Visas to live in Greece

Whether or not you need a Greece visa depends on how long you intend to stay.

• Less than 90 days – no Greece entry visa required – allowing you to travel to Greece to visit family and friends or search for a property if you intend to move to Greece.
  However, you can only stay in Greece for up to 90 in 180 days according to the legislation established by the Greece Schengen visa legislation after Brexit.
• Over 90 days in 180 – you must apply for a National Visa. This may be if you intend to work remotely in Greece for over 3 months, have a holiday home and want to stay there for part of the year or plan to study in Greece for less than 12 months.

You must apply for a Greek National Visa if you plan to stay for over 90 days and up to 365 days. This is not a long-term residency visa.

This is also known as a long-stay visa and D-type visa. You must apply from the UK before leaving for Greece at the visa application centre in London. Note this procedure is carried out by the Global Visa Centre, not the Greek Consulate in London.

1. Register on the Visa Centre website and create an account.
2. Complete the online application form and submit/print it.
3. Make a Greece visa appointment at the London office to attend your application in person and submit the relevant documents, which are:

• A valid passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave Greece.
• Two recent 35 x 45mm colour photos.
• Proof of health and medical insurance.
• Proof of accommodation – this could be a hotel booking, a rental agreement or an invitation letter from a friend or family member who lives in Greece.
• Proof of income – you need to have at least €50 per day to spend while you are in Greece, so bank statements or pay slips will need to be provided.
• Proof you have booked your return trip from Greece.
• A medical certificate from your doctor.

Everyone who is applying for a Greek visa must attend the Greece visa appointment in the UK, including children. Their birth certificates and the parents’ marriage certificate must also be presented. If the parents are separated or divorced you must submit a letter of authorization from the other parent, permitting the child to travel.

Once you have had the meeting, you will be asked to leave your passport, which can be collected once the visa is approved. The visa will be inserted into your passport.

You can track the status of your application to view when it is approved and check the date you can collect your passport containing the Greece visa.

If you plan to buy a property in Greece and make it your home you must first apply for the National Visa, and then apply for residency once you arrive in Greece.

This must be done by making an appointment at the local police station and you will need to take the same documents as when applying for the National Visa.

You will be asked your reasons for wanting to reside in Greece and once the visa is issued you have the right to live in the country for up to 5 years. Then you will need to renew your residency.

Another type of Greece visa is the Golden Visa. This relies on you investing in Greece through buying property and entitles you to permanent residency.

The main change to be aware of is that before 2024, the amount to invest in Greece in exchange for a Golden Visa was €250,000. This has been amended to a minimum of €400,000 to €800,000, depending on where you wish to invest.

The €800,000 minimum applies to the regions of Attica, Mykonos, Santorini, Thessaloniki and islands with a population of over 3,100, while the minimum of €400,000 applies to the rest of Greece.

Whether you wish to live in Greece permanently, as a digital nomad or part of the year, ensuring you have the correct visa is essential. This will allow you to reside in Greece for all or part of the year without worrying about the legalities.

If you need help finding a property and advice on moving to Greece, our iad Overseas can help you. We have partnerships with local agencies to offer you a wide selection of properties to view on the many beautiful islands or the mainland.