Greek Military Service for Overseas Citizens: Exemption, Buyout, and Avoiding Penalties

Alt Title: Greek Military Exemption: A Civilian’s Relief

Alt Description: A civilian shaking hands with a military officer, symbolizing an exemption from military service for overseas conscripts.

Many Greeks have been living and working permanently abroad with no intention of returning to Greece soon. For instance, young people leave Greece to study at foreign universities, and after completing their studies, they seek employment in another country. Others move abroad for work or personal/social reasons. It’s also common for entire families to relocate overseas, with minor children after attending foreign schools and reaching adulthood. Such an individual may face the issue of compulsory military service in Greece.

The scenarios above often involve individuals who are unaware of the current legislation, including whether they fall into the category of “AnupotaktoiExoterikou” (Draft Evaders Abroad), what conditions the law sets, beneficial and non-beneficial consequences of draft evasion, how they can buy out their military service if they cannot return to Greece to fulfill their military obligations, and the procedure followed before a competent military service office.

Due to a lack of knowledge, many overseas conscripts leave their military obligations in Greece pending. This can lead to the military office having no information at all about the conscript’s residence abroad. They may end up being called for enlistment in every draft cycle. Suppose the military office has already been informed, and the conscript has been deemed a Draft Evader Abroad. In that case, they may be called for enlistment once a year through the relevant consular office or the Greek embassy abroad.

In addition to being enlisted, an open criminal case for the offense of draft evasion remains. This means that the conscript may face an administrative fine of €6,000, which appears as a certified debt on Taxisnet and requires immediate settlement.

Greek Draft Evaders Abroad (AnupotaktoiExoterikou)

To be deemed a Draft Evader Abroad, a conscript must be residing temporarily abroad for reasons of study, work, or personal reasons. To prove their temporary residence abroad, they can request a relevant Certificate of Residence from the Greek consular authorities in their place of residence. This certificate is sent directly to the competent military office, informing the Military Service about the conscript’s temporary impediment to enlistment due to their stay abroad.

Alt Title: Avoiding Draft Evasion Penalties

Alt Description: A person looking at a document with a “No Penalty” stamp, symbolizing the successful avoidance of penalties for draft evasion.

By submitting this certificate to the Military Service, the conscript falls into the category of Draft Evaders Abroad. In the future, they can either end their evasion and enlist upon returning to Greece, or, if they also meet the other conditions set by current legislation and have been deemed a Permanent Resident Abroad, they can buy out their military service and thus avoid enlistment.

When Can a Greek Conscript Qualify to be a Permanent Resident Abroad?

A conscript is considered a Permanent Resident Abroad when they:

• Have lived and worked in a foreign country for the last seven consecutive years.
• Or, in case of not being gainfully employed throughout their stay abroad, have completed a total of eleven years of permanent residence abroad.

To prove the years of residence and work abroad, the conscript must submit a Certificate of Permanent Resident Abroad to the competent military service office. This certificate is issued by the Greek Embassy or Consular Office in their country of residence.

The certificate is the most crucial document for the subsequent buyout of military service and definitive exemption from military obligations. However, obtaining it requires submitting a series of supporting documents to the consular authorities to prove the conscript’s continuous stay and work in the foreign country.

When and How Does a Permanent Resident Abroad Buy Out Their Military Service?

To be eligible to buy out their military service, a conscript who has been deemed a Permanent Resident Abroad must also meet the age limit for buyout stipulated by law. However, buying out does not automatically mean definitive exemption, as 20 days of training are mandatory. After completing this training, one can pay the specified buyout amount and thus definitively settle their military obligations in Greece.

Clients who have lived abroad for only a few years but cannot leave their lives, work, and daily routine to enlist in Greece often contact us for information for guidance. The most common questions include happens during the intervening years until they meet the legal conditions for buying out their military service, how they will be classified as Draft Evaders Abroad, what legal consequences evasion will have for them, how they can avoid the financial fine that will be imposed on them, and what happens to the criminal case formed for the misdemeanor of evasion.

Many clients also intend to leave Greece immediately without having fulfilled their military obligations, unaware of the future implications for them. While others do not know if they can buy out, despite already having been deemed Draft Evaders Abroad. In such cases, we guide them on understanding what procedure needs to be followed, what documents they will need to collect, the exact military buyout Greece amount, whether the mandatory 20-day training can be completed in stages not to exhaust all their leave days for this purpose, and so on.

How a Military Lawyer in Greece Can Help

At our firm, we understand that issues concerning your military obligations can be complex. We are here to guide and fully inform you on what to do. Our extensive experience in military service matters, particularly concerning Draft Evaders Abroad, allows us to provide legal opinions based on your specific history. This includes

• Information on the conditions
• Procedure for buyout and definitive exemption from your military obligations
• Whether you are entitled to reduced service, the necessary actions before consular authorities, and the Military Service
• How your military service time is calculated, including the exact amount you will need to pay for the buyout, how payments are made, and what happens with the administrative fine (i.e., if it is offset)
• Whether there are criminal penalties, including how many days per year you are allowed to be in Greece, and other consequences of the evasion
• Any other clarification and information needed for each stage until the definitive settlement of your military obligations.

Once you contact us, we will undertake all the necessary procedural actions before the competent military service office and the Greek authorities on your behalf. You can reach us either by phone or by sending your message via the contact form or email at the contact details provided below.