An important economic breath, which reaches EUR 565 a month and may be paid for an extended period of up to nine months, offered by the DYPA.
This is the special unemployment benefit, which is aimed exclusively at former professional combatants, insured in the country.EXPAS, which come from former AIF and EBRD-SME insurance institutions. The basic condition for receiving it is to have advanced to the definitive and proven cessation of their professional activity, while at the same time they are required to meet a number of strictly defined criteria concerning their insurance history, income situation and personal situation.
This funding is drawn directly from the Special Unemployment Account for Self-employed and Independent Employees, which operates under the supervision of the IMIPA.
In this context, all insured persons and insured persons who are currently organically subject to the e-EFCA, but based on the legal, specific or statutory framework in force until 31 December 2016, were legally under an obligation to provide insurance to the TEA or the EIF-SME. A key point in the approval of the provision is the proven and systematic payment of the special contribution introduced by Law 3986/11 (Article 44(2) as amended and applicable), which is intended for the aforementioned Special Unemployment Account.
The conditions for approving the aid
To light the «green light» for the purpose of granting the aid, the law provides that all the conditions laid down must be met simultaneously and in full. The first basic filter concerns the insurance period: the person concerned must complete at least three years of insurance, whether continuous or intermittent, to the insurance institution where he was registered at the time his profession ceased, while paying the corresponding special contribution.
For the category of citizens who finished their professional course after 1 January 2012, but were already active insured on 1 January 2011, the minimum time required to pay the contribution to the Unemployment Special Account is escalated depending on exactly when the interruption took place. In particular, the need for at least one year of payment of a contribution is defined if the interruption took place within 2012, at least two years if the activity ceased after 1 January 2013, and at least three full years for those who closed their books from 1 January 2014 onwards.
As regards insured persons who had been professionally inactivated before the beginning of 2011 and decided to return to the labour market after that date, the exact same conditions apply. The only substantial differentiation is found in the fact that the time required for the payment of the special contribution begins to count from the official date of their new start-up.
Income criteria
The applicant’s financial profile shall be thoroughly checked in the light of the two tax years preceding the year in which the application is submitted. In particular, the total individual net taxable income, irrespective of its source of origin, may not exceed an aggregate amount of EUR 30,000 for that two-year period. At the same time, a family limit is set, as the total family net taxable income from all types of activity, for the same two tax years, must not be greater than EUR 40,000 on an aggregate basis.
For cases of applications to be lodged during 2026, the competent authority will check the clearing notes marked «tax year 2024» and «tax year 2025». If the application is submitted in the first months of the year, i.e. when it is not technically possible to submit the new tax declaration on the incomes of the year immediately before, the procedure is temporarily frozen and the case is still pending. Once the electronic platform of statements is in place, the citizen must hurry to submit his statement so that the agencies have the data to issue their final verdict. If the person concerned fails to provide the necessary documents, his application shall be automatically rejected.
Exclusions and restrictions on administration
The cessation of business is a fact to be demonstrated by official documents. After this interruption, the beneficiary legally commits himself that he will not be employed as an employee with an employment relationship and that he will not start any other form of self-employment, either within the Greek border or abroad. At the same time, it is prohibited to have been incorporated into the compulsory or voluntary insurance of e-EFKA or any other main insurance institution in Greece or another country.
The procedure explicitly excludes those already receiving a pension from the e-EFKA or from another principal insurance fund, domestic or foreign. The same applies to persons who have applied to retire, with the exception of cases where the pension or application relates to a death transfer (a widow's pension). In addition, the aid is permanently lost if it is found that the person concerned transferred his business, company share or shares to a spouse or to relatives of first and second degrees.
There are other reasons why financial aid is not approved. For example, it is not granted if the termination of work was done in order for the insured person to serve his military service. Also outside coverage are cases where the closure of the activity is linked to the beginning or continuation of university, postgraduate or doctoral studies. Of course, an inviolable condition for the grant is permanent and stable accommodation in Greece. It is worth noting that if one has simultaneously interrupted two different professions, one cannot collect a double aid, but is obliged to choose only one body through a responsible statement.
The necessary supporting documents and accommodation
To start the process, the citizen must be provided with a special certificate from the e-EFKA services. This document shall certify the exact date of termination of the insurance, the total time of insurance in the e-EFKA (or the former EU and EBRD-SME Funds) and the period during which contributions were paid in favour of the Special Unemployment Account. In addition, the official certificate of termination of work by the competent DOU is required.
The file shall include the clearing notes of the last two years, which reflect the applicant's global income (i.e. both domestic and foreign income), the address of his residence, his VAT, and the spouse's income, if any. If during this two-year period there has been or has not been an income outside Greece, a relevant document is required by the foreign tax authority, officially translated and validated, an obligation that will apply until digital interoperability with ADE is fully completed.
As regards proof of permanent residence, documents shall vary according to nationality:
Citizens of the European Union: Required «Certificate of permanent residence of a citizen of the Union» (based on P.D. 106/07), published by the Police after 5 years of continuous residence in our country.
Third-country nationals: Need «Long-stay residence permit» (L. 4251/14), or leave as a parent of a minor Greek citizen, or 10-year leave, or leave as an EU citizen's spouse.
Political refugees: The special residence permit of a recognised refugee is required, together with the corresponding travel document (titre de voyage).
Alleged: The Special Identity Card or other equivalent residence permit is accepted.
If the application is lodged through JEPs, the citizen must demonstrate an official identity document. For Greek citizens this may be police identity, temporary certificate, passport, driver's license or health card. For European citizens, the identity or passport is sufficient, and for third-country citizens the passport or documents of the Greek authorities. The supporting documents include the responsible declaration of Law 1599/86, which is incorporated into the electronic application (or granted by the JEP), whereby the applicant declares that it fulfils all the conditions.
The duration of the subsidy shall be scaled according to the years of insurance to the institution:
Year of Insurance Duration of Payment of Assistance
3 to 4 full years 3 months
5 to 6 full years 4 months
7 to 8 full years 5 months
9 to 10 full years 6 months
11 to 12 full years 7 months
13 to 14 full years 8 months
15 full years and over 9 months
The amount of the aid is EUR 565,00 per month and follows formal adjustments to the regular unemployment allowance. It is noted that no premium is given for protected members, no holiday gifts are paid (Christmas, Easter, etc.), nor are insurance contributions covered during the subsidy. After approval, the payment shall begin retroactively from the date of the application, registering the first two months. Money paid «accrued» (after the expiry of each month) provided that the insured person declares his presence in due course, and is credited to a prepaid card on the last working day of each week.
Source: newmoney. gr
