Moving to Greece: The Complete Guide

Who can move to Greece

Your starting point is your citizenship, because it determines how much process stands between you and living in Greece legally.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens enjoy freedom of movement. You can generally arrive and live in Greece without a visa, though if you stay beyond a few months you are expected to register your residence and obtain a registration certificate. The administrative burden is real but light compared with what non-EU nationals face.

Non-EU citizens — including Americans, Canadians, Britons, Australians and many others — generally need a national visa and a residence permit to live in Greece longer than a short visit. The good news is that Greece has built several well-defined routes for exactly this purpose, which the next sections cover. Visa-free entry, where it applies, allows only short stays and does not permit settling.

The main residency routes

Most newcomers arrive through one of a handful of routes. Which one fits depends on whether you are investing, working remotely, living on independent means, retiring, joining family, or studying.

Thresholds and conditions differ across these routes and are periodically revised, so treat the table as a map rather than a rulebook — confirm current requirements with the Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum. If your plan involves buying a home, read our step-by-step property guide alongside this one, since the two decisions often interact.

The Golden Visa

Greece's Golden Visa grants residence to non-EU nationals who make a qualifying investment, most commonly in real estate. It has been popular because it does not generally require you to live in Greece full time to maintain it, and it can extend to close family members.

Two points deserve emphasis. First, the minimum investment thresholds have been changed more than once and can vary by location and property type, so the figure you read on an older website may be out of date — verify the current amount before budgeting. Second, a residence permit is not the same as citizenship; naturalization is a separate, longer path with its own requirements. For a fuller treatment, see our dedicated Greece Golden Visa guide.

The Digital Nomad Visa

Greece's Digital Nomad Visa is designed for people who earn their living remotely — employees of a foreign company or freelancers with clients abroad — and want to base themselves in Greece. It typically requires evidence of stable monthly income above a set minimum, valid health coverage, and proof that your work is location-independent.

It is often the cleanest route for remote professionals who do not want to invest hundreds of thousands of euros. Our dedicated Greece Digital Nomad Visa guide covers eligibility, income evidence, and the application in more depth. Bear in mind that spending significant time in Greece can affect your tax residency, and therefore how your income is taxed, even while you remain employed by a foreign company.

Your AFM and essential admin

If there is one piece of Greek bureaucracy to understand early, it is the AFM — your tax identification number. Nearly every meaningful step depends on it: signing a lease, buying property, opening a bank account, connecting utilities, and working all require an AFM.

Many newcomers obtain an AFM near the start of the process, sometimes via a representative with power of attorney if they are not yet in the country — our AFM guide covers exactly how foreigners get one. A local bank account, a registered address, and health coverage tend to follow. None of these steps is difficult in isolation; the friction comes from sequencing them, since several depend on one another.

The relocation process, step by step

Every case differs, but a typical non-EU relocation follows a recognizable arc:

1. Choose your route. Match your situation — investment, remote work, independent means, family, or work — to the right permit.
2. Prepare documents. Passports, proof of income or investment, health coverage, and criminal-record and civil documents, often needing official translation and apostille.
3. Apply for the entry visa. Non-EU applicants usually begin at a Greek consulate in their home country.
4. Obtain your AFM. Secure the tax number that unlocks banking, leasing, and utilities.
5. Arrive and settle. Establish an address, open a bank account, and arrange health cover.
6. Apply for the residence permit. Convert your entry visa into a residence permit in Greece within the required window.
7. Register and maintain. Meet renewal deadlines and any physical-presence conditions attached to your permit.

EU citizens compress much of this: they can arrive freely and focus on registration, an AFM, and the practicalities of settling in.

Costs and timeline

Budget for more than the headline visa or investment figure. Realistic line items include government and application fees, legal and translation costs, apostille and courier charges, health insurance, and the cost of any required investment. Timelines vary widely by consulate workload, route, and how quickly you assemble documents — some people move within a few months, others take the better part of a year.

Once you are living in Greece, day-to-day costs become the bigger long-term question. Our cost of living overview gives grounded, itemized budgets rather than vague averages.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on outdated figures. Thresholds for visas and investments change; always confirm the current numbers.
• Ignoring tax residency. Where you live changes how you are taxed. Plan this before you move, not after.
• Underestimating paperwork lead times. Translations, apostilles, and consular appointments take longer than expected.
• Treating a residence permit as citizenship. They are different statuses with different rights and timelines.
• Skipping professional help where it matters. For immigration and tax, well-chosen local advice usually pays for itself.