I am in the EU as well
Thank you again for your reply!
I imagine most would be sympathetic if not welcoming. I assume Greece probably had buddhist nuns before and it’s culturally significant that you want to train like this. This religion is older than christianity and so people usually take this into account lest they are crazy, that has been my subjective experience.
Not to suggest this as a favorable option but rather to include it as such. Id keep in mind that before the women were allowed full acceptance the female renunciates usually lived with other sects which did.
Hi Amrapali,
I am tagging just a couple of Venerable bhikkhunis on the forum, @sabbamitta and @Pasanna. There are many on the forum and in EU and hopefully they can give you a further insights and information about the process.
trusolo
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Hi Amrapali,
Becoming a bhikkhuni is a process that will take many years and very dedicated commitment. There are many factors to consider, both in terms of spiritual support (a teacher / preceptor and a community that suits you well, and where you fit in well), and in terms of worldly conditions (visa issues can be very challenging for monastics, financial support for health care, etc.)
First of all, it’s important to establish close relationships with bhikkhunis and bhikkhuni monasteries, i.e. visit, spend time there, experience the life. Since you’re in Europe, it might be easiest for you to start with the European bhikkhuni sanghas. If that works out, it’ll be much less of a hassle to transition into monastic life, since you won’t need visas etc. As you said, there are no bhikkhunis in Greece. The biggest European sanghas are in Germany:
Anenja Vihara
Sirisampanno Monastery
Dhammanikhom
Watermoon Monastery
Kloster Hassel
There are also monasteries in Czech republic and Belgium, but they don’t train new nuns. And monasteries are being built right now in Italy and Spain, but they aren’t ready yet for visitors. And of course there is Ayya Canda in England, but since the UK has left the EU, there is the visa issue now…
Good luck for your path!
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Also id keep in mind that Greece has some social security which makes female renunciates somewhat independent to that extent.
A greek man could probably live just fine outdoors in Greece, all year, by just relying on social services but as a woman this is too dangerous.
However if there are groups of women renunciates then they can do this. And so i think this comes into play in their lives and that women renunciates do have some say in how they live & train.
Oh my God, an actual nun replied to my post. Hi there! Thank you so much!
Do you have any tips for how to tell my family that I want to do this? They know I’m practicing buddhism and they’ve accepted it but I don’t think they’re aware that I’m planning to take it this far.
It depends on if you think they’ll be supportive or if this will be a shock to them. If they won’t be supportive then I think it’s too early to tell your family. Meet some bhikkhunis first, spend time in monasteries, and see if you like the lifestyle. People have very romantic ideas about monastic life, but actually living in a monastic community is much more challenging than most people expect.
It’s also not that easy for women to find a good place to train. Your options might be quite limited and it might take time to find the right monastery. It’s best if you are certain yourself first that this is what you want to do before talking to your family.
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Thank you for your kind advice! Metta!
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My advice is to not announce any life changing decisions to anyone until you see an opening and have committed to it’s pursuit. One can of course say that one entertains the idea but at this point it’s just healthy interest.
That opening means having talked it out with some women friends that you actually like and could see yourself dealing with for the rest of your life. And furthermore having the option & ability to relocate.
Unil that point there is not much to announce lest one plans on doing something radical or reckless.
I think it’s better to ordain later than earlier, in general.
In ordaining too early one essentially relies on there being an excellent program where they can easily restrain & make you comfortable, but this is too much to ask for nowadays and so one runs a big risk of it not working out at all.
Whereas in postponing one can train & learn much beforehand, be more independent, can plan things out well and be more of an asset when one eventually does join a group.
Therefore training on your own will open doors & create openings which otherwise wouldn’t be there and you will have much more say in how your life & training plays out if you do not rush into this.
With all that being said there is no reason to drag out the preparations & research either and it shouldn’t take a long time to evaluate your options to see if there is an opening that you would like to pursue.
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Just to clarify, I am not a bhikkhuni. I am a Sayalay, or Silashin, ordained in the Burmese tradition. I don’t keep all the rules of a bhikkhuni; just two handfuls. 
Ayya @vimalanyani has already given a very good overview over the situation in Europe. The only thing I may add perhaps is that I don’t believe it’s possible to train as a new nun in Kloster Hassel.
Wishing you all the best in your endeavor!
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Alliance for Bhikkhunis has a directory with a lot of monasteries and options for Bhikkhunis, here: Directory - Alliance for Bhikkhunis
I hope you find a suitable place! Good luck! 
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I’m not a monastic of any kind, but this jumped out at me:
From stories I have heard, this is almost the opposite of the case. Because the monastic community requires celibacy, those who experience a call to romance won’t just talk to you less, they’ll leave the community entirely. While sexual attraction may be a non-factor for you, putting on the robes doesn’t make others asexual. It may be very painful to lose a close friend in this way, when you don’t have that same drive, and it’s harder to understand why they’re leaving your community.
Also there’s many other reasons people leave the robes or change community - visa issues, a calling to do wandering dhutanga practice, long private retreat, attempting to form a new community, etc.
I don’t think this is an insurmountable issue - obviously there are many monks who continue in the robes after their friends disrobe or become less close. I just think it’s something to be aware of.
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Are you sure? Ayya Dhamma (the abbess) seemed open to it when I talked to her a while ago. Of course, the person must fit into the community and way of life there.
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When I visited her a number of years ago I gained the impression that she prefers to remain solitary. But I haven’t in fact explicitly asked the question.
If one would decide to ordain as Sayalay or Silashin in Asia (for example in Pa Auk monasteries or those connected to Ashin Tejanīja, which both heavily focus on meditation), the matter is pretty much straightforward, easy, and quick if the candidate is ready, literally being able to just show up without prior notice and staying as long as one wishes. I actually knew of even a few young people who did something just along those lines. In any case, wishing you all the best for your inspiring journey.
I’ll repeat (and slightly paraphrase) what a senior bhikkhuni told me when I told her I wanted to ordain: “Great! We need more nuns!”
I’m just an anagarikā now, and I’m sorry for being all positive in this thread of sober caution, but IMO living in a monastery is great. Committing to the Buddha’s training in full is even greater.
If you think the Buddha’s teaching is probably true – and you don’t have kids, a partner, a dog, or a special cat that you’re too attached to to renounce – ordaining is probably the most meaningful thing you can do.
I mean, if you’re meditating for hours every day at 18, and you have a strong inclination for monasticism… you might have been a monastic in a past life not too long ago, so you might as well try it out and find out IMO 
I’m in the US, you’re more than welcome to PM me if you have any questions! 
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You can find a write up here of all the various steps on the path to full ordination as a bhikkhuni: https://www.dhammadharini.net/entering-monastic-life
Wishing you well with your aspiration!
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