Greece: Presidential decree signed for new “Personal Number” system – Major bureaucratic shift for citizens
Greece has officially signed the Presidential Decree for the implementation of a new Personal Number for citizens, marking a significant step toward digital integration and administrative simplification. The announcement was made by the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, during his appearance on ERTNews' Late News program.
According to the minister, this long-anticipated reform aims to unify fragmented public registries and end the persistent bureaucratic struggles faced by citizens in their interactions with the state.
“The Presidential Decree has been signed, and it will soon be published in the Government Gazette,” said Papastergiou. “This effort, which began in 2020, will allow us to finally unify public registries and stop burdening citizens with simple but recurring issues—such as inconsistencies in names or errors in birth dates.”
A Single Digital Identity
Under the new system, each citizen will be assigned a Personal Number, using their existing Tax Identification Number (AFM) as the basis. This number will serve as the sole reference point for all interactions with the Greek state—from tax services to health care and social insurance—streamlining identification and verification processes.
Centralized Platform: myinfo.gov.gr
Citizens will access their official information through a new digital platform, myinfo.gov.gr, which will launch soon.
“Everyone will log in once, view their personal data across the four core registries, and correct any discrepancies,” Papastergiou explained. “If corrections are needed for critical data—such as the date of birth—they’ll only need to visit the civil registry once.”
Modernizing ID Cards
The Personal Number will eventually be included on the new national ID cards. However, existing ID cards will remain valid until their expiration. The government emphasized that no immediate replacement is required.
In collaboration with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority, efforts are also being made to limit the use and sharing of ID card photocopies. Future digital IDs—available through the state’s “wallet” app—will only display essential information, protecting citizens’ personal data.
End of Fragmentation
Papastergiou highlighted that Greece’s various public registries were historically developed in silos: the tax registry, the health insurance registry (AMKA), the civil registry, and others. The lack of coordination led to duplication and errors.
“In the U.S., for example, there’s the Social Security Number. We didn’t have that. So, in 2020, we chose to standardize using the AFM—already familiar to everyone and free of sensitive data like the birthdate.”
The Personal Number is expected to reduce unnecessary paperwork, allow automated updates across public services, and eliminate the need for repeated identity verifications.
“Soon, a citizen will be able to walk into a public office, say ‘Papastergiou Dimitris, Personal Number XYZ,’ and be instantly recognized by the system,” the minister concluded.
