When AI Tried to Outsmart Greek Bureaucracy (and Failed Miserably)

Everyone loves AI these days. Digital nomads and expats arriving in Greece often start their journey with a hopeful question to ChatGPT:
"How do I get an AFM number?"
"What’s the process for AMKA?"
"Can I open a bank account as a foreigner?"

The AI responds with confidence. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3… Everything looks neat and logical. The expat thinks: “Wow, that was easy!”

And then… they step into real-life Greece.

Suddenly, Step 2 is not accepted unless you’ve done Step 4 first. The papers you brought are “not the right ones,” even though they are exactly what the AI listed. And, of course, the process can change depending on which office you visit, or even which day you show up.

AI was built to process data. But Greek bureaucracy? That’s not data, it’s an art form. It’s unpredictable, human-driven, and delightfully confusing.

So what happens next? Expats try, they struggle, they Google again, they ask the AI again, and eventually they reach the final stage: admitting defeat.

And this is where EnterAthens steps in.

Because while AI can give you a generic answer, EnterAthens gives you the real answer: tailored to your case, your documents, and your situation.

So in the end, AI hasn’t replaced us. Quite the opposite. It has sent us more work. Expats first hit a dead end with ChatGPT… and then they hit EnterAthens.

Now, would we love it if AI could actually take over this part someday? Absolutely! If everything really worked in one, two, three simple steps, we’d all celebrate. But until that day comes, 90% of our work remains bureaucracy, something even Greeks themselves often can’t handle alone (that’s why similar services exist for locals too!).

And even when bureaucracy gets simpler, there will still be plenty left to do: finding housing, talking with landlords, making connections, and helping people truly settle in.

So yes, AI tried to outsmart Greek bureaucracy… and in the process, gave EnterAthens more work than ever