Our Challenges Getting to Greece
A Bittersweet Farewell to Washington State
We spent a lovely summer in Washington State, where I fulfilled the end of my contract managing a women's leadership institute for work. After nine years of working on this program every summer, it was bittersweet to hand it over to a new team.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of so many young women's leadership journeys and am so happy to remain in touch with many of them to this day.
Preparing for Our Move to Greece
As my work obligations wrapped up in August, we turned our attention in earnest to planning our move to Greece. We had already purchased flights for October 3 and started gathering our visa application materials in anticipation of a visa interview in San Francisco.
One of the biggest challenges was obtaining our medical clearances. Apparently, the Greek government wants to ensure applicants staying more than 90 days don’t have any serious illnesses or communicable diseases.
If you’re familiar with the U.S. medical system, you know this was harder than it sounds. I no longer had medical insurance once my contract ended, so I contacted local county health departments—only to learn they don’t perform international health clearances. It took several weeks, but I finally found a regional community health center that offered a sliding scale payment plan.
Trevor had his own set of challenges. Though he had health insurance, he didn’t have a primary care provider (he hadn’t been to a doctor in at least 15 years!). He first had to “establish care” before completing his exam. Thankfully, a University of Washington Medicine clinic offered an emergency intake appointment within a week.
It still meant spending more money—around $350 for my clearance and blood tests, and about $150 for Trevor’s.
The FBI Check and Early Optimism
With that hurdle cleared, we headed to the post office for fingerprinting and submission to the FBI for criminal screening. Within a few days, the results affirmed we are not federal criminals. Whew!
With the medicals and background checks done, we thought the remaining visa paperwork would be simple. Unfortunately, I was grossly misled by online advice that said Greek consulates respond to interview requests within 10 days and issue visas in 1–2 months.
The Greek Consulate Saga
When I tried to schedule a visa appointment, I found the link on the San Francisco consulate’s website was broken. I sent an email instead—and received an automatic reply warning against sending follow-ups, or risk being bumped to the bottom of the queue.
We waited and waited as our departure date inched closer.
Several weeks later, frustrated, we contacted an immigration lawyer via Citizen Remote. She emailed the consulate in Greek, and miraculously, they replied within days—with a functional link! Unfortunately, appointments were booked three months in advance—too late for our planned departure.
Visa Confusion in Greece
Once we arrived in Greece, our lawyer explained we couldn’t complete the visa locally because our income didn’t meet the threshold for the Digital Nomad Visa. Instead, we needed to apply for a Financially Independent Person (FIP) visa, which must begin in our home country.
There had been a misunderstanding in my earlier communications with the consulate, leaving us mistakenly confident we could apply in Greece. Now, we’ll need to return to San Francisco in December for the interview before finalizing everything back in Greece.
Mistakes I Made
Waiting until we had gathered 90% of materials before contacting the consulate (should have started sooner).
Not hiring an immigration lawyer earlier.
Attempting the process during summer, especially August, when Greek offices largely shut down for holiday.
Meanwhile, Preparing Duke for EU Travel
As the visa process dragged on, we were also preparing to travel with our cat, Duke.
The EU requires an international pet health certificate or EU Pet Passport. The pet must be microchipped and current on rabies vaccines before the vet exam. The exam must be completed by a USDA-endorsed vet, with final travel approval within 10 days of travel.
Most people (including us) mistakenly interpret the USDA 10-day rule to mean the exam must be 10 days before travel—but our vet confirmed that you actually have 10 days from the USDA's endorsement date to depart.
At our initial vet intake visit, about 1 month before travel, the doctor said she could not confidently clear Duke for travel. He had a sinus infection of some kind and at 15 years old he had lost nearly two pounds in the past year. She put him on a course of antibiotics and tasked us with attempting to bulk him up with high-calorie food over the next three weeks. We weighed him at home weekly and were delighted to report that he gained a bit of weight each time. We brought Duke in for his official travel exam 10 days before our scheduled flight, and the vet was happy enough with his progress to clear him for travel!
Due to regional office closures, our vet had to send the paperwork from Washington to a USDA office in North Carolina. Although submission was online, the approval papers would be mailed back via FedEx.
By the time we realized our issues with the visa appointment delay, Duke’s paperwork was already in motion—and after spending roughly $2,000 on his prep, postponing the trip wasn’t an option.
The FedEx Nail-Biter Before Our Flight
The day before our departure, we still hadn’t received Duke’s paperwork.
Our vet shared a tracking number showing it en route, expected between 12–2 p.m. With an evening flight, that still seemed do-able. We packed our bags, loaded the car, and waited anxiously.
And waited.
At 1:00 p.m., with no sign of FedEx, we decided we’d reschedule the flight if the package didn’t arrive soon. By 2:00, tracking updated to 8 p.m. Estimated delivery—too late for our flight.
Defeated, we unpacked and began the rebooking process. After hours of tense messaging between Delta and KLM, we learned that because the flight was code-shared, KLM required 48-hour notice for pets in cabin. Neither airline would budge on policy. Exhausted, we rebooked three days out.
That afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., a FedEx contractor finally pulled into our driveway. Trevor accepted the envelope—containing four precious sheets of paper. We rolled our suitcases back inside, defeated but relieved.
Finally, Bound for Greece
Three days later, we boarded our flight as planned. After weeks of setbacks and stress, we were finally en route to our new chapter in Greece—with every fingerprint, health form, and veterinary document in hand. I am happy to report that Duke passed through customs without a hitch.
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