Application at Community Centers
When the applicant submits the application themselves, the OPEKA Childbirth Benefit application, operated by IDIKA S.A., informs them why the application is pending and explicitly refers them through the service to a Community Centre or Municipality of their choice to complete it. This requires supporting documents proving that the eligibility conditions are met.
When the application has been submitted through the Civil Registry Information System subsystem to register the child’s birth, the applicant is notified by text message to the mobile number (sms) or by email to the address (email), provided when registering the birth, and is asked to access OPEKA’s Childbirth Benefit application to check the status described above. Until electronic submission is available, supporting documents must be submitted in paper form through authorised Community Centre or Municipality staff.
In both cases, the applicant must within two months of receiving the notification described above, submit the required supporting documents through an authorised Community Centre or Municipality officer.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY CENTRES
Can another person with authorisation submit the application and provide supporting documents at a Community Centre on behalf of the applicant mother?
Yes. They must provide authorisation bearing a certified signature of the mother.
Can a minor mother apply for the benefit?
A minor mother may apply. However, in most cases, a minor or adult mother does not have an AFM (Tax Identification Number) and was listed as a dependant on her parents’ E1 tax return. In that case, she must obtain an AFM and submit an E1 return for the tax year before the child’s birth. If it is not yet possible to submit an E1 for that year (for example, TAXISnet is not yet open), she must submit one for the year before that. She can then submit the benefit application.
Must the child also have an AFM before the mother can apply for the Childbirth Benefit?
A newborn’s AFM is not a required field in the application, so it is not necessary to submit the application.
Is a consent form required for other family members included in the application (spouse or children under 19)?
No.
Is the three-month deadline for applying for the Childbirth Benefit strict?
Yes.
What do Community Centres do with the supporting documents submitted with the application to establish eligibility?
They keep both physical and electronic records at the Community Centre. The applicant mother’s AFM must be used as the subject or identifier for the electronic file.
We will provide further instructions on the next steps together with updated guidance, once the application has been completed to accept the required supporting documents electronically.
The spouse, newborn or other children under 19 are not pre-filled in the application. What should we do?
Check the relevant supporting documents (for example, family status certificates) and add the family members by following the application instructions.
The EU citizen registration certificate does not state an expiry date. Can it be accepted?
Yes, if it is valid when the application is submitted.
How long must supporting documents remain valid?
They must be valid when the application is submitted.
Can permanent residence in Greece since 2012 also be proved by submitting residence permits?
No. Article 7(2) of Law 4659/2020 expressly provides that continuous residence is proved by the uninterrupted submission of income tax returns.
The application must be submitted within three months of the child’s birth. If the applicant is referred to a Community Centre to provide supporting documents, they then have another two months to complete the application. Is that correct?
The two-month period starts when the applicant is notified that their application has been referred to a Community Centre.
When we ask you to clarify a specific case, would it help to provide the applicant’s AFM or AMKA number?
Yes, it helps us provide a clear answer.
The following clarifications are provided regarding the Childbirth Benefit..
The mother is the beneficiary and submits the application.
Another person may apply only if the mother has died or abandoned the child. In those cases, the beneficiary is the father (for married parents) or another person who provides proof of custody, as specified in the relevant Joint Ministerial Decision, and meets all other legal requirements.
If you have accepted applications from fathers or spouses who do not fall into either of these two cases, cancel those applications and ask the mothers to apply.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR AN APPLICATION
FOR THE CHILDBIRTH BENEFIT UNDER LAW 4659/2020
under Article 7 of Joint Ministerial Decision D11/oik.8523/236/17.02.2020
- The child’s birth registration certificate for whom the Childbirth Benefit is requested.
- Income tax return (E1) and the income tax assessment act (tax assessment notice) for tax year 2022 or 2023, if filed.
- Photocopy of an identity card or passport.
- A recent family status certificate. EU citizens who do not have a family record in Greece must submit a public document proving their family status or, where applicable, a certified copy of their civil partnership deed.
- Special Identity Card for Expatriates (EDTO) (for expatriates).
- EU citizen registration certificate or permanent residence certificate (for beneficiaries who are citizens of an EU Member State).
- Residence permit (for beneficiaries who are third-country nationals).
- A photocopy of the bank book or statement showing the IBAN and identifying the applicant as account holder or co-holder.
SPECIAL CASES
- Court decision or order assigning child custody (where custody has been determined by a court).
- Court decision or order appointing a guardian (where guardianship has been assigned to an individual).
- Notarial deed recognising the child (where the child has been recognised).
- The mother’s death certificate (where the mother has died).
Supporting documents issued by a foreign authority or not drawn up in Greek must be duly translated and certifiedand, where required, bear the Apostille under the Hague Convention.
SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDANCE
Regarding the number of tax returns for married Greek citizens,,EU citizens, third-country nationals and single-parent families: :
The income, permanent-residence and length-of-residence conditions for the benefit are checked by cross-referencing the required information obtained from tax records.
In the platform field <<number of tax returns>> , which displays the total number of returns, users must take the following into account:
a) For married Greek or EU citizens, each spouse must have filed the latest income tax return for the tax year before the birth and have the corresponding tax assessment act.
b) For married third-country nationals, one parent must have filed the latest income tax return for the tax year before the birth and have the corresponding tax assessment act. The other parent must have filed all tax returns on time from 2012 (tax year 2013) to the present (eight returns in total).
c) For married couples where one spouse is a third-country national and the other is a Greek or EU citizen, each spouse must have filed the latest income tax return for the tax year before the birth and have the corresponding tax assessment act.
d) For a single-parent family where the mother is a third-country national, the mother must have filed all tax returns on time from 2012 (tax year 2013) to the present. If she does not meet this condition but the child has been recognised by the biological father, check whether the father meets it.
The mother must also have filed the latest income tax return for the tax year before the birth and have the corresponding tax assessment act.
Follow the link below for information about the Childbirth Benefit and answers to frequently asked questions.
