# Getting a Greek bank account



## pickledtink (Jun 14, 2016)

When I bought my little house I was unable to open a Greek bank account due to the laws stopping any new accounts since the crisis. It's getting increasingly difficult to get bills paid when I'm not there or keep any euros in Greece for maintenance costs etc. Now the euro is plummeting against the pound it's getting even sillier because if any short lets are paid in euro it then has to be exchanged for sterling when really I need to keep it there in euro. 

I tried via UK open a HSBC account as they have some branches in Greece but it was a waste of time.
Does anyone have any ideas or any knowledge as to when it might be possible to get an account again? I cannot discover anything and the Greek bank on Skyros can't tell me anything either.


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

pickledtink said:


> When I bought my little house I was unable to open a Greek bank account due to the laws stopping any new accounts since the crisis. It's getting increasingly difficult to get bills paid when I'm not there or keep any euros in Greece for maintenance costs etc. Now the euro is plummeting against the pound it's getting even sillier because if any short lets are paid in euro it then has to be exchanged for sterling when really I need to keep it there in euro.
> 
> I tried via UK open a HSBC account as they have some branches in Greece but it was a waste of time.
> Does anyone have any ideas or any knowledge as to when it might be possible to get an account again? I cannot discover anything and the Greek bank on Skyros can't tell me anything either.


You can probably transfer your bills,electricity,water,ENFIA etc..through E Banking,my husband does this here in Athens,and it asks if you are transferring national or international,your bank in UK will advise you and give you all the codes,you will print out the receipt,the ENFIA payments start again in 2 months,a one off payment or doses through E Banking.You need to be careful about any rental income as I see on the Greek news today that the government is bringing new laws on rental incomes from Expats properties to ensure taxes are paid,a licence is required from the tourism department,they check Airb&b,neighbors here at your house may also make phone calls to give you in,we had neighbors phone the police 3 times to give us in when building our house in case we didnt have a licence,and the police arrived each time to hassle us.I see that they now intend to use drones to view any illegal buildings.We do have a licence of course.I presume you have entered your tax return this last month as one must when one owns property here.Property owners also get a one off yearly property tax request separate from the ENFIA,its about 10 euro posted out to you.


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