Athens culture & etiquette

The AFM (tax number) and AMKA (social-security number) are the master keys to life in Greece: you can't sign a lease, open a bank account, get a postpaid SIM, start work, or access healthcare without them. The AFM is free at the local tax office (ΔΟΥ) or via gov.gr; the AMKA at a KEP citizen-service centre (non-EU need a residence permit first). Newcomers who flat-hunt before sorting these stall every other step. Do them first.

Greece offers three opt-in regimes for new tax residents. The standout for working people is Article 5C: move your tax residence to Greece, take up Greek employment or self-employment, haven't been Greek-resident 5 of the last 6 years, and commit to ≥2 years — and 50% of your Greek-source income is tax-free for 7 years. There's also a flat 7% on foreign income for foreign pensioners (15 years) and a €100,000/year non-dom lump sum for the wealthy. Apply by the deadline (usually 31 March) — they're not automatic.

The public system (ESY, via EOPYY/EFKA and your AMKA) is cheap and universal, but underfunded: long waits, crowded clinics, limited English. Almost every expat pairs it with a private policy (~€400-1,200/year) and uses Athens' excellent private hospitals — Hygeia, Metropolitan, Iaso, Errikos Dynan. Non-EU residents need private cover to get the residence permit in the first place, so budget for it from day one. Note: from April 2026 a registered personal doctor is the mandatory gate to public specialists.

A taverna dinner runs €12-20 a head, a gyros €3-4.50, and a freddo you can nurse all afternoon is €3-4. Rents, while rising fast (Golden-Visa and Airbnb pressure), are still well below Western Europe. Coffee culture is a competitive sport, the produce is superb, and the sea is a tram ride away. The trade-offs: bureaucracy is slow (embrace 'sigá sigá'), and much daily life still runs on cash plus the IRIS instant-payment app.

July-August bring 35°C+ heat and periodic heatwaves; the Acropolis even closes midday during extreme spells. Many Athenians decamp to the islands and villages in August, so some shops, clinics and services run reduced hours or shut entirely. Strikes (apergía) can pause transport with little notice. Spring and autumn are the city's sweet spots; a flat with good air-con and insulation is worth paying for.

Koukaki and Pangrati are the trendy, walkable nomad favourites near the centre; Kolonaki is upscale; Exarcheia is gritty-bohemian; the Riviera (Glyfada, Voula) trades the buzz for the sea. Many Athens flats are older polykatoikia apartments — check for a lift, heating type (autonomous vs central, which affects bills), insulation and air-con before signing. The metro reaches most central areas and the airport.