Greece

Work

EU nationals don’t need a work permit, but they need a residency permit and a Greek tax file number if they intend to stay longer than three months. Nationals of other countries are supposed to have a work permit.

Business hours

Banks are open from 8am to 2pm Monday to Thursday, and from 8am to 1.30pm Friday. Some banks in large towns and cities open between 3.30pm and 6.30pm on weekdays and 8am to 1.30pm Saturday.

Post offices are open from 7.30am to 2pm Monday to Friday. In the major cities they stay open until 8pm, and open from 7.30am to 2pm Saturday.

In summer, the usual opening hours for shops are from 8am to 1.30pm and from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8am to 2.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Shops open 30 minutes later during winter. These times are not always strictly adhered to. Many shops in tourist resorts are open seven days a week.

Department stores and supermarkets are open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, from 8am to at least 3pm on Saturday and are closed on Sunday.

Periptera (street kiosks) are open from early morning until late at night. They sell everything from bus tickets and cigarettes to razor blades and shaving cream.

Restaurant hours vary enormously. Most places are normally open for lunch from 11am to 3pm, and for dinner between 7pm and 1am, while restaurants in tourist areas remain open all day. Cafés normally open at about 10am, and stay open until midnight.

Bars open from about 8pm until late, while discos and nightclubs don’t usually open until at least 10pm; it’s rare to find much of a crowd before midnight. They close at about 4am, later on Friday and Saturday.