Before you start

A Greek AFM — free, from the local DOY or through gov.gr, and the non-negotiable first step
Proof of a Thessaloniki address — a registered lease, a utility bill, or your AADE address registration
Proof of income or employment
For non-EU applicants, a residence permit or proof of a pending application

Step-by-step

1
Get the AFM first
Apply free at the local tax office with your passport, or start remotely through gov.gr and AADE and verify by video call. You also receive a kleidarithmos, the web PIN for gov.gr. An accountant can do it under power of attorney if you are not yet in the country. Everything else waits on this.
In personWho: You, or an accountant under power of attorneyOften same dayFree
2
Bridge the gap with a neobank IBAN
Before you have an AFM and a lease, open Revolut, N26 or Wise in-app for an instant euro IBAN. It covers card spending and person-to-person transfers from day one, but it is not accepted everywhere a salary deposit or a rent guarantee is needed.
Mobile appWho: YouMinutes
3
Open an account at one of the big four in branch
With an AFM, an address and income proof, visit a National Bank of Greece, Piraeus, Alpha Bank or Eurobank branch with originals. You sign a FATCA/CRS tax-residency self-certification. English service is variable — call ahead, and central Thessaloniki branches are more likely to have an English-speaking officer than suburban ones.
In personWho: YouSame day to a few days
4
Enable IRIS instant payments in the app
Link your phone number to your IBAN for IRIS, Greece's instant payment rail. It is how Greeks pay each other, freelancers and small businesses, and businesses have been required to accept it. Free, real-time, and no IBAN exchange needed.
Mobile appWho: YouMinutes once the account is live
5
Set up the recurring payments
Rent, electricity, water, koinóchrista and your phone. In a central-heating building the koinóchrista is the one that varies most, so set it up as a payment you review each month rather than a fixed standing order you forget about.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Keep the account active
Greek banks charge inactivity fees on dormant accounts. If you keep a Greek account for a property or a future move while living elsewhere, put a small recurring payment through it rather than letting it sit.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport or EU national ID
AFM
Proof of a Thessaloniki address — registered lease, utility bill, or AADE address registration
Proof of income or employment
Residence permit or proof of a pending application, for non-EU applicants
Greek mobile number
FATCA/CRS tax-residency self-certification, signed at the bank

Things most newcomers don’t know

No AFM, no account — and the AFM is its own separate appointment.

Banks will turn you away without a tax number, and obtaining one has its own process at the DOY or through gov.gr. Newcomers discover this at the counter, having already booked time off work for the bank appointment. Sort the AFM in week one and the account opening itself is trivial.

Source: AADE / gov.gr

Turn on IRIS immediately — it is how the country actually pays.

IRIS is Greece's instant payment rail, linked to your phone number rather than your IBAN, and it is now ubiquitous for person-to-person payments and for paying freelancers and small businesses. A newcomer running only a foreign neobank ends up fumbling for cash in situations where everyone around them is tapping a phone number.

Source: DIAS interbank systems

A neobank IBAN gets you through week one and no further.

Revolut, Wise and N26 give you a working euro account in minutes, which covers spending and transfers while you sort the AFM. But salary deposits, rent guarantees and several government and utility direct debits still expect a traditional Greek bank. Treat the neobank as the bridge, not the destination.

Source: provider terms; community-reported

Call the specific branch about English before booking, not the bank.

Every Greek bank advertises English-language service and every app delivers it. Branch staffing is another matter, and in Thessaloniki's residential districts an English-speaking officer may simply not be on that day. Central branches near Tsimiski and Aristotelous are the safer bet, and a two-minute call saves a wasted morning.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Walking into a branch without an AFM and being sent to the tax office.
Assuming the account is free — most of the big four charge a monthly package fee unless a condition is met.
Relying only on a neobank and finding your employer or landlord will not use it.
Giving inconsistent tax-residency information on the FATCA/CRS form, which can flag or freeze the account.
Letting a Greek account go dormant and accruing inactivity fees.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make it your personal checklist

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