Greece residency & citizenship

Overview

Greece operates Europe's most affordable golden visa programme, starting at €250,000 for qualifying conversions. The Golden Visa has three investment tiers (€250,000/€400,000/€800,000) based on location and property type. Greece also offers a digital nomad visa (€3,500/mo), standard work permits, and a 7-year citizenship path. Golden Visa imposes no minimum physical stay for permit maintenance, but citizenship requires 183 days/year actual residence. ^[1]

Residency Programs

Per-Program Detail

Investment Residency — Golden Visa

• Official name: Άδεια διαμονής Β.5 (B.5 residence permit, Law 5038/2023, amended Aug 2024)
• Conditions: Three tiers by location and property type: ^[2]

1. €250,000: commercial-to-residential conversions OR listed heritage building restoration
2. €400,000: rest of Greece (non-prime areas)
3. €800,000: Prime zones — Athens/Attica region, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands >3,100 population. Single property min 120 m².

Application fee: €2,000 main applicant, €150 per dependent. No short-term letting of Golden Visa properties (€50,000 fine). Family includes spouse + children ≤21 (extendable to 24) + parents of both spouses. ^[3]

• Duration / renewal: 5 years, renewable indefinitely while investment held. Permit validity runs from card issuance date (Law 5275/2026). ^[4]
• Path to citizenship: 7 years legal residence with 183 days/year minimum physical presence. Golden Visa alone does NOT count — must actually live in Greece.
• Official source: https://migration.gov.gr/en/
• Community verdict: Works well — Europe's most affordable Golden Visa at €250,000 tier. Massive backlog (~50,000 pending cases in 2024). Processing 4–12 months in practice.

Digital Nomad Visa

• Official name: Ψηφιακή βίζα για ψηφιακούς νομάδες (Digital Nomad Visa)
• Conditions: Non-EU citizen working remotely for foreign employers/clients. Income ≥ ~€3,500/month (approximately). ^[5] Health insurance. Accommodation.
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: Can convert to other permit types for long-term stay. 7 years total for citizenship (with 183 days/year presence).
• Official source: https://migration.gov.gr/en/
• Community verdict: Works well — popular DN destination. 50% income tax exemption available for qualifying digital nomads who relocate their tax residence to Greece (for 7 years).

Passive Income / Retired Residency — FIP

• Official name: Οικονομικά ανεξάρτητο πρόσωπο (Financially Independent Person — FIP)
• Conditions: Passive income ≥ €2,000/month (pension, dividends, rental income etc.) + 20% per dependent. Valid health insurance. Accommodation.
• Duration / renewal: 2 years, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 7 years residence (183 days/year) → eligible.
• Official source: https://migration.gov.gr/en/
• Community verdict: Works well — similar to Portuguese D7 / Spanish Non-Lucrative but less well-known.

Citizenship

• Standard: 7 consecutive years of legal residence (183 days/year minimum) ^[6]
• Marriage to Greek: 3 years (with child) / 5 years (without children) ^[7]
• Language: B1 Greek proficiency + civic knowledge exam
• Clean criminal record
• Dual citizenship: permitted ^[8]
• Golden Visa: permit alone does not count — physical presence (183 days/year) required

Tax

• Progressive income tax: 9%–44%
• 7% flat tax on foreign pension income for qualifying retirees (for 15 years)
• 50% income tax exemption for qualifying impatriate workers (7 years)
• Corporate tax: 22%
• Digital nomads: 50% tax exemption if becoming Greek tax resident
• EUR 500,000+ investment → flat €100,000 annual tax (non-dom alternative)
• No wealth tax

IT / Digital Nomad

Greece's DN visa (€3,500/mo) with 50% tax exemption (for 7 years) is highly attractive. Great Mediterranean lifestyle, lower cost of living than Western EU. Major hubs: Athens, Thessaloniki. Good connectivity. Golden Visa €250,000 tier also appeals to tech entrepreneurs seeking EU base.

Yacht / Maritime

Greece has one of the world's largest coastlines and is arguably the premier yachting destination in the Mediterranean. Yacht registration under Greek flag available. Recognized captain and crew licensing. Major hubs: Piraeus, Rhodes, Corfu, and thousands of islands. World-class marina infrastructure.

Notes for RU Citizens

Greece's Golden Visa was extremely popular with Russian investors before 2022. Current sanctions complicate property purchases and bank transfers but €250,000 conversion route remains accessible via third-country structures. DN visa also open. Greece has an established Russian-speaking community (especially in Athens and Thessaloniki). Dual citizenship permitted. Generally more RU-friendly than Baltic/Nordic EU states.