Gavrilaki Lida Maria Lawyer

RESIDENCE PERMITS IN GREECE

As expert Immigration Lawyers, we handle the whole procedure for issuing and renewing Residence Permits, including the submission of applications with all the required documents.

We provide legal advice to third-country nationals in relation to the requirements by Law for each type of Residence Permit.

Types of residence permits:

Residence Permits for Employment: Dependent Employment or provision of services or work, Seasonal Employment, Corporate Executives, Temporary Travel for the provision of services, Athletes-Coaches, Members of Artistic groups, Intellectual Creators, Members of schools of archeology

Residence Permits for Independent Economic Activity: Independent Economic Activity, Development of Investment Activity

Residence Permit for Financially Independent Persons (FIP program)

Residence Permit for Special Reasons: Studies, Vocational training, Scholars-Special programs, Foreign Press Correspondents, Researchers

Residence Permit for Exceptional Reasons: Humanitarian Reasons, Public Interest, Trafficking Victims

Residence Permit for Family Reunification: Family members of a third-country national, Autonomous Residence Permit for the Family members of a third-country national, Family members of a Greek or EU citizen

Long-term Resident Permit: Residence Permit by Investment

Unfixed-term Residence Permit

General conditions in order to have the right of residence in Greece:

a) They must possess a current passport or other travel document recognized by international conventions or a visa

b) They must pose no threat to public order and security for the protection of national security

c) They shall not pose threats to public health. The only conditions that may justify the refusal of entry or of the right of residence are those provided for by the World Health Organization, as well as other infectious, contagious or parasitic diseases that dictate the taking of measures for the protection of public health. The ascertainment, after the issuance of the initial residence permit, that the holder suffers from a disease contracted after his entry in the country shall not constitute grounds for the non-renewal of his residence permit or his removal from the territory of the country

d) They must hold full health insurance for all risks covered for native Greeks

Note: Each residence permit shall state whether the holder is entitled to have access to the labor market and is subject to any special arrangements.

NATURALIZATION

We handle the whole procedure of Naturalization in Greece and in Cyprus. We offer one stop shop service to efficiently complete the application procedure for naturalization in Greece and in Cyprus and to obtain the Greek citizenship or the Cypriot citizenship.

Naturalization is the official administrative act, by which a country confers the status of the citizen to someone who until then was a citizen of another country. When the naturalization process is successfully completed, the person is provided with an identification card, passport and other necessary public documents and as a result she/heobtains legally the rights of the country’s citizens, she/he has thesame rights and obligations as the country’s citizens.

Indicatively, citizenship is granted for the following reasons:

1. Foreigners who have completed seven years of legal residency in Cyprus or Greece before the application’s submission date, under the condition that the applicant during the last period of twelve months preceding the application’s submission date was residing continuously and legally in the Republic.

2. Applicants who follow the Investment Program that enables eligible applicants to obtain citizenship in six months through property investment. It is a direct citizenship program offering such a simple way of obtaining dual citizenship without residency requirements, with an investment minimum of €2,200,000. Cyprus and Greek citizenship grants applicants and their families visa-free access to EU and Schengen Area.

When engaging in any investment and transaction involving real estate in Greece, it is of outmost importance that both parties involved in the transaction ensure that certain safeguards have been met. We successfully represent the seller or the purchaser and we handle the whole procedure of property sale or purchase, from the beginning through the end.

Whether you are the current owner of a Greek property, wishing to sell and liquidize it, or an investor/buyer interested in acquiring real property, our office can protect your interests and take all necessary steps towards ensuring that the transfer of property is completed in the most cost-efficient and professional manner.

For the purchaser, before proceeding in the conclusion and execution of the purchase contract, we provide due diligence investigation on the ownership title and its current legal status. This includes the chain of transfers of the ownership rights and the confirmation that the appeared seller is truly the legal owner of the immovable property and everything is in order.

If you are not able to be physically present in Greece, we can successfully represent you throughout the whole procedure. We perform all required proceduresand we can sign on behalf of you.

We advise and guide both individual and corporate clients on sale-purchase agreements, acquisition of property by non-residents, property review, negotiation and drafting. We successfully represent our clients on the conclusion of sale-purchase agreements, construction agreements and rental agreements.

We have extensive experience in corporate law, both in Greece and Cyprus, therefore, we effectively offer the following services:

• Formation and Administration of Companies in Greece and Cyprus
• Formation and Administration of Companies in other Jurisdictions
• Formation and use of Trust
• Cross-Border Transactions
• International Collective Investment Schemes
• Mergers & Acquisitions

According to the needs of your business, we handle and complete the registration procedure for trademarks, patents or designs in Greece, EU or internationally (WIPO).

We can support you and your corporate entity with:

• Advice on intellectual property licensing suitable for your business needs
• Defining parameters of the relevant IP and ownership rights
• Drafting documents in relation to licensing of intellectual property rights
• Licensing out intellectual property to third parties
• IP asset purchases
• Negotiations such as royalty structures
• IP dispute resolution
• Establishing a franchising network transferring ownership of intellectual property by way of assignment
• Sub-licensing
• Registration at the national level or the EU Patent Office or Internationally (WIPO)

Trademarks:

A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. Trademarks are protected by intellectual property rights.

A trademark is an intellectual property right/asset containing numerical, word, label, the shape of goods, color, name, symbol, or any combination that makes your brand different from others and communicates brand value to customers.

A registered trademark protects your brand value and investment, define your business rights and prevent other competitors from using your trademark.

Foreigners must perform the trademark prosecution in Greece through a registered Greek trademark attorney.