Brits In Crete
Frequently Asked Questions :

For a Move to Crete

The answers to the following FAQ questions are based on personal experiences by the BritsinCrete team as expatriates in Crete and information gleaned from the Greek Embassy in London, the British Consulate in Crete and from various personal discussions - over a raki, beer or coffee in the local kafeneio with other Ex Pats in Crete. We make no guarantee that the answers are 100% accurate. The laws in Crete do seem to change very quickly and with alarming frequency. So if you act on something using the information contained here, don't get miffed if it is a tad outdated! :-)

Q. I want to buy/start a business in Crete, is it fairly simple to do this?

A. If you want to buy or start a business in Crete you will need a Tax Number, to get one you will need a residency permit of more than 6 months and ALL your tax affairs in the UK must be up to date 100% with a UK Inland Revenue clearance certificate. You will need your tax number to enable you to buy stock/consumables at trade prices. Licenses etc are necessary. Get a good English and Greek speaking lawyer and accountant, it is nigh on impossible to do anything business wise without these two valuable services. To get a residency permit you will need a copy of your passport and 4 Passport Size photographs. If you own property you may be also asked for a copy of the deeds or your building permit and you may be asked to show a bank book to prove you can support yourself.To get a Tax number you will need a copy of your passport and a copy of your Birth Certificate
For an IKA book a form E121 or E111 or E119 a copy of your passport
and possibly tax form for E121 and 119

NOTE: Rule of Thumb in everyday dealings. Always take your original documents along too when giving copies to officials or company representatives. The copies often have to be officially "certified" as copies.

Q. Which is best? Buy a house or build one?

A. You have 3 Main Choices - Stone, Concrete, Procat (Prefabricated)

Once you have decided whether to buy a ready built house and renovate or build your own, you will then need to decide whether you want a Stone House, a Concrete House or a Procat (also spelt Prokat) House, each has it's own merits and disadvantages. Stone is very strong and stays cool in the hot summer months, and with proper sealing around doors and windows, can be warm in winter, otherwise is could be quite nippy, especially around the legs and feet.

Concrete is not very pretty but has similar qualities as stone with regards to temperatures in summer and winter. The downside to concrete construction is that it tends to be prone to damp during winter and the rainy season. Concrete also needs be painted every year and maintained, otherwise the surface can become unsightly.

Procat Houses
Procat Houses are basically pre-fabricated houses which can be produced in any design you wish with as many bedrooms, features and fittings as you like (or can afford) from set room configurations and layouts. The prices are very reasonable and the finished article comes with a lifetime guarantee and is earthquake proof. To take care of the buraucracy and taxes, you still need an architect to oversee the build.

Procat Heraklion
There is a Procat office in Heraklion. It is to be found on the road to Moires having exited the E75 motorway in the direction of the Makro superstore. Located on the right hand side of the road. Showrooms are about 5kms on the main E75 motorway in the direction of Rethymnon.

See also dedicated page on buyingadvice and to property developers and other buying a property in Crete links in this website.

House Rental can be between a basic €200-600 a month and up. Even houses with pools are surprisingly inexpensive. It does not say much for the return on the investment (ROI) for the owner of a property. But remember in Greece, most families buy to own and keep their houses and to pass on to the next generation. Then there are swimming pools.

Q. Can I import my car from the UK to Crete?

A. You can temporarily import a car into Greece/Crete for a period of 6 months or less, check the AA or R.A.C Web sites for Items that are required when driving on the Continent. Tourists from other EU Member States, whose cars are registered in that EU State, are free to circulate in Greece for a period of six months without customs control. The car registration document and proof of ownership of a caravan or boat is required. Travelers should at all times be able to prove to the authorities when the car was brought into Greece.
To qualify for a second period of tax free circulation: either both the car and the owner should be out of Greece for at least 185 days (6 Months) or while the owner is away, the vehicle can remain at a special Customs compound in Greece for the period stated. Greek road tax is payable for all additional periods of circulation. The entitlement to circulate on foreign plates is strictly personal, consequently only the wife/husband or children may use the car in addition to the owner. After the expiry of the period granted by the customs....

For complete information, please go to our dedicated page in this web site to find out more on importing a car to Crete.

Q. Which side of the road do they drive on in Crete?

A. Like the rest of Continental Europe, Greece drives on the right. And left hand drive. Cretan Driving is enthusiastic verging on the dangerous at times, but if you drive down to Crete, across France and Italy you will already be used to it, where continental driving is just as hectic and speedy. More information and advice in the page on Driving in Crete.

Q. Are Cars cheaper to buy in Crete?

Q. How can I get to Crete?

A. You can fly or you can drive/sail. See Getting There Page for more details of the drive. For a flight you have two choices. 1. From May to October you can fly for approximately £150.00 Return. 2. From October to May the only way to fly is via Athens which can be a lot more expensive and entail lots of waiting around. If you want to get into the removals business and drive both ways, or just load the family and pets in the back, go to this page - it has it all.

A. If you bring your children to Crete they WILL (at time of writing) have to go to a Greek School. There is one European School in Crete funded by the EU. It is in Heraklion and the contact, ask for Mrs Spili. More details on the European School, Crete on our Schooling page.

Satellite
A. You can indeed, and for not too much investment either (depending on how much choice you want). €250.00 to €500.00 (one off payment) gets you a HotBird set up (13 degrees East) which features BBC Prime (with annual fee), BBC World, Reality TV, Eurosport and a few Music Channels. There is also Badr - Arabsat (25/26 degrees East) movie channels and all English programming, Astra (19 degrees East) "K" satellite distribution, Dutch, German and odd assortment. Best source is to be found at Lyngsat. Check the European pages for satellites between 42 degrees East and 13 degrees East.

The Greek Satellite TV is called Nova and is much like Sky only in Greek. Sky TV is available but without the UK domestic Terrestrial Channels BBC and ITV, (except BBCi, and Welsh Channel 4). The best way to get Sky in Crete is from UK-based, Skysat-Europe, one of the few authorized dealers, permitted under re-organized distribution by BSkyB for its program packages, under a tighter controlled environment, effective June 2007.

For the adventurous, this website helps you receive sat TV on your PC.

It is for practical reasons impossible to receive mainstream, domestic BBC and ITV by satellite directly. Due to contractual obligations and copyright on programming, the transponder / transmission footprint carrying domestic programs on satellite is tight on the British Isles. If you are very rich and have a house with a very strong roof, it can be done with a 5 Metre dish at a cost of between €11,000 and €18,000!

Internet
A. The Internet is available in Crete and ADSL or Broadband and with each passing month also becoming more widely available. In general it is the same price as the UK. More regular TV programs are viewable via the Internet in 2007 than ever before. Sky news and BBC main and even regional news summaries are available as video-on-demand (VOD). The two main telecoms service providers in Greece are Otenet and Forthnet.

A. The biggest mobile phone provider in Greece is Cosmote, closely followed by Vodafone. Everywhere you go you will find a Cosmote and a Vodafone Shop. If you are bringing your UK purchased Mobile with you, BritsInCrete strongly recommends that you either:
A. Get the phone "unlocked" in the UK before you come to Greece or
B. Get it unlocked here.

That is a quick look at the FAQ's of living in Crete for the British and Irish Expatriate community. Of course, it applies to other EU nationalities as well.

Other Useful Reference Pages on Ex Pat Living in Crete:

Schools for Foreign Children
Being part of the EU, Greece through state organisations has sponsored Schools for Foreign Children, including the EU, European School Heraklion. A true experience of bringing the kids over in "Making the Leap with Kids".

Public Utilities
Public Utilities - Electricity and water. Explanation of billing.

Living in Winter is Different
Crete - you know the weather is good that is why you come to Southern Greece but Crete also has a winter climate and its house heating implications.

PTT - Post and Telecoms
Telephone, Internet and Postal Services - what you need to know.

Healthcare and Medical Services
Essential reading, including the private Cretan Medicare Centres.

Cretan Culture
Retaining language and customs yet making foreigners feel inclusive along with choices in local TV Viewing.

Updated Cost of Living Details - February 2008
More important information for calculating the cost of living on fixed income on a monthly basis.

Stores and Supermarkets Grocery Shopping
From small village stores, to large supermarket chains, like Carrefour and Lidl, Crete has it all. A Quick guide to what is available.

Citizens Advice Bureaus in Greece (K.E.P.)
Your short cut to the Ministries and who is responsible for what.

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