In Greece, receiving a pension depends on a number of factors including: age, length of service, social security system and type of pension.
Age: For the standard old-age pension, the minimum age is 67. It is possible to receive an early pension from the age of 62 if you have a certain number of years of service.
Length of service: The minimum required length of service for a pension is 15 years (4,500 days of service).
Type of pension: -Old-age pension: Paid upon reaching a specified age and having the required length of service. -Disability pension: Available to persons who have lost the ability to work due to illness or injury. -Survivors' Pension: Payable to spouses and dependents of a deceased person who was entitled to a pension.
Special conditions: Certain categories of workers (e.g. workers with hazardous working conditions) have special conditions that allow them to retire earlier than the standard age.
In order to receive a pension in Greece, certain documents must be prepared, which may differ depending on the type of pension (old age, disability or survivors' pension).
The main documents you will need are:
passport or identity card,
tax number (AFM),
insurance number (AMKA),
documents confirming the length of service (for old-age pension), marriage certificate and death certificate (if applying for survivors' pension), documents confirming disability (for disability pension),
bank details for transferring the pension.
The social security authorities will check the documents provided and make a decision on your application. This process can take several months, depending on the complexity of your case and the workload of the social security authorities.
Since the pension system in Greece is constantly being reformed, we recommend that you seek up-to-date information from Greek social security authorities or consult with your lawyer.