Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece.

If you do not complete each step before your visa interview appointment the consular section may require you to reschedule for a later date.

All applicants must follow the instructions below before you go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Step 1: Register your appointment online

You need to register your appointment online. Registering your appointment provides us with the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to register.

If you want to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you will be able to do so after you register your appointment.

Register >>

Step 2: Get a medical exam in Greece

As soon as you get your appointment date, schedule a medical exam in Greece. Click the "Medical Exam Instructions" button below to see a list of approved doctors in Greece. Choose one of these doctors and complete your exam at least two weeks before your interview.

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Print the checklist below and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 4: Review interview guidelines

Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.

Interview Guidelines >>

Medical Exam Instructions

All immigrant visa applicants must get a medical exam before receiving a visa. This rule applies at any age. Only a panel physician approved by the U.S. Embassy can perform this exam.

Schedule and complete your exam with one of the Clinic's approved doctors listed below. Finish your exam at least two weeks before your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy will not accept results from other physicians, including doctors at U.S. military facilities.

Call the panel physician’s office at the number below to schedule your exam. You must complete your exam before you attend your interview with the Consular Officer.

Approved physicians

ATHINAIKI MEDICLINIC
Dorylaiou 24
115 21 Athens
tel: 210647-5000 for appointments

You must pay the fees directly to the medical facility. 

Items to bring to your medical examination

The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:

• Your visa interview letter
• Your passport
• Four (4) color photos (5x5cm), taken without wearing eyeglasses, taken in full-face view directly facing the camera, and taken within the last six months
• A copy of your immunization records
• The fees for the medical examinations
• Male applicants over 18 years old must present their “Type A” military record
• Complete U.S address and telephone number
• Type of your visa
• DS-260 Confirmation Page

You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician.

NOTICE: You must complete your examinations before a visa can be issued to you. You are responsible for ensuring you have enough time to make an appointment before coming to the consular section of the American Embassy for your immigrant visa interview.

What the Medical Exam Includes

The doctor will review your medical history and give you a physical exam. If you are 15 or older, the doctor will also test you for gonorrhea and take a chest X-ray and blood sample. The United States requires TB testing for all applicants age two and older.

Prepare to discuss your medical history, medications, and current treatments with the doctor. For more information on medical requirements for U.S. immigrants, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website.

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to get certain vaccinations before receiving a visa. Visit the CDC’s website to see current vaccination requirements. You can also read our Frequently Asked Questions online to learn more about our medical examination requirements.

After the medical exam

When your examination is completed, the doctor will provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope or send them directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview.

Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis (TB). However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.

Map of Approved Physician

Map of Athinaiki Mediclinic

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview.

Any documents that are not in English or Greek must be accompanied by an official translation (translations from private translators are acceptable). Only court records must be accompanied by official translations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Greece, please visit individual certified translator at https://metafraseis.services.gov.gr/.

• A copy of your NVC interview letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé(e), adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants).
  
  
• Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States and a photocopy of the biographic page (where your name and photo are located).
  
  
• 1 color photograph of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm). Please review our online photo requirements.
  
  
• Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.
  
  
• Your original birth certificate and a photocopy Note: Failure to provide the correct birth certificate may delay you obtaining your Visa. Please provide the Original Lixiarhiki Praxi Gennisis obtained in person from the Lixiarhio office or digitally through the Government of Greece’s online government portal.
  
  
• Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
  
  
• Printable delivery voucher created online at USembassy.dailycourier.gr  This voucher is required—without it, your visa processing may be delayed. If you need help creating the voucher, you can contact Daily Courier at +30 216 400 2600 or info@dailycourier.gr
  
  
• Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).

Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:

For family-based visa applications: 

• The appropriate Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for each financial sponsor along with a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript or most recent U.S. federal income tax return, and any relevant W-2s.
  
  
• Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card).
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, or emails).

If you are married: Your original marriage certificate and a photocopy.

If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate, and a photocopy.

If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:

1. You are older than 16 years;
2. You obtained a police certificate and submitted it to NVC more than two years ago; and
3. You still live in the country that issued the police certificate.

For employment-based visa applications: Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you have served in any country’s military: Military records and a photocopy.

If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, English translation, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriage s of either parent.

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Interview Guidelines

Sending Additional Documents to the U.S. Embassy

If the Consular Officer requests more documents, they will give you a refusal letter listing what you need to provide. Gather the missing documents and send them to the U.S. Embassy  via courier or through the Greek postal system at the following mailing address:
US Embassy
Vas. Sofias 91
101 60 Athens
Attention: Immigrant Visa Unit
Or you may upload documents in CEAC as per Consular Officer’s request. For instructions, please visit this link.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please send an email to athusiv@state.gov and instructions will be sent to you.

There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please try to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully consult the Visa Bulletin before you decide to reschedule your interview.

Please note: You need to register your original NVC/KCC appointment online before you can reschedule it.

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Embassy Greece must follow certain security procedures. If you refuse to let U.S. Embassy security personnel screen you, you cannot enter the Embassy. Bring only what you need for your interview to avoid delaying your entry and the entry of those in line behind you. If you leave items in your car, put them in the trunk and lock your car. Do not leave personal items visible inside your car.

Accompanying persons

Attorneys are not allowed to go with clients into the waiting room or to their interview. Only the following persons may go with a visa applicant to their interview:

• Interpreter:  Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Greek well enough to participate in an interview. Please contact the U.S. Embassy at athusiv@state.gov to provide the full name and the passport details of the interpreter.
• Special Needs Visitors:  Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

Paying Your Fees

If you have not paid all required fees to the National Visa Center or through the appointment website, prepare to pay these fees on the day of your interview. Pay all fees in U.S. dollars. We accept only cash and physical credit cards. If you are found ineligible for a visa, we cannot refund your application fee. See our Fees for Visa Services webpage for a complete list of fees.  

Do not make travel plans outside of Greece

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. We will return your passport to you later via courier services only. If you have to travel within Greece while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.

A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa. Do not sell your house, car or property, resign from your job or make non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you have received your immigrant visa. 

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After Your Visa Interview

If more information is needed

Sometimes a consular officer cannot decide on a visa application right away. This may happen because the officer needs to review more documents or the case requires further administrative processing.

If the officer needs other documents, they will give you a refusal letter asking you to submit them. The letter will explain how to send those documents to the Embassy.

Administrative processing takes extra time after your interview. We resolve most cases within 60 days, but processing times vary based on each case's circumstances. Wait at least 60 days after your interview before you ask about the status of your case.

What happens after visa approval

Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. We will also give you a sealed envelope holding documents you must give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you; do not put it in your checked luggage. 

Electronic Cases - Your IV packet will automatically be shared with CBP and USCIS electronically. You only need your passport with immigrant visa and medical CD when you travel to the United States.

If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities.

USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay a $ 235.00 Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. The only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa. 

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six months from the date of printing. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are non-refundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. Unless they are eligible for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act, children who are issued a visa before turning 21 years of age must enter the United States before their 21^st birthday to avoid losing their immigrant status.

Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you write in your visa application form. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to live in the United States. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before your green card arrives: Consult USCIS’s and CBP’s websites for rules about what documents you need to re-enter the country. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are in compliance with their rules. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Children’s Issues – In the United States, children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. If your child is adopted, you have full custody because of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You need these papers (translated into English) for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.

Information for New Immigrants – Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. You can read their publication “Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants” online.

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Diversity Visa Applicants - Additional Information

If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview; enroll in the required courier service; and gather the required documents.

Below are additional instructions that apply only to DV applicants. 

Bring to your interview

In addition to the documents listed on the Pre-Interview Checklist in this package, DV applicants should also bring the following items to your visa interview:

• Appointment information printed from the “Entrant Status Check” on the E-DV website.
  
  
• Documents showing that you have either a qualifying high school education OR have two years of qualifying work experience in the last five (5) years immediately prior to application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available on our Diversity Visa Process webpage).
  
  
• Payment of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee via cash or physical credit card for each visa applicant.

Review your DV Lottery entry

Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, you must have correctly entered your marital status. If you are legally married you must have listed your spouse, even if you are currently separated from him/her (unless your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident).

Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. This includes your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted following the laws of your country.

Failure to have listed an existing spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery will result in the denial of your visa and visas for your family. Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable. If you did not include a child who had already been born, or a spouse to whom you were married when you entered the lottery, you should not proceed with the visa application. You can review the eligibility requirements on our Diversity Visa Process webpage.

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