Greece: Have You Registered Your Top Up Mobile Phone

One of those reminders from BritsinCrete for anyone in Greece! If you have a hand phone - mobile phone - with a Pay-As-You-Go, top up chip issued by one of the Greek telephone providers you have until July 31, 2010 to register it in your name.

Greece, along with other EU countries is banning the use of any phone that is not registered to someone. The move is part of the war against crime, money laundering, drugs and terrorism.

Tie a knot in whatever to remind yourself you need to get yourself to your nearest phone shop or ask your provider's customer service hotline where you can register and what their company's policy is on registering a phone in your name.

You will likely need your passport if you are a foreigner or Identity Card if you are Greek (or if you are from another EU state, your National ID Card).

I was told by the WINDS mobile phone provider that on Crete the only place you can register is at their main Heraklion shop branch not any other branch on the island.

If I were someone in this situation I would not leave registration until the last day (July 31, 2010 is a Saturday, after all) just in case you need to schedule a trip to Heraklion. Just a reminder, mark it in your phone's calender as an urgent thing to do!

In all likelihood any unregistered mobile number in Greece will be cut off at midnight on August 1, 2010. This applies to anyone in Greece who has not registered their mobile top up mobile phone by the deadline of July 31, 2010.