Greece Financially Independent Person Visa

The financially independent person route is now the residence permit for third-country nationals with sufficient resources, type I.8, under Article 163(8) of the Migration Code. It is meant for people who live on income from outside Greece, such as a pension, rent or investments, and it gives no right to work in Greece.

The income floor has been €3,500 a month since Sept. 17, 2024, set by joint ministerial decision 225679/2024. Each permit runs for 3 years and can be renewed for the same period.

Some official pages, including the Decentralized Administration of Attica checklist, still describe the repealed Law 4251/2014 version, with a lower income figure and a shorter permit. The Migration Code figures above are the ones in force.

• Who qualifies: nationals of countries outside the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland who can support themselves from stable, lawful resources without working in Greece.
• Income: €3,500 a month, which the decision also expresses as €42,000 a year. The authorities can assess it monthly or annually.
• Family: +20% for a spouse and +15% for each child (EUR 4,200 with a spouse; EUR 525 more per child). Family members can come too and get their own permits, which end with the main holder's. The means test can be met by each person or by the family together.
• No work: the permit gives no right to employment or any independent economic activity in Greece, for the holder or the family.

Remote workers with a foreign employer or foreign clients should look at the digital nomad visa instead, which is built for active income from abroad.

The route has two stages: a national (type D) visa from a Greek consulate, then the residence permit in Greece. The Attica administration's checklist for the permit asks for:

• Passport: a certified copy of a valid passport or travel document recognized by Greece.
• Visa: the type D entry visa.
• Insurance: a policy from a private insurance company.
• Proof of resources: documents showing a stable income at the required level, usually a pension paid from abroad or a bank account in Greece.
• Photos: four recent color passport photos, also supplied in digital form.
• Fees: proof of payment of the permit and card fees.

Consulates set their own lists for the visa stage, so applicants should check the consulate that covers their place of residence.

• Residence permit: €1,000 for the main applicant, paid as an electronic fee.
• Residence card: €16.
• National visa: charged by the consulate, which confirms the amount.

Private health insurance, translations, legalization of documents and any legal help add to the total and vary by country.

National visa at the Greek consulate first, then the residence permit application in Greece with the Decentralized Administration before the visa expires.

1. Visa: apply at the Greek consulate for the applicant's place of residence with the consulate's checklist and proof of resources.
2. Arrival: travel to Greece on the type D visa.
3. Permit: file for the I.8 permit before the visa expires, with the documents above.
4. Biometrics and card: give fingerprints and a photo when called, then collect the electronic residence card.

No official processing time is published for either stage.

• Length: 3 years per permit.
• Renewal: Renewable for another 3 years each time while the income condition is still met; holders of a Greek state pension can renew without the income test.
• Work: not allowed at any stage, including after renewal.

The permit carries no tax treatment of its own. Under AADE's summary of Article 4 of the Income Tax Code, anyone present in Greece for more than 183 days in total in any 12-month period is tax-resident from the first day, as is anyone whose permanent residence, habitual abode or center of vital interests is in Greece. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, which for most holders includes the pension or investment income that qualifies them for the permit.

Anyone moving a pension or investment income to Greece should check how the home country and any tax treaty treat that income, and whether any Greek tax incentive for new residents applies, before arriving.