23-04-2021. According to Article 11 of the Withdrawal Agreement, beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, who have not acquired the permanent residence right (Articles 15 and 16 of the Withdrawal Agreement), can only be absent for maximum 6 months a year or for one absence of a maximum of twelve consecutive months for important reasons (first paragraph of Article 11, referring to continuity of residence rules under Article 15(2) of the Agreement, which mirrors Article 16(3) of Directive 2004/38/EC). The pandemic of Covid-19 and the national or international measures that have been or will be taken into force for this purpose, is an important reason in the context of the application of the Directive 2004/38 / EC and therefore justifies an (1) absence of maximum of twelve months, without the continuity of residence being broken.The absence for this purpose refers to period from the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 and for as long as the current situation exists or to a period οf absence before the beginning of the pandemic with the excess of the six-month absence happened at the beginning or during of the pandemic. The person concerned is not required to provide proof of the individual reasons that led to his/her absence during this period of absence (eg reference to specific travel restrictions, national restrictions, etc.), but it is adequate to provide a solemn declaration, stating that his/her absence from the Greek territory is due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
