The Greek Social Security agency maintains a computerized record for each person who works under the Greek system. To help ensure that these records are correct, each worker is required to keep a separate “insurance booklet” which also shows his or her periods of Greek coverage. The worker's employer (or the worker in case of a self-employed person) places stamps purchased from the Government in the insurance booklet to record periods of coverage.

The worker's Greek insurance booklet must be surrendered by the applicant the first time a claim is filed on the worker's record. The Greek agency will not accept a photocopy of the booklet.

Ask the applicant to submit the original insurance booklet if this is the initial claim filed on the worker's record. If it is a subsequent claim, ask the applicant to submit a copy of any prior award letter.

If neither the insurance booklet nor the award letter is available, list the names and addresses of all the worker's employers in Greece in Part I.2. of the SSA-2490-BK (Application for Benefits under a U.S. International Social Security Agreement). If the worker was self-employed, list the addresses of each place of business.