If you wish to live and work in Greece, whether you are a Greek citizen, an overseas worker, or a company owner, you need to know how the social security system works. Social security in Greece involves more than simply money. It’s a safety net that assists individuals at various points in their lives by giving them health care, child care, money while they’re out of work, and more. At first glance, the system may appear hard to grasp, yet it is incredibly crucial to daily living and is a major aspect of the country’s social safety net.
What Greece’s social security is and how it works
The Unified Social Security Fund (EFKA) is in charge of social security. People who work for someone else, for themselves, or for an employer all pay into EFKA. Every month, workers and company owners pay for contributions with their pay cheques or directly from their pay cheques. In return, members enjoy health care, pension rights, support with unemployment, and other social benefits.
Health insurance coverage
One of Greece’s most essential rights is the right to health care, which is guaranteed by the country’s social security system. After joining up with EFKA, people may utilise the National Organisation for Healthcare Services (EOPYY). This group pays for items like doctor visits, hospital stays, nursing care, and prescriptions. A lot of people mix public and private insurance to get care faster, but Social Security guarantees everyone the basic right to reasonable health care.
Pension rights
Like most European countries, Greece has a public pension system for people who have worked and paid into it. The retirement age is slowly becoming the same as EU norms. It is now 67, but in some cases, people can leave younger. The amount of the salary relies on how much you earn and how long you pay into the plan. European deals make sure that years spent in Greece count towards wages in other EU member states for expats who have worked in more than one country.
Unemployment benefits
Greece’s EFKA and the Manpower Employment Organisation (OAED) both offer jobless payments to people who lose their jobs. To be eligible, workers had to make a certain number of payments in the months before they lost their jobs. Benefits are restricted in time, but they help people financially while they look for new work. OAED also helps people find jobs and retrains them, which can be useful for both outsiders and people from the area.
Family and maternity benefits
There are also rights for mothers that are protected by social welfare. Women who are expecting get paid maternity leave and health insurance before and after giving birth. Paternity leave is also available to fathers, though it lasts less time. Families can also get child payments, which give extra help based on the amount of kids in the family and the family’s budget.
Rights for expats and foreign workers
As long as they are registered with EFKA and making payments, foreigners who work officially in Greece have the same social security rights as Greek citizens. Freedom of movement deals help people in the EU because their contributions and rewards can be moved or recognised between EU states. People from outside the EU who have legal work permits are also protected. But it’s important to sign up early and keep track of your donations to avoid problems in the future.
Challenges and truths
Even though expats have rights, they often say that the Greek social security system is hard to use and takes time. There is a lot of red tape, offices are usually busy, and processes can be hard to understand without help. A lot of people hire accountants or lawyers to help them with things like paperwork, licenses, and applications. Still, the rights you get once you’re in make it worth it, especially the security of your healthcare and income.
Final thoughts
In Greece, social security is more than just a set of rules. It’s an important part of the country’s culture and makes sure that families and workers can get help when they need it. The system is meant to provide safety and stability in a country known for being strong. It includes things like health care, benefits, help for people who are unemployed, and rights for mothers. Not only is it easier and safer for expats to live and work in Greece when they know about and use these rights. While the papers might take a while, the peace of mind that comes with being safe is priceless.
You can also view these posts:
Greece through the eyes of investors
Traveling to Greece: Visa requirements
Things to know before immigrating to Greece
