Greece

GRC

Greece is a Southern European EU and Schengen member offering an accessible Golden Visa residency-by-investment route alongside notably favourable tax incentives for foreign retirees and high-net-worth arrivals. The general system is residence-based, but Greece layers on two regimes: a flat €100,000 annual tax on foreign-source income for qualifying HNWIs, and a flat 7% rate on foreign pension income for relocating retirees.

Immigration routes include the Golden Visa, a retirement visa, and a skilled-worker permit; citizenship by descent is also available. The passport ranks 5th globally with visa-free access to 189 destinations, and dual citizenship is permitted. English proficiency is moderate (rank 24), strongest in Athens and tourist islands. Naturalisation requires 7 years.

Healthcare (index 67) is adequate but uneven between public and private tiers, with many expats adding private insurance. The cost of living (index 45) is low for Western Europe, with Athens and Thessaloniki cheaper than islands like Rhodes in peak season. Appeal rests heavily on Mediterranean climate and relatively low entry barriers versus other EU golden-visa jurisdictions.

Naturalisation: 7 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Dual citizenship: Allowed
Capital: Athens
Region: europe
Population: 10,720,000
Cost-of-living: 45 /100

Passport Rank

Visa-Free

189

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Greece passport has visa-free access to 156 destinations. See the full Greece passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Greece without a prior visa (91)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia+73 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

Country Details

Capital: Athens
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Languages: Greek
Population: 10,720,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Allowed
Naturalisation: 7 years
Schengen / EU: Schengen / EU
Climate: Mediterranean
English Proficiency Rank: #24

Greece offers a flat €100,000 annual tax on foreign-source income for high-net-worth individuals, and a 7% flat rate on all foreign pension income for retirees relocating to Greece.

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

157

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 7 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Allowed
Special Tax Regime: Greece offers a flat €100,000 annual tax on foreign-source income for high-net-worth individuals, and a 7% flat rate on all foreign pension income for retirees relocating to Greece.

Cost of Living by City

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Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Athens	$950	$650	$300	$130	$30
Thessaloniki	$650	$420	$270	$125	$28
Rhodes	$750	$500	$290	$120	$25

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Athens

12°J

13°F

15°M

19°A

24°M

29°J

32°J

32°A

28°S

22°O

17°N

13°D

Rainfall range: 6–71 mm/month · Daylight 9h (winter) to 15h (summer)

Thessaloniki

6°J

8°F

12°M

17°A

22°M

27°J

30°J

30°A

25°S

18°O

12°N

7°D

Rainfall range: 23–68 mm/month · Daylight 9h (winter) to 15h (summer)

Heraklion

14°J

15°F

16°M

19°A

23°M

27°J

29°J

29°A

27°S

23°O

19°N

15°D

Rainfall range: 1–94 mm/month · Daylight 9h (winter) to 14h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Schengen C
Financially Independent (FIP)
Digital Nomad
Golden Visa
Student
Family Reunification
Work
Investor

Authority: Ministry of Migration and Asylum
Official Portal: migration.gov.gr
Phone: +30 213 136 3000
Email: info@migration.gov.gr

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 7
Language Test: Yes (B1)
Civic Test: Yes
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: Yes
Fee: $700
Processing: ~36 months

Real Estate

Avg price/sqm (capital): $3,000
Transaction taxes: 8%

Foreign buyers: EU nationals unrestricted. Non-EU nationals may purchase freely except in border regions (frontier zones) which require special ministry approval.

International Schools

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International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
American Community Schools of Athens	Athens	American	$14,000–$22,000
Campion School Athens	Athens	British	$11,000–$18,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

75 Mbps median

55% fibre coverage

eSIM: Cosmote, Vodafone GR, Wind Hellas

Driving

IDP required

Exchange eligible: EU member states, UK, Switzerland +3 more

Pet Relocation

Quarantine: none

Rabies titre not required

EU pet passport: accepted

Safety

GPI Rank

#60

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠Bar scam in Athens Syntagma area
⚠taxi overcharging from Piraeus port
⚠counterfeit goods on islands
⚠distraction theft in Monastiraki

Examples of areas to avoid: Exarcheia late night (Athens), Omonia Square periphery at night

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Legal
Civil Partnerships: Recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: Yes
ILGA Rank: #25

Religious Life

Halal Food: Widely available
Kosher Food: Limited
Prayer Facilities: Limited

Sample Citizenship Test Questions

Q1. What is the form of government in Greece?

Answer: Parliamentary Republic

Source: Greek Constitution Art. 1; YPESATH Naturalisation Guidelines

Q2. In what year did Greece become a member of the European Union?

Answer: 1981

Source: YPESATH Naturalisation Guidelines

Q3. What does the Greek flag symbolise with its blue and white colours?

Answer: The sky and the clouds, representing freedom won in the War of Independence

Source: YPESATH Naturalisation Guidelines

Related Guides

Fastest paths to an EU passport in 2025

A sourced comparison of the shortest EU naturalisation timelines, from 2-year descent fast-tracks to 5-year residency routes — plus the hidden requirements that extend them in practice.

Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list

Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Move here

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa Programs

Greece Golden Visa

Greece GRC

Investment

Processing

4mo

Min. Income

—

Citizenship

Verified 2026-04-20

Greece Financial Independence Visa (Type D)

Greece GRC

Retirement

Processing

3mo

Min. Income

$2,200/mo

Citizenship

Verified 2026-04-20

Greece Skilled Worker Visa (Type D)

Greece GRC

Skilled Worker

Processing

6mo

Min. Income

$30,000/mo

Citizenship

Verified 2026-05-09

Cities in Greece

Athens

Athens anchors Greece's Golden Visa programme and is the dominant relocation destination for investors and remote-income retirees. The 2024 reform reshaped the landscape: Athens sits within Attica, a high-demand zone, so real-estate applicants there face an €800,000 minimum, up from the original €250,000 (preserved only for commercial-to-residential conversions and listed-building restorations); €400,000 still applies outside the capital. Alternatives run through €500,000 in Greek shares, funds, or a bank deposit. Golden Visa holders gain Schengen travel but not a citizenship fast track, which still needs seven years' residence and a Greek-language exam. Retirees on passive foreign income use the Financial Independence (Type D) visa — roughly €2,000/month — pairing with Greece's 7% flat tax on foreign pension income, among the EU's most competitive retirement regimes. The reform has pushed golden-visa capital toward premium pockets — Kolonaki, Glyfada, the northern suburbs — while Koukaki and Pangrati absorb short-let investment near the Acropolis. ENFIA property tax applies annually regardless of residency. Three metro lines reach the airport, and a coastal tram links the centre to Piraeus; Uber operates only as a taxi-hailing integration, with Beat the dominant local app.