You’ve Landed in Greece: What Canadians Need to Know First

Greece is one of the most affordable countries in the EU, the food is exceptional, and the summers are long. The bureaucracy is also among the most complex you will encounter anywhere in the developed world. Budget time and money for that reality before you arrive, not after.

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Getting Around

Athens has a three-line Metro system - clean, modern, reliable for the core of the city. A single ride is around €1.40 EUR. Beat is the primary rideshare app; Uber does not operate in Greece. Taxis (yellow, metered) are widely available. Expect €5-15 EUR for cross-city trips.

Ferries connect the mainland to the islands via Piraeus. Book through Ferryhopper or Blue Star Ferries. Reserve ahead in summer - peak-season sailings sell out.

Car: Outside Athens, a car is essentially required. Crete needs one from day one. Many smaller islands have no public transit at all.

Canadian driving licence: Valid during tourist periods. After establishing residency, exchange it for a Greek licence at a KEP (Citizens’ Service Centre): residency permit, medical certificate, eye test.

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Where Canadians Tend to Land

Athens: Kolonaki (upscale, higher rents, professionals), Pangrati (quieter residential, good local restaurants, less tourist-heavy), Glyfada (coastal suburb 20 minutes south, expat-heavy, beach access, more space).

Crete has the largest established expat communities in Greece, including many Canadians of Greek heritage. Heraklion (the island’s capital, full infrastructure) and Chania (Venetian harbour, strong expat scene, better quality of life for most) are the main bases.

Corfu, Paros, and Rhodes have English-speaking expat communities. The critical variable is internet: fibre availability varies dramatically between islands and between towns on the same island. Confirm actual connection speeds at your specific address before committing if remote work matters.

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Day-to-Day Shopping

Sklavenitis is the main chain, reliable and widely located. AB Vassilopoulos is the quality option with better imported goods. Lidl is strong for staples and value.

The laïkí (λαϊκή) is the weekly outdoor street market held in every neighbourhood on a fixed morning - produce, fish, cheese, olives, household goods, at prices significantly below supermarket rates. Find out which day your neighbourhood’s laïkí runs. It is the best food shopping in Greece.

Canadian brand selection is essentially nil. North American processed foods are rare outside central Athens. This adjustment takes most Canadians a month or two.

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Furnishing a Place

IKEA is in Paiania east of Athens - you need a car or taxi. Leroy Merlin and Praktiker for hardware and home improvement. OLX Greece for secondhand, and local Facebook expat groups (“Expats in Athens,” “Canadians in Greece”) regularly have furniture from departing residents.

Do not ship from Canada. EU customs makes it economically irrational.

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Food and Eating Out

A full lunch at a local taverna runs €8-15 EUR. A proper dinner with wine runs €20-35 EUR per person - often less outside tourist areas.

Feta is a daily staple and costs almost nothing. Greek tomatoes, olives, and olive oil from the laïkí will recalibrate your produce expectations within a week.

Ouzo is an aperitif drunk with food, not a shot. Greek coffee (briki, served with grounds) is the traditional form. Frappé (cold instant coffee shaken with foam, invented in Greece in 1957) is the default summer café order.

One honest note: the variety of imported and international goods is lower than in Spain or Portugal. Outside central Athens, international grocery options are thin.

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Things That Will Catch You Off Guard

Greek bureaucracy is the most significant friction point here. Opening a bank account, registering your address, getting your AFM (tax number, the Greek equivalent of the Spanish NIE), and obtaining a healthcare card are each document-intensive and appointment-dependent. Delays are common. Hire a local accountant or lawyer for the first year. Document everything - keep physical and digital copies of every submission, every receipt, every reference number. The system loses things.

The Non-Dom tax regime. Greece offers a 7% flat tax for qualifying new residents who transfer their tax residency to Greece and have foreign-source income (pensions, investment returns, remote work). There are annual slot limits and eligibility conditions - no investment requirement for this retiree/income track. A separate scheme for high-net-worth individuals requires a lump-sum payment of €100,000/year: that is a different regime. The terms on both have changed before. Do not structure your finances around either until a Greek tax attorney has confirmed your specific eligibility in the current tax year.

Cash is more prevalent than in most EU countries. Local restaurants, small shops, and services often operate primarily on cash. Carry it.

The Greek script is a genuine language barrier initially. Signage, menus, and official forms are in Greek - the unfamiliar alphabet is more disorienting than the Latin-script countries. English is widely spoken under 40 and in tourist areas, but elsewhere you need translation tools until you pick up the basics.

Summers are brutal. Athens and much of the mainland hit 40°C+ in July and August. Coastal areas get breezes; Athens does not.

Healthcare: The public system (ESY) covers registered residents. Private clinics are affordable and often faster for non-emergency care. Carry private travel insurance until you complete public registration.