Applications must be lodged in person, 331 except under force majeure conditions.332 According to the Asylum Code, the lodging of the application must contain inter alia the personal details of the applicant and the full reasons for seeking international protection.333 As a general rule, the Asylum Code provides that the asylum applicant’s card, which is provided to all persons who have been fully registered, i.e., lodged their application, is valid for 1 year, which can be renewed as long as the examination is pending. 334 However, the Asylum Code provides for a number of cases where the asylum applicant’s card can be valid for shorter periods. Thus, the validity of an asylum applicant’s card can be set for a period: ❖ No longer than 3 months, where the applicant belongs to a nationality with a recognition rate lower than 35% in accordance with the official EU statistics and by taking into consideration the period for the issuance of a first instance decision expected; 335 ❖ No longer than 30 days, where the communication of a decision or a transfer on the basis of the Dublin Regulation is imminent;336 ❖ No longer than 30 days, where the application is examined “under absolute priority” or “under priority”, under the accelerated procedure, under Article 89 (inadmissible) or under the border procedure.337 In 2025, the Asylum Service registered a total of 61,629 applications for international protection, including 6,248 subsequent applications, primarily by nationals of Afghanistan (15,296), Egypt (9,548), Sudan (8,179), Syria (3,511) and Bangladesh (3,132).338 Role of the EUAA in registration339 In 2025, the number of lodged asylum applications registered with the support of EUAA personnel in Greece decreased to 34,023 applications for international protection (46,701 in 2024). Of these, 83% related to the same 10 citizenships, in particular Afghans (8,601), Egyptians (5,699), Sudanese (4,982), Syrians (1,843), Bangladeshis (1,837), Somalis (1,278), Nepalis (1,087), Eritreans (1,028), Pakistanis (954) and Yemenis (946).340 EUAA deployed personnel did not carry out TPD registrations in Greece in 2025. 3.2. Access to the procedure on the mainland Access to the asylum procedure has remained a structural and endemic problem in Greece for many years, both during the period when the police authorities341 were competent for the asylum procedure and even after the start of the operation of the Asylum Service in 2013 (for more information see the ΑIDA reports for 2023 and previous years). On 13 July 2022, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum operationalised a new online platform for booking of appointments for lodging an initial asylum application in person for asylum applicants in Greece, which, 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 Article 83(3) of Asylum Code. Article 83(4) of Asylum Code. Article 69(1) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (1) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (2) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (3) of Asylum Code. Article 75 (4) of Asylum Code. MoMA, Statistics: Consolidated Reports – Overview, December 2025 - International Protection | Appendix A, available at: https://migration.gov.gr/statistika/, Table 7c and 7d. It should be noted that Regulation 2021/2023 entered into force on 19 January 2022, transforming EASO into the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. Greek Ombudsperson, “Problems in the reception and examination of asylum applications at the Athens Aliens Department”, 2005, available in Greek here. ; see also GCR, Asylum campaign invitation to a press conference, 12 October 2012, available here. 77