Immigrate to Greece from New Zealand

Do you want to immigrate to Greece from New Zealand? You will need to apply for a long-term national visa that will allow you to stay for medium to long-term purposes (more than 90 days).

The National visa, or type D visa, can be easily applied for with the help of our Greece immigration agents. The needed documents will differ from one type of visa to the other, according to the purpose of your stay in Greece.

If you want to move to Greece from New Zealand, our team can assist you throughout the visa issuance procedure, and once you are in the country, for the purpose of filing the mandatory application to obtain the residence permit, once you arrive in the country.

Visa applications for those who immigrate to Greece from New Zealand

To apply for a type D visa, or the long-term visa, a New Zealand citizen will need to submit an application to the Greek authorities that will contain the filled-in application form, accompanied by the visa-specific documents.

If you want to apply for a visa that will allow you to relocate to Greece from New Zealand, you will need to do so based on your purpose of stay: employment, business, retirement, study, or family reunification.

Our team reminds applicants of the following:

• the visa is not the one to grant the effective right to remain in Greece; this is the residence permit, applied for after entering the country in most cases;
• the residence permit is issued for the intended purpose of stay (employment with a Greek company, studying in Greece, retiring here, etc);
• a residence permit can be renewed, provided that the holder continues to satisfy the conditions;
• Greece and Australia have a Youth Mobility Program in place; should you be interested in knowing more about your options for relocation under this program, do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

Special agreement between New Zealand and Greece

If you want to immigrate to Greece from New Zealand, you should know that the two countries have signed a social security agreement that applies to the following benefits that you may be subject to in New Zealand:

• the Superannuation;
• Veteran’s pension;
• supported living payment;
• the sole parent support;
• orphan’s benefit and funeral grant.

If you want to retire to Greece, this means that you may be able to continue to get benefits and pensions that you would have received in New Zealand. This does not mean that you will have to choose between one pension and the other. You will be able to apply for Greek benefits or pension (as applicable in your case) and still receive the New Zealand pension.

How you will receive your pension once you move to Greece from New Zealand is an important matter to consider. If any of the situations above apply to you, please reach out to our immigration lawyer in Greece for more information and personalized assistance.

New Zealand’s relations with Greece

Greece and New Zealand have a favourable relationship based on years of cooperation and their involvement in the World Wars. Our Greece immigration agents summarize some interesting facts below:

• Wellington and Chania in Crete have been sister cities since 1984;
• New Zealand’s authorities estimate that there are approximately 5,000 people of Greek descent living in the country;
• the two countries have signed several bilateral agreements and have a good trading relationship;
• according to statistical data, in the March 2024 quarter, New Zealand exported total goods and services to Greece with a value of $23.91 million.

Contact us if you are interested in moving to Greece. We can answer your questions if you are just starting the process to relocate to Greece from New Zealand, or if you have already arrived in the country and need assistance from our lawyers.