is much simpler than many people expect. With a valid passport, a hosting declaration from someone in Greece and access to a computer or smartphone for the video appointment, obtaining a Greek AFM can often be completed entirely from abroad without ever setting foot in a Greek tax office.

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