Digital Nomad Visa Greece
How can I get in Greece the digital nomad visa?
In 2021, Greece introduced a new digital nomad visa, which was exciting news for those who love this beautiful and friendly country!
So now you have a unique opportunity especially for those who were looking for a way to move in Greece finally they found a path that includes the following documents:
- A completed application form
- A passport that will remain valid until at least three months after the visa ends
- 2 passport-sized photos
- Proof of employment (e.g. offer letter, employment contract) confirming you can work remotely
- A declaration letter confirming your intent to live and work in Greece and providing details on your job, company, and finances
- Proof of income (e.g. bank statements, offer letter)
- Proof of accommodation, (e.g. hotel/hostel/Airbnb booking, rental contract)
- A return flight ticket
- A clean criminal record certificate
- A medical certificate
- Proof of health insurance offering full coverage for the entire duration of your visa
Greece Digital Nomad Visa Requirements
There is both a digital nomad visa and residence permit you can apply for to live in Greece.
- The visa is good for one year and you must apply at a Greek consulate in your home country or country of residence.
- The residence permit is good for two years and you can apply while you’re in Greece.
The primary prerequisite for obtaining a residence permit or visa for digital nomads in Greece is a monthly income of at least €3,500 after taxes. Indeed, the ceiling is high; in Greece, where the average monthly pay is roughly €1,000, you don’t need quite that much to live well. However, it’s obvious that Greece is looking for high-earning nomads, so you’ll have to demonstrate that you earn that amount of money every month.
You need 20% extra (or €4,200 per month) if you wish to accompany a spouse or partner. If you are a parent, the minimum increases by 15% for each kid.
If you are an employee of a foreign company and work remotely, it is simple to prove that you have this income. It’s a little harder for independent contractors because they require bank statements to verify that you are truly making that much money as well as contracts from your clients totaling at least that amount.
Additional restrictions are designed to make sure you really intend to stay here and that you’re not ‘’stealing” jobs or resources from Greeks. You have to:
Make a declaration that you won’t work for any Greek companies or open a business here.
Since you are unable to use the public healthcare system, you must demonstrate that you have health insurance that covers you here (you can apply using a SafetyWing nomad insurance policy; and have a Cigna global coverage).
possess an AFM, or Greek tax number, for non-residents
possess a lease that is signed, recorded, and valid for at least six months on TaxisNet (the Greek tax platform).
Present your birth certificate (original).
It appears that the embassy might need a background check and a medical report in addition to the visa application. However, it’s easier if you apply for a residency permit in Greece since you don’t need either of those.
Greece Digital Nomad Visa Cost
What is the price of the Greek Nomad Visa?
It costs 75€ to apply for a one-year visa through a Greek consulate in your place of residence.
The cost of a two-year residency visa is 1.000€ if you apply while you’re in Greece. And that is the price for any kind of Greek residency card.
The Greek Residence Permit Application Process
- Gather the required documents
- Make an appointment at your nearest Greek consulate/embassy
- Submit your documents in person
- Pay the €75 application fee
- Receive approval (typically within 10 days of submission)
- Book your travel to Greece
- Apply for a residency permit at the nearest Aliens and Immigration Department of the Decentralized Administration office
You can apply for the residence permit and skip the visa if you don’t want to go back to your country and wait for approval.
you should hire an experienced immigration lawyer so to help you and assist you through the process. To gather and translate all the necessary documents in order to apply. You’ll need to have them translated by a certified translator; the Ministry or your attorney can both provide references.
After you have everything, you or your attorney will schedule a time to submit your application by contacting the Ministry of Migration. You will bring all of your documentation, including proof that you paid the fees online and pictures of your ID, and an employee of the Ministry will review everything to make sure everything is in order and ask any necessary questions. It’s very likely that your application will be accepted and you will get the permit.
You will receive the “blue certificate,” a blue official document indicating that your application has been filed and is being processed, at the conclusion of the interview. Keep this! It’s crucial since you’ll need to turn it in to receive your residence permit and because it serves as documentation of your legal right to remain in the nation while your application is being processed.
Even if you have used up all of your Schengen days, you are legally permitted to remain in Greece while your application is being processed. Furthermore, you are free to travel back to your nation of origin whenever necessary; all you have to do to enter Greece again is present the blue certificate.
However, you’re not supposed to travel to any other countries until you get your residence permit.
And then once your interview is over, you just have to wait.
How Long The Greek Digital Nomad Residence Permit Takes?
The Ministry’s turnaround time for processing your application, producing your permission (your Greek ID card), and letting you schedule a time to pick it up varies greatly. It relies on a number of factors, including the volume of concurrent applications, impending holidays (the majority of Greeks take time off work in August, for example), and the speed at which they make the decision to relocate.
The evaluation of your application can take five to six months, and might returned with a request for more supporting documentation.
Even if your income is consistently far over the required criteria, it is easier for them to accept remote employees of a corporation with a consistent payout than it is for a freelancer with variable revenue. They can ask you for further documentation and extra bank statements because of this.
Once your ID has been made (it might take up to 15 days), you need to make an appointment to pick it up from the Ministry.
Once issued the Greek digital Nomad Visa, is valid for two years, however, the two-year clock begins when your application is submitted, not when your permission is approved. The good news is that you can easily renew your initial residence permit if you decide to stay in Greece after your two-year period has passed. If you still meet the income and health insurance requirements, you can apply to renew it online a month or two before it expires.
In theory, you can obtain citizenship after seven years and permanent residency after five years of residence in Greece.
Greece’s Tax Requirements for Digital Nomads
For digital nomads who move their business to Greece, there is a well advertised tax break: you only pay taxes on 50% of your income for a period of seven years. This is not something you get by default; you have to apply for it, have it approved, and then start using it for the upcoming tax year.
You cannot open a business in Greece in accordance with the provisions of the permit, so you are not eligible for the break. However, it also appears that, for Americans who are exempt from US taxes due to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) which allows you to write off qualifying housing expenses like rent and utilities.
The FEIE allows you to exclude a certain amount of foreign-earned income from taxation ($112,000 for tax year 2022, $120,000 for tax year 2023). To be eligible, you need to pass either the Physical Presence Test or Bona Fide Residence Test.
Foreign Tax Credit (FTC)
The FTC allows you to subtract what you pay in income taxes to a foreign government from what you owe the US government in income taxes. With Greece’s digital nomad visa, however, you won’t be paying income taxes — so you wouldn’t be able to leverage this unless you eventually secure a Greecen visa that classifies you as a tax resident.
Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR)
If you have $10,000 or more in foreign bank accounts at any point in the year, you’ll need to report the contents of those accounts to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) via FinCEN Report 114. Child Tax Credit (CTC)
If you have qualifying dependents living with you in Greece, you can claim the CTC just as you would in the US to get as much as $2,000 in partially-refundable credits.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
If you have over $200,000 in foreign assets by the last day of the tax year, or over $300,000 in foreign assets at any point during the tax year, FATCA requires you to file Form 8938. (Note that these thresholds are lower for those who reside stateside.)
Firsthand knowledge of Greece Nomad Visa
All things considered, the introduction of a digital nomad visa and residence permit by Greece has thrilled those who are considering relocating there. whether there is a Greek consulate in your area, you can apply for the visa without being in your home country, and you want to give Greece a year to see whether you like it, that is when you should apply. It is highly recommended that you apply for the residence permit while in Greece if you intend to remain there for a minimum of two years and do not wish to return home to complete the application process. There are few criteria, and you can just keep renewing it.
How to Apply for the Greek Digital Nomad Visa and Residence Permit
You must apply at a Greek consulate in your home country or the country where you currently reside to obtain the one-year digital nomad visa. Ask them directly about the procedure, and maybe they will be of assistance.
Once you’re in Greece, you can apply for a residence permit for digital nomads by calling (+30) 2131629027 or contacting the Ministry of Migration directly at Info.rp@migration.gov.gr
working with an expert immigration lawyer in Greece like the lawyers of Economou & Economou law office in Greece can be beneficial as well because it will sped up significantly the process.
for more information about immigration law in Greece follow the link below
You can contact Economou & Economou law office at (+30) 2103603824 or send us an email at econlaw@live.com or fill the contact form and the best immigration lawyers in Athens, will assist you to apply for Greek Digital Nomad Visa in Greece, for a residence permit, for Golden Visa or for Greek Citizenship.
