Greece Digital Nomad Visa

Summary

Greece's Digital Nomad Visa (Visa Type N) launched on 1 September 2021 under Law 4825/2021 and was further refined by implementing joint ministerial decisions in 2022–2023. It's Greece's dedicated residency route for non-EU remote workers and self-employed professionals whose income comes from outside Greece — and it's quickly become one of the most attractive digital-nomad programs in the EU thanks to a standout tax benefit that isn't offered in Spain, Portugal, or Italy.

The headline tax benefit: 50% income tax reduction for 7 years. Under Greece's Article 5C of the Income Tax Code (added by Law 4758/2020 and extended to nomads), applicants who:

1. Transfer their tax residency to Greece
2. Have been non-Greek tax residents for at least 5 of the previous 6 years
3. Commit to staying in Greece for at least 2 years

…receive a 50% exemption on Greek-source employment and self-employment income for up to 7 years. At Greek progressive rates (9%–44%), this can save high earners tens of thousands of euros per year. For a nomad earning €100,000/year, the savings run €15,000+ annually.

The core design — three structural advantages:

• Not quota-bound — no annual cap. Applications process year-round
• No Greek employer sponsorship — applicants file directly
• Foreign-source income only — prohibits earning from Greek clients while on this visa (Greeks can be addressed through other routes)

Income threshold: €3,500/month net. Set by Law 4825/2021 and subsequent implementing decisions. For families:

• Main applicant: €3,500/month (~€42,000/year)
• Spouse/partner: add 20% (~€700/month)
• Each dependent child: add 15% (~€525/month)

Most tech, consulting, finance, and professional salaries clear this comfortably.

Who qualifies:

• Remote employees of non-Greek companies
• Freelancers and independent contractors serving non-Greek clients
• Business owners whose business operates outside Greece

The two-phase structure:

1. Digital Nomad Visa (Type N) — 12 months. Issued by the Greek consulate with jurisdiction over your country/state of residence. The visa allows entry and stay for up to 12 months
2. Digital Nomad Residence Permit (2 years) — filed from within Greece at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum before the visa expires. Permits can be extended in 2-year increments as long as the income and remote-work conditions continue

Documentation requirements for the visa:

• Employment contract or client contracts — must be with non-Greek entities
• 3+ months of bank statements showing consistent income at or above the threshold
• Employer letter (if employed) stating the role, salary, and that remote work from Greece is authorized
• Professional qualifications — CV, degree, professional certifications
• Health insurance — private international plan valid in Greece for the full visa period
• Accommodation — rental agreement or property deed in Greece (initial booking or short-term lease acceptable for the consular stage)
• Clean criminal record from your country of citizenship (apostilled)

The 180-day short-stay tax exemption. A related and often-overlooked benefit: even without the full digital nomad visa, non-Greek tax residents working in Greece for fewer than 180 days per calendar year — as salaried employees of non-Greek companies or providing services to non-Greek clients — have no Greek tax liability. This gives short-stay remote workers a legitimate path to Greek "testing the waters" without visa or tax complexity.

Tax mechanics — the 50% regime in detail:

• Election required — apply to the Greek tax authority (AADE) by 31 March of the tax year in which you want the regime to apply
• Applies to Greek-source income — employment and self-employment
• Does NOT apply to foreign-source investment income — foreign dividends, interest, and pensions are not covered by the 50% regime (taxed separately)
• Social security contributions — still owed if you're a Greek tax resident, unless exempt via a totalization-agreement Certificate of Coverage from your home-country social security authority (e.g., U.S. SSA) or through EFKA optional membership
• Cannot be combined with the €100,000/year HNWI flat tax regime or the €7,000/year foreign pension regime

Path to permanent residency. After 5 years of legal residence in Greece, Digital Nomad permit holders can apply for long-term residency — no income test, more flexible residence requirements.

Path to citizenship. Greek citizenship requires 7 years of actual legal residence, plus:

• B1 Greek language test
• Greek history and civics test
• Integration evidence
• Dual citizenship is permitted (including U.S./Greek)

Eligibility

• Fully remote work paid by non-Greek employers or clients
• Monthly net income of at least €3,500 for the main applicant (scaled up for family)
• Proof of employment or contract history (3+ months of bank statements showing consistent deposits)
• Private health insurance valid in Greece
• Clean criminal record from your country of citizenship and any other country of residence in the past 5 years
• Proof of accommodation in Greece (rental contract or deed)
• Dual citizenship is permitted (including U.S./Greek)

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route gives you remote-work residence in Greece. Initial validity: Initial digital nomad visa is generally valid for 1 year. Renewal or longer-term path: Can be followed by a residence permit after the initial visa when remote-work income, health-insurance, address, clean-record, and filing evidence remain current.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a guarantee of approval. Immigration authorities can still review documents, admissibility, background, funds, and whether the facts match the pathway rules.

Next Steps

1. Verify remote-work arrangement — letter from your employer authorizing remote work from Greece, or assemble client contracts showing non-Greek sources
2. Prepare income documentation — employment contract or client contracts, 3+ months of pay stubs or invoices, 3–6 months of bank statements showing consistent deposits at or above €3,500/month
3. Obtain health insurance valid in Greece — international plans from Cigna Global, Allianz Care, or IMG are common
4. Secure Greek accommodation — initial stay can be a short-term booking or hotel; longer-term leases (6+ months) needed for the residence permit phase
5. Gather supporting documents — passport, police clearance from your country of citizenship (e.g., U.S. FBI check), apostilled; CV, qualifications, marriage/birth certificates for family
6. Apostille each civil record under the 1961 Hague Convention (or use your country's legalization procedure) and obtain certified Greek translations from a sworn translator
7. File the Visa Type N application at the Greek consulate with jurisdiction over your country/state of residence
8. Enter Greece within the 12-month visa validity
9. Open a Greek bank account — Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank, NBG. Needed for the residence permit phase
10. Obtain an AFM (Greek tax number) — required for the residence permit and for the 50% tax regime election
11. File the residence permit application at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum before your Type N visa expires. You can stay legally while the application is pending
12. If electing the 50% tax regime: submit the election to AADE (Greek tax authority) by 31 March of the first qualifying tax year
13. If continuing home-country payroll: request a Certificate of Coverage from your home-country social security authority (e.g., U.S. SSA) to avoid Greek social security contributions for up to 5 years
14. Renew the residence permit in 2-year increments as long as income, qualification, and foreign-source conditions continue
15. After 5 years of legal residence, apply for long-term residency
16. After 7 years of actual residence, consider applying for Greek citizenship — B1 language test, civics test; dual citizenship permitted (including U.S./Greek)

Sources

• Consulate General of Greece in New York — Digital Nomad Visa (Type N)
• Ministry of Migration and Asylum — Digital Nomad Residence Permit
• Law 4825/2021 — Digital Nomad Visa framework
• Law 4758/2020 — 50% income tax reduction for new tax residents
• AADE (Greek Tax Authority) — Non-resident and special tax regimes
• Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C.
• Work From Greece — Official nomad promotion initiative
• Apostille Convention (HCCH) — U.S. competent authorities