Greece drafts 15% crypto tax for Digital Nomad Visa holders

Athens drafts a 15% levy on crypto capital gains

Greece's Finance Ministry is preparing legislation that would tax cryptocurrency capital gains at 15%, with the first €500 ($540) of annual gains exempt, Reuters reported. The bill is expected to reach parliament in the coming months.

The proposal would pull digital assets into the Greek tax code for the first time, according to officials cited by Reuters. Individual mining activity would stay outside the tax net, while corporate mining operations would be taxed under the draft. No filing forms, recordkeeping rules or effective date have been published and the Ministry of Economy and Finance hasn't posted crypto-specific guidance yet.

Greek tax residents carry the load

Greece taxes residents on worldwide income and non-residents only on Greek-source income, per the Ministry of Economy and Finance. That split decides who the proposed crypto rule would actually hit.

Short-stay tourists and travelers without Greek tax residence sit outside the scope unless they generate Greek-source taxable income. Expats and digital nomads who qualify as Greek tax residents are the main group exposed to the 15% rate once the bill passes. Holders of the Greece Digital Nomad Visa who cross the 183-day residency threshold would fall into the same bucket.

The draft doesn't distinguish between trading gains, staking rewards or token swaps in the reporting available, so the scope of what counts as a taxable disposal remains open.

Steps to take before parliament votes

The bill is still in draft form, so the rate, the €500 floor, the mining carve-out and the start date can all shift before enactment. Three practical steps for anyone holding crypto with Greek tax exposure:

• Pull together cost-basis records for every token position, including purchase dates, acquisition price in euros and any prior disposals.
• Track current-year gains against the proposed €500 exemption to gauge potential liability.
• Confirm tax residency status against the 183-day rule and any center-of-vital-interests test before year-end.

The Ministry's existing income tax page is the official reference point for residency rules until crypto-specific guidance appears. Watch for the bill text once it reaches parliament for the final rate, scope and compliance workflow.

Read our full Greece guide for the complete picture.