Residence permits for all non-EU nationals will be renewed only electronically as of November 16, the Migration & Asylum Ministry said on Friday.

In an announcement, the ministry said this includes all residence permits regardless of duration, and relates to nearly 700,000 individuals, including 250,000 who have permits that expire on December 31, 2021.

The move online serves to decongest physical facilities and to free personnel for speedier processing and permit issuance.

An individual who wants to renew their permit will confirm their identity by phone and email, and be in contact with Greek authorities online. Lawyers will be able to file applications on behalf of their clients through the Plenary of Greek Bar Associations platform (portal.olomeleia.gr), which interfaces with the "Metanastefsi" information system. 

Following their processing, one-stop Ministry offices and other administrative services will send an electronic invitation to the applicant for an appointment to collect biometric data.

The application will be available in several languages at the following address as of Nov. 16: https://applications.migration.gov.gr/metanasteusi/.