Ministry of Immigration in Greece has postponed until March 22, 2022 the validity of residence permits and renewal certificates (blue card) of foreign immigrants, which expired until December 31, 2021.

At the border crossing points between Albania and Greece, Albanian emigrants were able to move in the first days of the new year with these documents without creating problems on the Greek side, said Albanian border sources.

According to the decision published by the Greek Ministry of Immigration, the three-month extension of the deadline is valid only for blue licenses and certificates with expiration dates from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021.

The Greek Ministry of Immigration has specified that applications for the renewal of these residence permits were made only electronically.

The decision of the Greek authorities helps especially the Albanian emigrants who are in the process of renewing their residence permits whose expiration dates have expired and who, also due to the difficulties of the pandemic period, had not managed to renew them.

The process of Residence Permits in Greece of Albanian emigrants who make up the vast majority of foreigners has been hampered especially in the last two years by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Albanian citizens have had difficulties both in completing the documentation and in obtaining the documents they need in Albania for this process due to blockages or reduced movement on the Albanian-Greek border.

(Source: VOA)