Moving to Greece

Greece Digital Nomad Visa

Residence permit for digital nomads (Migration Code, Law 5038/2023)

Remote employees or freelancers earning EUR 3,500+ net a month from employers or clients outside Greece.

What you need

• Net monthly income after tax of at least EUR 3,500 from remote work for employers/clients outside Greece. (EUR 3,500 a month)
• Family: +20% for a spouse/partner, +15% per child. (EUR 700 a month)
• Health insurance.
• Criminal record certificate.

Not for

• Work for Greek employers or clients
• Applying from inside Greece as a tourist (ended Feb 2026)

Where you apply

From home, at a consulate. Since Law 5275/2026 (Feb 2026) you must first get a national (Type D) digital nomad visa at a Greek consulate before travel; then file the residence permit in Greece.

How long it takes

Not officially stated.

First permit

Type D visa 12 months; residence permit 2 years (secondary).

Renewal

Renewable (secondary).

Longer term

Permanent residence after about 5 years. Citizenship after about 7 years.

Family

Spouse and children can join; family members may not work in Greece (secondary). Extra income: +20% spouse, +15% per child.

Greece FIP visa

Residence permit for financially independent persons (FIP)

Retirees and passive-income earners with EUR 3,500+ a month who will not work in Greece.

What you need

• Stable monthly income of at least EUR 3,500 from sources outside Greece (pensions, investments, rent). (EUR 3,500 a month)
• Family: +20% for a spouse, +15% per child (secondary). (EUR 700 a month)
• Health insurance.
• Accommodation in Greece (lease or deed).

Not for

• Any work or business activity in Greece

Where you apply

From home, at a consulate. National visa at a Greek consulate, then residence permit in Greece.

How long it takes

Not officially stated.

First permit

3 years (secondary).

Renewal

Renewable (secondary).

Longer term

Permanent residence after about 5 years. Citizenship after about 7 years.

Family

Spouse and children can be included with the income uplift.

Only secondary sources; no official page reached. Income figure, permit length and the 7% regime need official confirmation.

Greece EU Blue Card

EU Blue Card (Migration Code, Law 5038/2023)

Highly qualified people with a Greek job offer above the Blue Card salary floor.

What you need

• Salary at or above the Greek Blue Card threshold; 2026 figure not found.
• Higher education or qualifying professional experience.
• Employment contract with a Greek employer.

Not for

• Self-employed or remote workers

Where you apply

From home, at a consulate. Not verified.

How long it takes

Not officially stated.

First permit

Not verified.

Renewal

Not verified.

Longer term

Permanent residence after about 5 years. Citizenship after about 7 years.

Family

Not verified.

Could not verify any Greek Blue Card figure or term in this pass.

Greek citizenship by descent (registration)

Ιθαγένεια εκ γενετής / registration in the municipal register (Greek Citizenship Code, Law 3284/2004)

Children and grandchildren of Greek citizens who are, or can be, entered in a Greek municipal register (dimotologio).

What you need

• A Greek citizen parent at birth (before 8 May 1984 generally only through a Greek father). A grandchild claims by first registering the parent's marriage and birth in Greece, then their own; the line must be documented generation by generation. Male Registry entries are used only if municipal registration cannot be shown.
• US birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostille and official Greek translation; ancestor's Greek municipal registration certificate (pistopoiitiko oikogeneiakis katastasis); ID.
• No language test for registration of an existing citizen.

Not for

• Descendants whose ancestors were never registered in a Greek municipality (use Article 10 naturalization instead)

Where you apply

From home or inside the country. Greek consulate with jurisdiction (it records foreign births and marriages and forwards them) or the registry office in Greece.

How long it takes

Not officially stated. Secondary: a few months via a registered parent; a year or more (often 2-3 years) via a grandparent.

First permit

Not a permit.

Renewal

Not applicable.

0

Family

Each generation must be registered in turn.

Naturalization of ethnic Greeks living abroad

Πολιτογράφηση ομογενών κατοίκων εξωτερικού (Greek Citizenship Code, Law 3284/2004, art. 10)

Adults of Greek origin whose ancestors were never registered in a Greek municipality, who have some Greek language and cultural knowledge.

What you need

• Adult foreign national of proven Greek origin, resident in the consulate's district, with 'Greek national consciousness' assessed at interview.
• Consul's interview assesses Greek language and knowledge of Greek history, geography and institutions; no fixed level stated.
• No irrevocable conviction for listed offences in the 10 years before filing; foreign criminal record certificate certified and translated.
• Application in Greek with photo; passport; birth certificate with apostille and official translation; proof of Greek origin (ancestors' records, consular registrations, relatives' citizenship); marriage certificate; two Greek-citizen witnesses for the declaration.

Not for

• People with no documentary evidence of Greek origin
• Those who cannot handle an interview in Greek

Where you apply

From home, at a consulate. In person at the Greek consulate for your place of domicile; the Ministry of Interior's Central Directorate of Nationality decides. Not available online.

How long it takes

Estimated 18 months (official portal); complex cases longer. Oath within 1 year of Gazette publication or the decision lapses.

First permit

Not a permit.

Renewal

Not applicable.

0

Family

Minor unmarried children's birth certificates are filed with the application.

Greece Golden Visa

Residence permit for investors (Migration Code art. 100, Law 5038/2023 as amended by Law 5100/2024 art. 64)

Property buyers who want a 5-year renewable EU permit with no minimum stay.

What you need

• Single residential property in Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, the Mykonos and Santorini regional units, or islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants; at least 120 sqm of main areas. (EUR 800,000 a lump_sum)
• Single residential property elsewhere in Greece; at least 120 sqm of main areas. (EUR 400,000 a lump_sum)
• Reduced tier: a commercial/industrial property legally converted to residential use (conversion completed after 5 Apr 2024, before filing), or full restoration of a listed building (complete before the first renewal). (EUR 250,000 a lump_sum)
• No short-term rentals (Airbnb-style) or subletting of the qualifying property; breach can mean revocation and a EUR 50,000 fine. Long-term letting allowed.
• Health insurance.
• Criminal record certificate.

Not for

• Buying several small units to reach the threshold
• Short-term rental income strategies
• Employment in Greece (permit does not allow work; verify)

Where you apply

From home or inside the country. Commonly filed in Greece after visa-free entry, or via consulate. Whether Law 5275/2026 changed in-country filing for investors was not verified.

How long it takes

Not officially stated.

First permit

5 years.

Renewal

Renewable for 5 years while the property is kept.

Family

Spouse, children and parents of both spouses can be included (common practice; not verified in this pass).