AFM and Greek mobile number for bank onboarding

The AFM at the centre of the identity package

Opening a fully usable Greek bank account today involves more than the account itself — it typically assumes an AFM (Αριθμός Φορολογικού Μητρώου) and a Greek mobile number, because banks send verification codes and app logins to a local phone. The AFM, issued by AADE, is the tax identifier the bank records at onboarding; the Greek mobile is what makes the account's digital features actually work day to day. Together they form the practical identity package a non-resident needs to bank in Greece properly. ELLYTIC acts as an Independent Concierge coordinating the AFM, the mobile number and the bank onboarding as one sequence, preparing and submitting the files, without giving legal or tax advice.

How the AFM, mobile and account fit together

The sequence matters. The AFM has to exist before the bank can onboard you, so it comes first — obtained, where you are abroad, through an authorised representative under a limited power of attorney and a short video identity call, typically issued within three business days of a complete file. A Greek mobile number is arranged alongside, because the bank ties two-factor authentication and app access to it. With the AFM and a Greek number in place, the bank completes its KYC using your identity documents, proof of address and the AFM, and the account becomes fully operable — including its app, which is where a non-resident actually manages the account from abroad. ELLYTIC's Full Service Bundle coordinates the three so nothing is left half-working.

The translations behind a working account

Bank onboarding and the AFM both draw on your foreign documents, which Greek authorities and banks accept only as certified translations into Greek. ELLYTIC's translations are produced by sworn translators with a qualified electronic signature (QES), accepted with no further stamp, and delivered in one business day. The usual translated items are your passport details and proof of address, plus any civil-status document the specific case needs. Where a foreign public document requires an apostille — the Σφραγίδα της Χάγης — before translation, we flag it early so neither the AFM registration nor the bank onboarding stalls on a missing stamp.

Pitfalls in the AFM-mobile-bank chain

The classic failure is treating the three as independent errands. Skip the AFM and the bank cannot onboard you; skip the Greek mobile and the account arrives without working two-factor authentication or app access, leaving a non-resident unable to use it from abroad. Add the usual document problems — inconsistent name spellings, a missing translation, an unhandled apostille — and any link in the chain can stall the rest, because each institution reviews its file as a whole. Coordinating the AFM, the mobile and the onboarding as one sequence is what produces an account that actually works, not one that exists on paper.

Which ELLYTIC service fits your situation

If you only need the tax number itself, the Starter Bundle covers the AFM registration end to end. If you also want a Greek bank account opened and your onboarding coordinated, the Full Service Bundle adds banking to the same file. When the task is purely document-driven — a certificate, a court decision or a power of attorney — you can order certified translations on their own. Each path leads to a clear, fixed-scope service you can compare and start whenever you are ready.

Frequently asked questions