Moving to and living on Crete

After spending some time on Crete, discovering the beauty of the island as well as the hospitality of the Cretans and of course because of the mild climate you have decided to spend your time now on Crete. Either to enjoy your retirement, either to spend only some months here and the other time in your home country or because you really want to change your whole life and get a part of the Cretan community.

Nevermind which reasons you have, you are welcome as guest and of course you should know certain things. Maybe this section will help you to make your life more easy.

The first step of course is finding a new home (find a selection on residences in our "Houses/Villas" section, "Apartments" section or look for a long term rental in our "Rental" section) in the right location, then moving to Crete, getting a residence permit, finding work on Crete and then start to enjoy your life. Find here a few tips and suggestions on:

Since Greece is a member of the European Community it is getting easier & easier to handle all issues which are associated with a move overseas. In general you have the same rights and duties as a Greek in Greece. But what should you be aware of and where to go, whom to ask to have as less hassle as possible?

List of useful documents to bring with you
* Your valid ID card and/or your valid passport
* ID card and/or passports for all your family members who accompany you, or any equivalent provisional certificate (if appropriate)
* Visa for the members of your family who are third-country nationals, if required
* Extract from policy records (some public bodies for which you would like to work could require this document)
* Birth certificate(s)
* Evidence of the status of your family members or your dependants (normally a document issued by the competent authority of the country of origin, testifying that they are dependent on you or that they live under your roof in such a country)
* ny legal documents describing your personal situation (marriage act, civil judgement, evidence that you have completed your military service, etc…)
* A student card and a valid subscription to a European university if you wish to be recognised as a student
* All original diplomas you have obtained in your country of origin or in another country (for study or work purposes)
* All professional certificates attesting to your professional qualifications
* Original working contracts establishing your professional experiences (activity and duration) including if relevant the contract under which you are currently working or are going to work
* The European Health Insurance Card and/or the relevant E-forms which facilitate the continuity of your social protection in another EU country; the same for each family member
* Necessary documents certifying your rights (period of work and social security cover, entitlement to social security benefits)
* Recent medical certificate or any personal medical record (to ease the work of a foreign doctor), if appropriate
* Your most recent bank statements to easily establish your financial conditions, if appropriate
* Your driving licence
* Technical specifications of the vehicle(s) you are bringing with you
* Evidence of payment of VAT in the country where you bought your car, if appropriate