Greece: The law on the Digital Nomad Visa – in a nutshell

A new law was submitted to Parliament by the Ministries of Immigration and Asylum and Citizen Protection and it aims to attract digital nomads – people who work by means of technology – regardless of their location.

The specific terms are addressed to third country citizens (self-employed or employees) who will work remotely using information and communication Technologies, with employers or clients outside Greece, for a period of up to twelve months.

The national visa is granted to the applicant, upon his request in person or by e-mail or by registered letter to the competent Greek consular authority, which is obliged to respond within 10 days and complete the “one stop shop” procedure and issue the visa .

The applicant submits a solemn declaration stating his intention to reside in Greece for the provision of distance work, but also he confirms that he will not in any way provide services or work for an employer based in Greece.

At the same time, the applicant must submit an employment or project contract or proof of employment relationship with an employer, individual or legal entity, which is established outside the Greek territory, for an indefinite period or in case of a fixed-term contract with a remaining duration covering the period of the issued national visa.

At the same time, the applicant is invited to submit information about his status in the company, as well as information regarding the name, registered office, field of activity and corporate purpose of the company, in case the third country citizen is self-employed in his own company, which is located outside the Greek territory.

In addition to the relevant supporting documents, income criteria are also defined. The amount of sufficient resources is set at 3,500 euros per month. The above amount is increased by twenty percent (20%) for the spouse or cohabitant and by fifteen percent (15%) for each child. This is evidenced i) by the employment or project contract or proof of employment, in the case of dependent work, services or project or ii) by bank account. If sufficient resources come from paid employment services, services or work, the above minimum amount refers to net income after payment of the required taxes in the country of employment.

Third-country nationals may be accompanied by their family members, who are granted, upon request, an individual visa which expires at the same time as the dependent visa. During their stay in Greece, the spouse or partner and family members of the breadwinner are not allowed to provide dependent work or to engage in any form of economic activity in the country.

The visa may be extended to a permit. In such a case, the application for the residence permit has as fee the sum of 1,000 euros. In the event that the third-country national, as well as his / her family members, leave the Greek territory and the national visa expires, both the sponsor and his / her family members have the opportunity to apply and receive new national entry visa for this purpose. Periods of absence from the country do not hinder the renewal of the residence permit, as long as they do not exceed 6 months per year.

The granting of such visa and permit may be combined – in certain cases – with certain tax incentives. For more information you may read https://slo.gr/publications/the-law-on-the-brain-gain-tax-incentives-in-greece.htm.