Moving to Greece

Residence routes

Eight ways to live in Greece legally. Most people only need to read two of them.

• Compare every route One table: thresholds, duration, work rights and the catch on each.
• Visa finder Four questions, then which routes fit and which are blocked.
• Digital Nomad Remote work for foreign employers or clients. Consulate-only since February 2026.
• FIP Passive income, no working in Greece. The retirement route.
• Golden Visa Residence by property investment. No minimum stay.
• EU, EEA and Swiss nationals No permit needed — but the paperwork still applies.

The paperwork spine

Greece runs on two numbers. The order is fixed and getting it wrong costs weeks.

• AFM — tax number First. Available to non-residents, free in person, needed for everything.
• AMKA — social security number Second. Healthcare and employment depend on it.
• The first 60 days The whole sequence, tickable and printable.

Money

The 183-day rule catches more people than any other. Read it before you choose a route, not after.

• When you become a Greek tax resident The day count and the centre-of-vital-interests test.
• Income tax in 2026 The new scale after the January 2026 reform.
• The 50% inbound worker exemption Half your Greek income exempt for up to seven years.
• The 7% pension rate Flat tax on foreign pensions for up to fifteen years.
• The non-dom lump sum A fixed annual charge on all foreign income.
• What living here costs Scenario totals, rent bands and line items, with the assumptions named.

Work

Greek pay is lower than Northern Europe and structured differently. Two things distort every comparison: the 14-payment year and the gap between gross and net.

• The minimum wage Why you will see two different figures, and why both are right.
• What salaries actually are By sector and region, plus where the market is genuinely hiring.
• Net salary calculator Gross to net, over both 12 and 14 payments.

Housing and health

• Renting Portals, deposits, agency fees, koinochrista and the lease protections you have.
• Buying What a purchase costs beyond the price, and the objective-value trap.
• Healthcare ESY, EFKA and EOPYY, and what the public system actually delivers.
• Where to live Ten profiles, each with an honest account of who it does not suit.