Visiting the IKA office in Hania

[Joan]

Can anyone help re visiting the IKA office in Hania? We are trying to help a friend who is a UK pensioner, resident in Crete for many years.

We have obtained (and photographed) the two S1 forms required, and most – possibly not yet all – of the necessary documentation (numbers for everything we can think of including AMKA, Afm, NI etc), photos, etc). The S1 forms just say that they must be lodged with the appropriate authority, which we assume is the dreaded (according to everyone we ask) IKA office in Hania. We are told (by Dimitris in the KEP office in Vryses) that a residence permit is needed, so we have that in hand. We are also told that annual updates can be done at the KEP office but that the first visit must be to Hania.

So eventually we will have to go to Hania, and fight our way through the warren that everyone describes. Does anyone know which section we need to go to? (We have been told stories of people queuing for hours and then being told they are at the wrong window, and having to queue again.)

And, indeed, what exactly we are expecting in return for the S1 forms? – an IKA card? – anything else?

We are wondering whether to make a pre-visit, as our friend is not able to stand for very long so we want to make the real visit as painless as possible. Any advice gratefully received.

Joan

[Kilkis]

It's pretty simple although there will inevitably be a queue. If you stand on the Souda road looking at the IKA compound the buildings are in the shape of a square U and you are stood in the open end of the U. The building you want is the leg of the U on your right. Go through the right hand gate, walk just past the end of that building and then down a path in front of it until you get to a covered walkway. The main door is immediately on your right. Go through that door and keep going straight ahead until you get to a machine with two buttons marked A and B. Press A and take the ticket, which will have a number on. Turn right and you will see a row of glass fronted desks with numbers over them. Wait for your number to come up and then go to that desk. Usually the first one is open but doesn't have a number and it is used for something else; what I have no idea. Probably only two others will be open. Not everybody will speak English but some will. You might get told to go to another window in which case you need to hover and push in as soon as the last person is finished being served.

There are chairs but it depends how busy they are. The B section to the left of the machine is usually less busy and there are more chairs there. If your number is a long way from the last one being served you could go and sit there. You can here a noise each time a new number comes up so you can keep count and wander over to check every so often. It can be long and boring but it isn't as bad as we often make out. Remember to take photographs and photocopies of everything as they won't make them for you.

Warwick

[Joan]

Thanks, Warwick. This is really helpful.

Joan

[Yin&Yang]

Hi Joan

It's also worth doing a Search on the forum as there are fairly recent threads which will advise on what documentation will be asked for, how many copies, etc. Forum members try to keep this as up to date as possible. Btw, it will be an IKA book which will be issued and not a card.

[Joan]

Thanks for the information and good advice.

Joan