On your second day in Athens, three different people ask you for the same thing. The landlord wants it for the lease, the bank wants it to open your account, and the electricity company wants it for the contract. Your AFM tax number in Greece is the key that opens most doors, and the good news is that it is free and mostly online.
What is the AFM tax number in Greece?
The AFM, in Greek ΑΦΜ or Αριθμός Φορολογικού Μητρώου, is your tax registration number. It is issued by the ΑΑΔΕ (AADE), the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. When you get it, you also receive an access code, the κλειδάριθμος, which together with your AFM gives you a login to the tax portal myAADE and, from there, to most services on gov.gr. People usually call this login the TAXISnet codes.
It is not a residence document and it does not make you a tax resident. The AADE can issue it to someone who lives in Greece and to someone who lives abroad but owns property or has a business here.
Who needs an AFM and when?
Practically everyone who settles. You need it to sign a lease, open a bank account, be declared by an employer, buy a home, start a business and file a tax return. If you are retired and plan to claim the flat 7% regime, the tax authority handles that through your tax file as well.
Do it first, before the lease and before the bank. It is the one document that has no prerequisite apart from your ID.
How do you apply for an AFM online?
- Scan your documents. An incomplete file is a common reason for rejection.
- File the application on myAADE, using the application for an AFM and access code for a natural person. According to the official procedure page, the request is filed electronically only.
- Prove your identity. Either by video call with an AADE agent (myAADElive, immediately with the first available agent or by appointment), or in person, by appointment, at a tax office (ΔΟΥ) or a tax service unit.
- Receive your AFM and access code. The official estimated total time is 30 minutes.
If you cannot do it yourself, a third person can file on your behalf with a special power of attorney with an authenticated signature. That person must have an AFM and certified access to the AADE online services.
What documents do you need for the AFM?
- EU citizens: a copy of a valid national ID card.
- Other foreigners: a copy of a valid passport.
- Third-country nationals who are tax residents in Greece: a valid residence permit.
- If relevant: a marriage or civil partnership certificate, a dissolution document, or birth certificates and both parents' consent for a minor.
- Foreign public documents: an apostille or legalisation, and an official translation where required.
The official list does not ask for proof of address. That means you can get an AFM before you have found a flat, which is what most people do. Swiss citizens should bring a passport, since the official page only mentions the ID card for EU citizens.
Do you need a tax representative?
Only some non-residents. If you cannot do the procedure yourself and live abroad, the application can be made through a φορολογικός εκπρόσωπος (tax representative), with declarations of appointment and acceptance, signatures authenticated. The detailed rules sit in an AADE decision we could not read in full, so if you live outside Greece and are unsure, ask the AADE directly before paying anyone.
What can go wrong with an AFM application?
- Paying an intermediary unnecessarily. The procedure is free and can be done remotely. A professional is useful for complicated cases, not for a standard EU citizen with a passport.
- Foreign documents without apostille or translation. This is a frequent cause of rejection. Check before you upload.
- Confusing the AFM with tax residency. Having the number does not make you Greek resident for tax, but moving your life here usually does. Look at the 183-day rule before the end of your first year.
- Forgetting the login codes. Keep your access code somewhere safe. Without it you are locked out of the portal where your lease, your tax return and your property declarations appear.
What do you do with the AFM once you have it?
Use it, in this order. Sign a lease and ask the landlord to declare it, because you will receive a notification on myAADE that you must accept within 30 days. This is explained in renting in Greece. Then register with the police after your first three months and activate your AMKA; the steps are in residence registration in Greece. Finally, open a bank account with your AFM and a proof of address.
British citizens have to present a passport and, if they are tax residents in Greece, their Greek residence permit. See moving to Greece from the UK.
How long does it take, and what if you are stuck?
The official estimate is about 30 minutes in total once your file is complete. In real life, the variable is the identity check. The video call with an AADE agent can be immediate with the first available agent, or booked, and an in-person visit to a tax office is by appointment. If a counter appointment is weeks away, try the video-call option.
If your application is rejected, the cause is usually one of three things: an unreadable scan, a foreign document without apostille or translation, or a missing civil-status paper for a spouse or a minor. Fix the file and file again; the AFM itself costs nothing. If you truly cannot connect to the portal, the tax authority's helpline my1521 and the local tax office are the fallback.
What changes once you hold an AFM and TAXISnet codes?
A great deal. The codes open the tax portal, where your lease will appear, your tax return will be filed, and your requests to the tax authority are made through My Requests: change of address, start of an activity, appointment of a tax representative. They also open most of gov.gr, the single state portal. The AFM is also the number a notary uses when you buy a home, the number your employer declares you under, and the number the bank writes on your account.
The AFM identifies you in the tax register, but it does not decide what you owe. Your obligations depend on your residence, your income and the regimes you choose. For the whole sequence of steps, read the moving to Greece checklist.
Where can you get help with the AFM tax number in Greece?
The AADE runs a helpline, my1521, and the national procedure register MITOS describes each step in English. A local KEP (citizens' service centre) can also point you to the right tax office. Treat an agent or a lawyer as a last resort: the AFM tax number in Greece is a free service, and a standard EU citizen with an ID card can usually complete it alone.