Working in Greece

Well, it turns out that having a visa to work in Greece and legally being able to work here are different things, which is not entirely surprising I guess considering the number of hoops one must jump through in the States. Over the past several months I first got approval from the Labor department (applied for in Greece by my employer), then I had to apply for a National visa through the Greek consulate in the US (the appointments book months out), and once I arrived in Greece I then needed to choose if I want to work as a foreigner (at a 45% tax rate) or as a resident (at a regular tax rate – still unsure what that is). For a resident we then need to get me national papers (which it turns out is an “officially” translated copy of my birth certificate) and get a Greek social security number. This takes weeks. But, in the meantime, I am in Greece. I’ve certainly been in worse places!