Greece

Capital: Athens
Official language: Greek
Type of government: Parliamentary republic
Currency: Euro
Area code: 30

Greece, with an area of 131,940 square kilometers, consists of a peninsula and 3,087 islands, of which only about 300 are inhabited. This mountainous country is located in southeastern Europe and shares borders with Turkey, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania. The city of Athens is its capital.

Athens, the mythical capital of Greece and the cradle of Western civilization, is the most populous city in Greece. Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, and Larissa are other major cities of Greece.

According to statistics, 98% of the population follows the Orthodox faith, and the remaining 2% follow other religions.

Athens is the birthplace of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and other Greek philosophers. Greece is generally known as the country of a thousand islands, each with unique characteristics in terms of climate, beauty, and nature. The unparalleled historical sites of this city, including the Acropolis, attract thousands of tourists every year.

Political parties:
There is no restriction on forming political parties in this country. Each party, upon announcing its existence, must notify its name and emblem to the Supreme Court and pledge to oppose any action that would lead to the destruction of the ruling system in Greece.

The names of the most important parties in Greece and the percentage of votes and number of elected representatives in the last general election (2004) are as follows:

- Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy) (Right-wing)
- Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK)
- Communist Party
- Coalition of the Left
- Democratic Party (DIKKI)
- Regional and Democratic Union
- Other parties

Parties that receive less than 3% of the vote cannot secure seats in parliament.

Religion:
About 94% of Greeks are followers of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which claims leadership of the Orthodox community worldwide. The Greek Orthodox Church is under the authority of an archbishop. According to the constitution, complete freedom of religion is recognized, but proselytizing and interfering in the affairs of the Greek Orthodox Church are prohibited. Although many Greeks are religious and more devout than people in other European countries, a non-religious attitude has emerged among young people in recent years due to the influx of Western culture. The church is cautious and moderate regarding social and cultural issues, and there are significant disagreements between religious intellectuals and clergy members.

Tourism:
Due to its historical sites and beautiful nature, millions of tourists travel to this country every year. Tourism plays a very important role in the Greek economy, such that if tourist arrivals decrease for any reason, it would cause considerable damage to the country's budget. During the Persian Gulf crisis, the Balkan crisis, the September 11 attacks, the Afghanistan crisis, and the Iraq crisis, the number of foreign tourists entering Greece faced a significant decline.

Every year, between 12 and 13 million tourists visit Greece, generating over 9 billion dollars in revenue for the country.

Attractions:

Acropolis: A hill in the center of Athens that was the city's defensive fortress and later became a center for aristocratic palaces. With the advent of democracy, temples and public buildings were built there. Today, the most notable part is the ruins of the Temple of Athena in the Doric style. This temple was designed by Iktinos and built during the time of Pericles, the golden age of Greece. The Temple of Athena (Parthenon) housed countless treasures, the most notable of which was the 11-meter statue of Athena made of ivory by Phidias and decorated with various precious jewels. The Parthenon was built on top of another older temple destroyed by Xerxes during his attack on Athens. Later it was used as a church and during the Ottoman era as a mosque.

In another part of the Acropolis is the Erechtheion, one of the last buildings of the Acropolis. Erechtheus has the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.

In mythology, the Erechtheion was built on the site of the one-on-one contest between the gods Poseidon and Athena for dominance over Athens. On the floor of this temple, there is an opening through which one can see the rock from which, with the strike of Poseidon's trident, a spring gushed forth, watering the first olive tree planted by Athena. The tomb of Kekrops, the mythical founder of the Athenian royal dynasty, is also here. The columns of this temple, shaped as six beautiful maidens (Caryatids), have now been moved to the Acropolis Museum, and copies can be seen in the temple. This temple was converted into a church in the 7th century AD. Another temple on the Acropolis is the Temple of Athena Nike, Nike being the goddess of victory.

The Theater of Dionysus, located in the southern part of the Acropolis, is the oldest structure of the Acropolis. This theater was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, and had 64 rows and a capacity of about 17,000 people. The first row had designated seats for specific individuals.

National Archaeological Museum: Founded in 1860, this museum contains the world's largest collection of artifacts from ancient Greece (about 20,000 objects). A recently opened section of the museum also features artifacts from Egyptian civilization. The smiling Aphrodite statue, the Kouros statue, the male Mona Lisa, and the golden masks are prominent exhibits of this museum.

Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon: The remains of this temple, with a beautiful view of the sunset and sea (Poseidon being the ruler of the seas), create a scenic environment. In the past, a bronze statue of Poseidon stood in this temple, which has now been moved to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Piraeus: A 2,500-year-old port 10 km from Athens, through which merchants brought their goods and pilgrims traveled to Athens for many years, and which now hosts tourists. This port also has an Archaeological Museum, where the large statues of Athena and Artemis are worth seeing. Those interested in modern sculpture can also visit the Municipal Gallery. With 20 million passengers per year, this port is the busiest in Europe and the third busiest in the world. From this port, you can travel to all the eastern islands of Greece.

Plaka: The area around the Acropolis. This area is popular with tourists for its old churches, neoclassical buildings, shops, and restaurants. The Plaka area has been protected since 1978, and the municipality of Athens has imposed strict regulations on any alterations to buildings in this area.

Mount Lycabettus: A hill as high as the Acropolis. It attracts tourists for its great view of Athens, cool air, and walking opportunities. On Clean Monday (a special day for Orthodox Christians), Athenians fly kites on this hill. At the highest point of this hill are the Chapel of St. George, a theater, and a restaurant.

Syntagma Square: Also known as Constitution Square. It is the central square of the city and the heart of Athens. Special ceremonies and festivals are usually held in this square. Famous hotels in Athens are located around this square. The parliament is located on this square, and this place has long been a venue for parades, strikes, and political protests.

Agora: The remains of the ancient Agora of Athens, which includes the Temple of Hephaestus, a museum, and several other historical monuments. The current Agora area was a cemetery until the 7th century BC, and the first building was built there during the time of Solon. During its peak (2nd century AD), it included a complex of public buildings, temples, sanctuaries of gods, and beautiful fountains, which were repeatedly destroyed after the Persian invasion.

Acropolis Museum: Built between 1949 and 1953, this museum contains a collection of Greek artifacts from the Acropolis (from the 6th century BC onward). Interestingly, one section of the museum is dedicated to portraits of Alexander the Great.

Benaki Museum: This museum contains a collection of objects assembled by Antonis Benakis. In this collection, one can see ancient Greek, Byzantine, Venetian, and other jewelry. Paintings and ceramics are also among the other objects in this museum.

The main historical sites of Athens located in the city center:

The Acropolis and Parthenon, which create a visible horizon
The theaters of Dionysus and Herod Atticus
The National Historical Museum, which displays very beautiful antique and ancient objects

Hotels in central Athens and luxurious beach hotels found on many islands host a flood of tourists in the region every year.

What you can buy includes gold and silverware, handicrafts, manuscripts, pottery, leather, enamelware, agate items, and rugs.

Places where you can shop include shopping centers within cities, small shops, and souvenir shops inside hotels.

Restaurants and entertainment centers within the city, seafood restaurants located in Piraeus and other ports, and cultural events in major cities including theater, museums, and galleries are places where you can enjoy music and food.

Beach and water sports on the islands, including boating, surfing, diving, parasailing, jet skiing, sailing, fishing, golf, spa treatments, and beauty centers within hotels, as well as walking tours on the islands, are unique activities that should be considered.

ویزای توریستی یونان به افرادی تعلق می‌گیرد که قصد بازدید از کشور یونان را دارند. فراموش نکنید که ویزای توریستی به شما اجازه‌ی کار نمی‌دهد و برای اشتغال در یونان، احتیاج به صدور مجوز کار دارید.
در صورت تقاضای ویزای یونان، مصاحبه انجام می‌گیرد و حضور متقاضی ضروری است. وقت مصاحبه تنها به صورت تلفنی داده خواهد شد.

اولین مرحله برای درخواست ویزای هر کشوری، تکمیل فرم تقاضای ویزا است
توجه : چنان‌چه خانوادگی سفر می‌کنید، برای هر کدام از اعضاء باید فرم جداگانه‌ای پر کنید.
فرم تقاضای ویزا در دو نسخه باید تکمیل شود.

مدارک مورد نیاز برای ویزای یونان

مدارکی که باید علاوه بر فرم، در هنگام انجام مصاحبه همراه داشته باشید، شامل موارد زیر است:
توجه: از همه‌ی مدارک باید یک کپی هم موجود باشد؛ اصل مدارک بعد از مطابقت به شما بازگردانده می‌شود و کپی آن‌ها در پرونده‌ی ویزای شما در سفارت یونان خواهد ماند.
کلیه‌ی مدارک فارسی باید ترجمه‌ی رسمی انگلیسی شده باشند.شناسنامه ایرانی
گذرنامه
اعتبار گذرنامه باید حتما دو ماه بیشتر از تاریخ خاتمه‌ی اعتبار ویزای درخواستی باشد.
کپی را باید از صفحات یک تا پنج گذرنامه و همین‌طور صفحاتی که در آن‌ها مهر ویزا خورده، تهیه کنید.سه قطعه عکس رنگی
توجه : چنانچه اسامی همراهان در گذرنامه‌ی درخواست‌کننده‌ی ویزا ذکر شده باشد، برای هر کدام از همراهان باید دو قطعه عکس رنگی در مدارک موجود باشد.
ویژگی‌های ضروری عکس مورد نظر :عکس رنگی، زمینه سفید، تمام رخ، در ابعاد ۴*۳ که کمتر از سه‌ماه پیش گرفته شده و کاملا با ظاهر فعلی صاحب عکس همخوانی داشته باشد.
طبق مقررات شنگن، عکس شما بر روی برچسب ویزا چاپ خواهد شد.آدرس محل کار و منزل به طور دقیق
اسنادی مبنی بر وضعیت شغلی متقاضی:
– برای کارمندان بخش دولتی: ترجمه‌ی آخرین حکم کارگزینی
– برای کارمندان بخش خصوصی‌: گواهی اشتغال به کار
– برای صاحبان شرکت‌های خصوصی: ترجمه‌ی روزنامه رسمی شرکت به همراه رزومه‌ی شرکت به زبان انگلیسی، دو سری کپی از اصل مدارک فارسی.
– برای دانشجویان و اعضای هیئت علمی دانشگاه‌ها: کارت بین‌المللی دانشجویی یا کارت عضویت هیئت علمی.
– برای مشاغل آزاد: ترجمه جواز کسب و یا کارت بازرگانی

مشروح عملیات آخرین ماه حساب بانکی شخصی: پرینت حساب بانکی باید روی سربرگ انگلیسی و مهرشده به سفارت ارائه شود.
ترجمه‌ یک سند مالکیت؛ دو سری کپی از اصل مدارک فارسی
بلیط هواپیما یا رزرو قطعی رفت و برگشت به مقصد یونان
در صورت لزوم، رزرو هتل در یونان برای کل مدت اقامت
بیمه مسافرتی
متقاضیان ویزای باید بیمه‌ی مسافرت فردی یا جمعی داشته باشند. این بیمه باید هزینه‌های احتمالی بازگشت به میهن تحت مراقبت‌های پزشکی، هزینه‌های احتمالی نیاز به درمان و یا هزینه‌های بیمارستانی اضطراری را پوشش دهد و تا پایان طول اقامت در تمام کشورهای منطقه شنگن معتبر باشد. حداقل پوشش بیمه برای هر شخص مبلغ سی‌هزار یورو می‌باشد. شرکت بیمه‌گذار باید نماینده‌ای معتبر در کشور یونان داشته باشد.
زمان لازم برای صدور ویزای یونان
بررسی اولیه‌ی مدارک به منظور صدور ویزا سه هفته به طول می‌انجامد. ممکن است تا صدور قطعی و تکمیل مدارک چند هفته‌ای بیشتر نیز زمان احتیاج باشد ولی عموما تا شش هفته بعد از تحویل مدارک به بخش کنسولی سفارت آلمان، مشخص شده است که شما واجد دریافت ویزا هستید یا خیر.