Residency FAQs
I am a UK national, I have no other EU passport and I have never lived in Greece
Greece now considers all UK nationals to be third country nationals (non-EU). UK nationals are no longer allowed to move freely in and out of Greece. It’s difficult to work in Greece because the Greek migration code for non-EU nationals prevents this for most professions.
Greece now considers all UK nationals to be third country nationals (non-EU). UK nationals are no longer allowed to move freely in and out of Greece. It’s difficult to work in Greece because the Greek migration code for non-EU nationals prevents this for most professions.
You can only stay for 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area, including Greece. You will not be able to work during this period. Your passport will be stamped on entry and exit.
You’ll be fined leaving Greece/the Schengen area for overstaying. You could also be banned from re-entering.
It’s possible but it’s become more difficult. You’ll need a visa or residence permit.
Can I live in Greece? Yes, but you need a residence permit.
It’s difficult to get a work visa on a Greek payroll paying tax and national insurance in Greece. You need a Type D visa from the Greek embassy before you leave the UK. You can’t apply for a work visa from within Greece. There are a few limited categories of specialised employment in which you can apply and your prospective employer must prove that an EU national could not do this work and provide the embassy with the relevant justification from the local authorities in Greece. You also need an official job offer. There is a new seasonal work visa for work in the tourist industry which allows you to be up to 9 months a year in Greece.
There are some jobs in the bigger companies, especially in the tourist industry, through which you provide services in Greece but continue to pay tax and national insurance in another country. In these cases, the company will guide you through the visa process and should offer to reimburse any expenses
You can apply for a Digital Nomad (DN) visa but you must prove you have more than 3.5K euros income after tax per month plus 20% for a spouse.
It’s not possible for third country nationals to open a business or freelance unless they already have residence rights.
It’s possible but it’s become more difficult. You’ll need a visa or residence permit.
You can apply for a Type D visa in the Financially Independent Person’s (FIP) category but you must prove you have more than 3.5K euro income from pensions per month plus 20% for a spouse. There are some workarounds in this category if you have a shortfall on the income and applicants are often allowed to use a lump sum of savings in lieu. Each application is assessed on its own merits. You won’t be able to work in Greece with this permit.
You can get a residence permit if you buy real estate worth more than 800K euros (400K in some areas of the mainland or on islands with a population of less than 3,100). You won’t be able to work in Greece with this permit.
Yes. It’s relatively easy to get a spousal visa. You’re allowed to work in Greece with this permit
You can’t get a spousal visa unless you’re married or in a civil partnership.
Unless you have a national ID card or passport as a Greek citizen you’ll need a permit like any other UK national. In order to get a Greek ID card you should track down the registrations of births and marriages in your family both with the local authorities in Greece (family list) and at the embassy.
Yes, but you must have an official offer from a recognised institute of higher education. You should apply for a Type D visa either in the category of ‘student’ or ‘professional training’ depending on the type of higher institution establishment.
No
It’s worth applying in the FIP category if you have pending pensions, rental income, a large lump sum in savings (over 50K) and/or strong existing connections in Greece like family, property or even proof of multiple visits. The Greek embassy looks kindly on people who are clearly committed to Greece in some way. If this fails, you’ve exhausted your options and you can’t stay longer than 90/180 days in Greece.
How can I apply for residency?
You must apply for a Type D long-term national visa if you want a work permit, student visa or FIP. GV and DN applicants can choose whether to apply for a Type D visa or apply from within Greece. Applicants for spousal visas can only apply from within Greece.
This visa can only be obtained from a Greek embassy (either in the UK or the country where you are officially resident) and not from within Greece. It is permission to enter Greece in order to apply for a certain category of residence permit or to work on a set contract. It is attached to your passport and usually lasts for 365 days or for the length of your work contract. In most categories you must apply for the actual residence permit from within Greece as soon as you arrive.
If you live in the UK you must apply through the Global Visa Centre. https://uk-gr.gvcworld.eu/en/visa-info-long-term-national-d-visa
Online here. https://portal.immigration.gov.gr/electronic-applications/index Applicants for spousal visas and GV without a Type D visa will need to show a standard visitor entry stamp in their passport (‘legal stay’) and must apply within 90 days of arrival. FIP applicants and student visas with a Type D visa must apply for their residence permits as soon as they arrive. Holders of a Type D visa in the DN category are not obliged to apply for residency and can stay up to 365 days in Greece on their Type D visa but can also apply for a residence permit if they wish to stay longer. Work permit Type D visa holders do not need to apply for a residence permit from within Greece.
This visa is for visitors. UK nationals have a waiver on the Type C visa so it is not necessary to apply for it. The Type C visa is replaced by the entry stamp, which proves ‘legal stay’.
I am a UK national, I lived in Greece before 31/12/2020
You may be able to apply for residency under the Withdrawal Agreement (WA). This is the agreement between the UK and the EU that UK nationals resident in the EU before the withdrawal of the UK from the EU should be able to carry on living and working in Greece under the same conditions. You can apply for a 5 year or a 10 year residence card.
You can apply for this card if you can prove you were resident in Greece from before 31/12/20 and have continued to be resident by not being absent for longer than 6 months in any 12 since taking up residency.
You must have proof that you have been living/lived in Greece for over 5 years with no absences of longer than 6 months in any 12 for a full five years. If you have left Greece, you should not have been absent for over 5 consecutive years.
You apply in person to the immigration police. Details here https://www.astynomia.gr/citizens-guide/documentation/alien-issues/united-kingdom-nationals-and-their-family-members-also-united-kingdom-nationals-who-are-beneficiaries-of-the-agreement-on-the-withdrawal-of-the-united-kingdom-from-the-european-union/?lang=en
I am a UK national, I have another EU nationality
You still have free movement in and out of Greece. You can also work. You should apply for a registration card from the local police if you want to stay longer than 90 days. You should use your EU nationality passport to enter and exit Greece and for all transactions within Greece.
General FAQs
Most applicants for visas and residence permits manage the move without a lawyer unless there are complications with the application. However, applicants for the Golden Visa will definitely need a lawyer as it involves property transfer.
Yes. Accountants are essential in Greece both to assess your tax liabilities and to help with the nitty-gritty of bureaucracy (payment of administrative fees, solemn declarations etc.)
Yes. But the acquisition of property does not necessarily grant residence rights.
Most offices accept marina contracts as proof of address for residency provided you meet the other requirements.
Unless you’re working in Greece and paying into the system you’ll need private health insurance. You won’t have free access to state healthcare except for emergency treatment. Exceptions are UK state pensioners with residence permits under the Withdrawal Agreement who have registered an S1 paper with the Greek authorities (the UK picks up their costs) and also dependents of Greek nationals. The UK issued GHIC card should not be used by residents.
Yes. You have to be ordinarily resident in the UK to access NHS healthcare. Exceptions are UK pensioners with an S1 paper who moved to Greece before 31/12/20.
If you are present in Greece more than 183 days a year, the Greek tax office considers you tax resident and you will normally be taxed you on your global income in Greece. Dual tax arrangements ensure you don’t pay tax twice. Anyone moving to Greece should find a good Greek accountant and run through their tax liabilites in Greece with them.
It’s your Greek tax number (VAT number/TIN). If you have an AFM (and it’s difficult to get by in
Greece without one), you must do tax returns every year even if they’re nil.
If you’re eligible for one, it’s your Greek social security number. It gives you free access to Greek state healthcare.
It is the main Greek social security institution dealing with pensions and healthcare.
It’s the ‘citizens services’ office. There is one in every town and it deals with the nuts and bolts of officialdom.
You will need a Greek sim card to make the online application for residency and it’s advisable to get one anyway because so many official transactions are dependent on OTP codes and sometimes they won’t send to UK numbers.