Are you considering visiting Greece as a digital nomad, then you might want to look into the Greece Digital Nomad Visa.
Given the popularity of Greece, we put together a complete guide with everything you to know about the Greek DNV.
Overview of the Greece Digital Nomad Visa
- The Greek Digital Nomad Visa allows you to live for up till one year in Greece.
- You can also convert your DNV to the Digital Nomad Residence Permit which allows you to stay in Greece for two years.
- In order to apply for the Greek nomad visa, you need to have a minimum net income of EUR 3.500. If you want to bring dependents, the amount is even higher.
- If you plan to get your Digital Nomad Residence Permit, you will also need proof of accommodation in Greece.
- Apart from these specific requirements, there are some general conditions and documents you need to provide (e.g. clean criminal record).
- The application needs to be done in person at the Greek consular authority of your current country of residence.
Costs and Fees for the Nomad Visa Program
The application fee for the Greece digital nomad visa is EUR 75.
This fee covers the costs of the Greek authorities processing your application. That also means that if they deny your application, you won’t get a refund of the application fee.
Furthermore, if you want to add dependents to your application, there is an administration fee of EUR 150 per dependent. This fee is also non-refundable.
If you decide to also apply for the Greek Digital Nomad Residency Permit, you’ll have to pay another fee of EUR 1.000 on top of the fees mentioned before. Also here, the fee for any dependents is another EUR 150 per person.
Requirements for Obtaining the Greece Digital Nomad Visa
In order to obtain the Greece digital nomad visa, you need to meet certain requirements:
- Citizenship: be a citizen of a country outside of the European Union / European Economic Area (if you’re from one of those countries, you don’t need a visa to stay in Greece).
- Minimum income: have a minimum net income after taxes of EUR 3.500 as a single applicant. If you want to bring your dependent spouse, the minimum income threshold increases by 20%. If you want to bring any children, the amount goes up with 15% per child. You will need to prove your income by sharing bank statements and/or pay slips.
- Work remotely: show that you work for a foreign employer or that you have clients abroad. You will also need to include proof of this by adding an employment contract or client contracts to your application.
- Declaration letter: you’ll need to add a cover letter to your application whereby you confirm you won’t work for any Greek company during your stay in Greece. Furthermore, you can briefly explain your situation in this cover letter.
- Criminal record: provide a copy of your criminal record from your home country that confirms you have a clean criminal record.
- Medical certificate: the medical certificate needs to confirm you are generally in good health and don’t have any contagious deceases that may endanger other people in Greece.
- Health insurance: you’ll need health insurance that is valid in Greece for the full duration of your stay.
- Accommodation: proof where in Greece you will stay (e.g. rental agreement). This requirement only applies if you want to apply for the Digital Nomad Residency Permit.
Application Process for the Greece Digital Nomad Visa
Let’s now have a look at the actual application process for the Greece digital nomad visa.
Documentation Gathering to Apply for the Greek DNV
You’ll first need to gather all the documents for your application, these include:
- Proof of income through bank statements or pay slips;
- proof of employment or business activity;
- Cover letter describing your situation;
- Copy of criminal record from your home country;
- Medical certificate confirming your good health;
- Health insurance policy validating your coverage in Greece;
- Proof of accommodation in Greece;
- Have a passport which is valid for at least three months after your intended departure and with two blank pages;
- Two passport pictures;
- Application form for a long term stay in Greece; for the purpose of your stay you can mention ‘remote work’ (‘other’).
You can find the full checklist of all documents on the official website WorkFromGreece.
Embassy Appointment for Submitting Application of the Greece Digital Nomad Visa
Make an application with the Greek embassy or consulate in order to submit your application. You need to submit the application in person and with the consular authority of the place where you are a resident. Thus, it’s not possible to do this online which is a burden if you’re on the road already. Here you can find a list of the Greek consular authorities abroad.
You will need to make an appointment with the embassy or consulate upfront. It depends on the respective office how this is handled. Some have online booking systems while others you can contact by email or phone. Nevertheless, you’ll need an appointment first and can’t just show up on the spot.
When you go to your appointment you’ll also have to pay the application fee for the Greece digital nomad visa.
Furthermore, the person handling your application has the right to conduct an interview with you to get a better understanding of your situation.
Await Decision on the Application for the Greek Digital Nomad Visa
After your physical appointment, you’ll have to wait for the decision on your application. The Greek authorities have ten days to process your application.
If your application is approved, you’ll get a visa sticker attached to your passport.
Get a Residency Permit in Greece
With the aforementioned visa, you can now travel to Greece and stay there for one year. If you want stay longer, you’ll have to leave Greece again and reapply.
Yet, if you want to stay longer than one year, you can also apply for the Digital Nomad Residency Permit. This residency permit is valid for two years. In order to apply, you need to register with the Aliens and Immigration Department office responsible for the region you’re staying in.
In order to apply for the residence permit, you need:
- Passport with visa sticker
- Proof of accommodation
The fee for the residency permit is rather steep at EUR 1.000 plus another EUR 150 for every dependent.
Unlike the digital nomad visa itself, you can renew the Greek Digital Nomad Residency Permit from within the country. So, there is no need to leave the country.
Tax Considerations for Digital Nomads
If you spend less than 183 days over twelve months in Greece, you’ll be able to retain your current tax residency and Greece will probably not bother you about income taxes.
However, if you do spend the majority of the year in Greece, you’ll become a tax resident of Greece. Accordingly, you’ll have to start paying Greek taxes.
Yet, Greece does offer some tax incentives for individuals who want to move their tax residency to the country. More specifically, you can get a 50% reduction on income taxes.
The maximum personal income tax rate in Greece is 44%. So, after a 50% reduction, that means the maximum rate is 22%. Definitely better than many other European countries. Yet, the benefit is limited in time as the maximum duration is seven years.
In order to qualify you need to meet a few conditions:
- You were not a tax resident of Greece for the previous five out of six tax years.
- You come from a country which has a double tax treaty in place with Greece.
- Start working for a Greek company or a permanent establishment of a Greek company or register as a freelancer in Greece.
- Commit to become a tax resident for at least two years.
If at a certain point in time, one of the two last criteria is not met, you’ll be subject again to the normal tax rates.
Do note that this reduction only impacts the income taxes you need to pay. You also need to account for social contributions which will add to your total tax burden. Check out this dedicated article if you want to learn more about tax residency in Greece.
Residency by Investment: Greece Golden Visa
Another option apart from the digital nomad visa is to obtain residency in Greece via their golden visa program.
This program allows you to obtain a residency permit in Greece by making an investment in the country. The amount you need to invest depends on the asset class you want to invest in.
Investments in real estate start at EUR 250.000 and go up to EUR 800.000. Basically, the rule is that the more popular the area you want to invest in, the higher the amount you need to invest.
Apart from real estate you can also invest in local companies, government bonds or other financial instruments.
How is Greece for Digital Nomads?
Greece attracts many digital nomads and this is for a few reasons:
- Cost of living: Greece has a low cost of living compared to many other European countries.
- Mediterranean climate: although Greece does have different seasons, many will consider the climate to better than some other countries in the region.
- Buzzing cities & endless islands: from buzzing cities like Athens and Thessaloniki to remote islands, you can find it all in Greece.
- Lifestyle & culture: the country offers a relaxed lifestyle and I probably don’t need to tell you about its rich history.
- Infrastructure: Greece overall offers good internet infrastructure and also has more and more coworking places pop up all over the country.
Work With Me
You can reach out if you’re you planning to apply for the Greece digital nomad visa and want to know the exact tax consequences. Furthermore, there might be ways to structure your tax setup so you can limit your tax burden while you’re at it.
