Do you own property in Greece? If you do - or think you do (Greek uncle died?) - you need to register it in Greece on the new land registry finally being put into place by the Greek government. If you don't, you may find it difficult - or even impossible - to prove title and avoid boundary disputes in the future.
You may or may not know that until recently Greece was one of only two European countries without a land register. Despite several previous attempts and millions spent in the past, efforts to create a proper land registry in Greece have foundered before. However, the process of registering millions of homes and plots of land in Greece’s first ever comprehensive land registry began on 17th June 2008.
Some three million Greek and expatriate property owners in 107 municipalities nationwide had up to the 30th September 2008 to register their title deeds with Ktimatologio AE, the state-owned company in charge of compiling the Hellenic National Land Registry or Cadastre. Needless to say, this date was not met and the deadline has been extended more than once. Also, reports filtered through that not all municipalities had the ability as yet to register property so delays have been experienced.
This land registry process applies to both Greeks living in Greece and anyone else who owns property in Greece. Those living abroad had until 30th December to register their land, but this date too was extended. Bear in mind that it may be that earlier claims may prevail in case of disputes – first come, first served as it were, so don't wait until the last moment. And keep notarised copies of any documents submitted in support of your claims. Late registration will attract a fine, the amount being decided by the type and the value of the property.
If you acquired the right to property after the expiration of the submission period, you’ll have to register it with the Cadastre within a month from the date of the registration of the contract at the Land Registry office.
The registration process is especially crucial for older properties which have not gone through any sort of title search when they have changed hands. Just because your family has "always owned it" won't confer any protection on you during this new process.
Property owners will be able to visit one of the 76 land registry offices to submit the relevant documents or can fill in forms on line at the registry’s website, http://www.ktimatologio.gr/ktima/EN/index.php which offers some information in its English-language version.
Some 3 million Greeks are expected to take part in the process.
Besides the option of authorising a person through power of attorney to register property, there is also the possibility of submitting the registration on-line through the official Cadastre website at the same website: go to the sub-heading that reads ‘Operative Cadestre’. You can have the documentation posted to you I believe and the payment of the cost can be done by credit card.
Non-residents of Greece can check with the Greek Embassy or a Greek Consulate for the registry schedule of the area where their property is located. Information is also available by writing to Ktimatologio A.E., 288 Messogion Avenue, 155 62 Holargos, Greece. The telephone number is +30 (210) 650-5600.
I hope this is helpful and I really would be most grateful for some input here…have you experienced this process? If so, I would love to hear about it.
Please be especially cautious of any offers of help from those you do not know. A really good, recommended lawyer would be the way to go here and I would consult him/her from the outset.
Take care and best regards,
Carol.
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/
Friday 17 December 2010
Wednesday 8 December 2010
The Greek Medical System and Diabetes
A reader wanted to know how the NHS equivalent in Greece would handle their diabetes– this is what I was able to find out.
Greece’s public health system (IKA) provides free or low cost health care for those who contribute to Greek social security, plus their families and retirees (including those from other EU countries). Members are charged 25 per cent of the actual cost of prescriptions, although there are higher charges for non-essential medicines plus substantial contributions for many services, including spectacles, dentures and other treatment.
Access to treatment for people with diabetes in terms of reimbursement remains satisfactory according to practitioners working in this field. Medicines and medical appliances for diabetes are provided free of charge and patients are covered for all new insulin injections if they are covered by IKA or a medical insurance policy.
Any medication needed for the treatment of adult diabetes may be prescribed by any licensed doctor (insulin included). Generally the diabetes outpatient units operate two or three days a week. Blood glucose level as well as HBA1c may be tested in most of the secondary care facilities and their cost is covered by the system. All the tests related to diabetes and its secondary complications are covered by IKA. Sufferers with secondary complications are referred to specialists.
All major types and brands of medicine are on the Greek market. Any new medical product is offered if that product has already been approved and licensed on the EU market. The medication for diabetes management (insulins, oral medication and Glucagon) is fully compensated by all the insurance companies and the IKA, along with the necessary dispensing devices. Insulin pumps are 100% covered by the insurance companies.
However, Novo Nordisk, a Danish company and the world's leading supplier of insulin for diabetics is withdrawing a state-of-the-art medication from Greece. It has objected to a government decree ordering a 25% price cut in all medicines and a spokesman for the Danish pharmaceutical company said it was withdrawing the pen injection product from the Greek market because the price cut would force its business in Greece to run at a loss. More than 50,000 Greeks with diabetes use Novo Nordisk's product, which is injected via an easy-to-use fountain pen-like device.
Then there was a scandalous article in To Vima, one of Greece's most respected newspapers, saying that the nation's largest government health insurance provider would no longer pay for special footwear for diabetes patients. “Amputation is cheaper”, says the Benefits Division of the state insurance provider. All in all, it remains to be seen how the Greek medical system will perform in these disastrously bad financial times, but comments like this are not reassuring.
If you are planning to move to Greece and you suffer from this condition you would do well to make sure that emergency medical care is within easy reach of your home. Some islands are as far as 250 km away from the nearest specialist treatment centre and it might be very difficult to travel in bad weather if you have an emergency, especially if you are on an island.
Just to finish off, a few weeks ago I wrote about biking in Greece – I had a very amusing if rather worrisome comment from a reader. He says, and I quote:
“Interesting subject. It’s pleasing to know the Greek government is concerned about its visitors. Let’s hope they are as concerned about their indigenous bikers too! We have seen speeding to access, no lights, no helmets, number of people on a bike(Mum, Dad, two children, baby and a dog is our observed record), a sheep, an air conditioning unit, various length of planks and poles (7 metres is record)numerous boxes precariously positioned on passenger seat and between legs - just to name a but a few observations. From a concerned visitor!”
Point taken – have a care out there!
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Greecebuyingguide.com
Greece’s public health system (IKA) provides free or low cost health care for those who contribute to Greek social security, plus their families and retirees (including those from other EU countries). Members are charged 25 per cent of the actual cost of prescriptions, although there are higher charges for non-essential medicines plus substantial contributions for many services, including spectacles, dentures and other treatment.
Access to treatment for people with diabetes in terms of reimbursement remains satisfactory according to practitioners working in this field. Medicines and medical appliances for diabetes are provided free of charge and patients are covered for all new insulin injections if they are covered by IKA or a medical insurance policy.
Any medication needed for the treatment of adult diabetes may be prescribed by any licensed doctor (insulin included). Generally the diabetes outpatient units operate two or three days a week. Blood glucose level as well as HBA1c may be tested in most of the secondary care facilities and their cost is covered by the system. All the tests related to diabetes and its secondary complications are covered by IKA. Sufferers with secondary complications are referred to specialists.
All major types and brands of medicine are on the Greek market. Any new medical product is offered if that product has already been approved and licensed on the EU market. The medication for diabetes management (insulins, oral medication and Glucagon) is fully compensated by all the insurance companies and the IKA, along with the necessary dispensing devices. Insulin pumps are 100% covered by the insurance companies.
However, Novo Nordisk, a Danish company and the world's leading supplier of insulin for diabetics is withdrawing a state-of-the-art medication from Greece. It has objected to a government decree ordering a 25% price cut in all medicines and a spokesman for the Danish pharmaceutical company said it was withdrawing the pen injection product from the Greek market because the price cut would force its business in Greece to run at a loss. More than 50,000 Greeks with diabetes use Novo Nordisk's product, which is injected via an easy-to-use fountain pen-like device.
Then there was a scandalous article in To Vima, one of Greece's most respected newspapers, saying that the nation's largest government health insurance provider would no longer pay for special footwear for diabetes patients. “Amputation is cheaper”, says the Benefits Division of the state insurance provider. All in all, it remains to be seen how the Greek medical system will perform in these disastrously bad financial times, but comments like this are not reassuring.
If you are planning to move to Greece and you suffer from this condition you would do well to make sure that emergency medical care is within easy reach of your home. Some islands are as far as 250 km away from the nearest specialist treatment centre and it might be very difficult to travel in bad weather if you have an emergency, especially if you are on an island.
Just to finish off, a few weeks ago I wrote about biking in Greece – I had a very amusing if rather worrisome comment from a reader. He says, and I quote:
“Interesting subject. It’s pleasing to know the Greek government is concerned about its visitors. Let’s hope they are as concerned about their indigenous bikers too! We have seen speeding to access, no lights, no helmets, number of people on a bike(Mum, Dad, two children, baby and a dog is our observed record), a sheep, an air conditioning unit, various length of planks and poles (7 metres is record)numerous boxes precariously positioned on passenger seat and between legs - just to name a but a few observations. From a concerned visitor!”
Point taken – have a care out there!
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Greecebuyingguide.com
Thursday 2 December 2010
Education in Greece
If you have decided to move to Greece lock, stock and barrel, taking your young family with you, a subject that is going to crop up sooner or later is education.
Embodied in the Greek constitution is that all citizens (and certain foreigners who live and work in the country) are entitled to free education. In Greece, all children from 6 to 15 years old must attend school. Children from two-and-a-half years of age can be enrolled in either public or private crèches (vrefonipiakoi paidikoi stathmi); some have nursery classes (nipiaka tmimata) as well as kindergartens (nipiagogeia).
Enrolling a Child in a Public School:
Children who are five years and six months old on 1 October are entitled to register in the first grade for the upcoming school year. Registration for primary school (dimotiko) and kindergarten usually takes place from 1–21 June at the school itself. Children attend school in the district where they live. The Town Hall will be able to advise parents of their catchment area.
Enrolment at secondary school usually takes place at the primary school that the child is already attending. In Athens, children are generally assigned to a school, whereas in less densely populated areas there may be a choice of schools that the child may attend. Newcomers to Greece should contact their Town Hall for information on enrolment procedures.
To register a child for school, a parent or guardian will be asked to provide the following documentation for the student (this is a summary; additional documentation may be required):
- Birth certificate
- Records of vaccinations for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough (Pertussis), Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Tuberculosis
- Record of dental examinations
- Proof of residency, such as a utility bill
Any documents in a language other than Greek must be translated into Greek by an official translator.
The Greek Educational System consists of three levels:
Primary (called dimotiko or elementary school), Secondary (gymnasio and lykeio, i.e. junior and senior high school respectively) and Tertiary education level.
Primary education level can be divided into Pre-school Education, which is offered by kindergartens, and Compulsory Primary Education, which is offered by Primary schools. This basic education is compulsory for the entire population and provides people in their childhood and early adolescence with the rudimentary knowledge required to function in society.
The primary school year starts in mid-September and ends in mid-June. The school day lasts from approximately 08:15 to 13:30. Subjects taught include Modern Greek, mathematics, environmental studies, history, physical education and art. In the fourth grade courses in a foreign language, culture, and music are included. In the fifth and sixth grade, social studies, civics and physics are added.
Secondary education level is available in two cycles:
Compulsory Lower Level Secondary Education: this is offered at Gymnasiums. Post-compulsory, Upper Secondary Education is offered by the Unified Lyceums and Technical Vocational Educational Institutes. This corresponds to senior high or upper secondary school.
The gymnasia school year generally runs from mid-September to mid-May, with classes five days a week. The school week is 34 to 35 hours. Both public and private gymnasia are available.
Tertiary education: This is divided into University education, available from Universities and non-university education, which is offered by Higher Technological Educational Institutes and Higher Education Institutes (16 throughout the country). Post- graduate courses are also available at Tertiary education level.
Technical Education Institutes or TEI correspond to technical colleges and provide non-university education with a strongly vocational character. These colleges were recognised as part of higher education in 2001.
Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level, with examinations taking place after completion of the third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students over twenty-two years old may be admitted to the Hellenic Open University through a form of lottery.
Today universities and Technical Education Institutes are all state-funded, since the article 16 of the Constitution of the country stipulates explicitly that higher education be provided free of charge exclusively by public institutions. There is however a general trend of cuts in the students welfare, for instance only a very limited number of students have access to students residences, free meals etc. Books are still provided free of charge by the universities in the majority of the cases, although the tendency is towards cuts in this regard too. There is a move to changing this but it is a greater challenge than most governments are prepared to take on!
There are a number of private International schools in Athens, plus one in Thessaloniki, teaching in English. They too, however, mostly conform to the Greek syllabus. There are also French and German schools in Athens. For a list of International schools and colleges just Google ‘International Schools Greece’ and they will come up.
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/
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