Getting Non-AMKA Residents & Long-Stay Visitors Vaccinated
Let's Try For Some Patience!
I cheered when the Greek Government announced plans at the beginning of the month to extend vaccinations to residents & even long-term visitors who do not have an AMKA social security number. But I confess, I did inwardly groan because planning and actually having a platform in place, I know to be two very different things!
Realistically, if you want to be vaccinated but don't have an AMKA, you will have to wait. The Emvolio.gov.gr site is the only platform managing the vaccination appointments for the whole of Greece. It is miraculous, given how fast it's been implemented and the intensity of the volume of use, that it hasn't crashed already. But despite the Greek Government's wish to protect all citizens AND non-registered ASAP, adapting the programming of the Emvolio system so that it ties in with all the tablets used by the administering doctors and nurses is a huge undertaking that will take at least another month, in my opinion, to work properly. And I would also ask foreigners, especially, to remember that Greece has a population of 11 million fully registered people to vaccinate but so far has only had a fraction of the required doses delivered. There has to be some sensible prioritisation.
Even for registered AMKA residents who had their first jabs on Hydra last week, flaws in the system have shown. It will take a while, as with any first-time released computer system, for it to work.
If you don't have an AMKA, you can do a few things for yourself to get your social security number. Yelling at the Hydra Mayor is not one of them (or any other municipal leader) and won't achieve anything. The Greek government Ministry of Health controls the entire system.
- If you registered for an AFM after October 2009, then it is very likely that you already have an AMKA number on your TaxisNet account. Please speak to the accountant or lawyer who makes your E1 annual declaration to ask them to look. Also, ask for your TaxisNet username and password, which you will also need.
- If you have checked your TaxisNet account and definitely don't have one, then you can register through the normal channels (www.AMKA.gr but it's all in Greek so you might have to ask an accountant or lawyer to help you). OR you can apply for a NORMAL AMKA through the current version of Emvolio.gov.gr. Either way it could take 1-3 months to get one. Again be patient.
- OR if you don't have an AFM or are a non-resident stranded on Hydra, OR you've applied for a NORMAL AMKA through normal channels but are still waiting for a reply; Wait until Emvolio.gov.gr publishes a button on the site to let anyone still unregistered to obtain an EMERGENCY AMKA number. (This has not yet happened as of 23 March, 2021 but will eventually.)
See the images below, which I have screen copied in Greek and English. And remember that you will have to apply in the original Greek version (that is, you can't translate the webpage with Google and use it in your own language as it won't work if you try to submit.)
The Municipality of Hydra is well aware of the non-Greek residents on the island without AMKA social security numbers. But they have no more idea of when it will be possible to get these people registered for vaccination than you do!
Nor does the Municipality know when or if there will be an on-island registration for the group of people who have high-risk medical conditions.
But as soon as the Ministry of Health tells them, the Municipality will announce it. Then, it would be likely that there will be a call for any residents eligible to register, as before in February, by phoning a hotline. But again, please be patient because no one, including the Mayor, has a crystal ball.
The rural doctor's surgery on Hydra following on from last week's session is now vaccinating essential service people such as health and emergency personnel this week. Not even they know when it will be possible to start vaccinating non-AMKA people or those with medical conditions or even what group will be next. It is a totally fluid situation that is changing daily.
So, as I hope you will have understood, please be patient. Everyone is working flat out to try to get anyone who wants to be vaccinated done.
From the week commencing 3 April 2021, the 2nd dose vaccinations for the 282 people done last week will start.
Visit
www.emvolio.gov.gr
This is the Emvolio screen in Greek, with the button (at the end Εδο meaning to click here to apply for a NORMAL AMKA.
This is the Emvolio screen translated into English.
You will need to click the last button labelled Αν δεν διαθέτετε ΑΜΚΑ παρακαλούμε ακολουθήστε τις οδηγίες εδώ. which will take you to the next screen.
The opening paragraph says "In case you belong to the current vaccination period and do not have an AMKA or your AMKA number cannot be identified by the system, please fill out the form below, to check your request and receive information with instructions."
Complete this screen as follows
- Επώνυμο (Last name)
- Όνομα (First Name)
- Πατρώνυμο (Father's first name)
- Έτος γέννησης (Year of birth)
- Αριθμός εγγράφου ταυτοποίησης (Identification document number)
- Είδος εγγράφου ταυτοποίησης (select Type of identification document)
- Ανήκετε σε Ευπαθή Ομάδα; (Do you belong to a Vulnerable Group?)
- Αιτία προβλήματος (Cause of problem *)
- Δεν εχω ΑΜΚΑ (I do not have an AMKA)
- Έχω ΑΜΚΑ αλλά δεν έχω ΑΦΜ στην Ελλάδα (I have an AMKA but I do not have an AFM number in Greece)
- Έχω μόνο Ευρωπαϊκή Κάρτα Ασφάλισης (I only have a European Insurance Card)
- Είμαι πολίτης ξωτερικού που εργάζομαι στην Ελλάδα (I am a foreign citizen working in Greece)
- Είμαι πολίτης εξωτερικού με άδεια παραμονής στην Ελλάδα (I am a foreign citizen with a residence permit in Greece)
- Είμαι πολίτης εξωτερικού που βρίσκομαι στην Ελλάδα χωρίς άδεια παραμονής. (I am a foreign citizen who is in Greece without a residence permit.)
- Έχω ΑΜΚΑ αλλά δεν φαίνομαι δικαιούχος στο σύστημα (I have AMKA but I do not seem to be a beneficiary in the system)
- Έχω 2 ΑΜΚΑ (I have 2 AMKA)
- Έχω διαγράψει το ένα από τα δύο ΑΜΚΑ αλλά και πάλι δεν φαίνομαι στο σύστημα (I have deleted one of the two AMKAs but again I do not appear in the system)
- Έχω ΑΜΚΑ αλλά έχω λάθος ΑΦΜ καταχωρημένο (I have an AMKA but I have a wrong AFM number registered)
- Δεν ξέρω αν ανήκω στην ευπαθή ομάδα Τύπου Α (I do not know if I belong to the vulnerable Type A group)
- Άλλο θέμα (Another subject)
9. Συμπληρώστε τον ΑΜΚΑ σας εφόσον υπάρχει. (Fill in your AMKA if available.)
10.Συμπληρώστε τον ΑΦΜ σας εφόσον υπάρχει. (Fill in your AFM number if available.)
11.Τηλέφωνο επικοινωνίας (Contact Phone, hint, make sure it is a GREEK mobile phone because it won't work with a foreign number. If necessary go and buy yourself a cheap pay-as-you go phone which will be good for sending your SMS permits too)
12.Εmail επικοινωνίας (Contact email)
Υποβολή (Press Submit)
Again, make sure you complete the Greek version of the screen using my screenshots of translation to guide you.
Once submitted, you will have to wait probably from 1 - 3 months to get your registered NORMAL AMKA number. Unfortunately, as there is no AMKA office on Hydra to visit in person, this is the only way to get one. However, if you can be patient for just a little while longer, it is likely that within a month or so you will be able to get an Emergency AMKA via a new button on the Emvolio.gov.gr site.
Hang on in there, everyone!
Regards, Kelsey
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