South African nationals who wish to enter Greece for short-term purposes do not need a visa on arrival. However, for those who wish to immigrate to Greece from South Africa, the conditions differ and they will need to comply with a set of usual requirements. Greece is a beautiful country, relying heavily on its attractiveness as a tourist destination in Europe. Not only does it offer a rich cultural experience, but it also offers the typical, enjoyable Mediterranean climate. The country is mostly sunny all year long and expats enjoy a good quality of life, especially if they take to heart the Greek way of living right after they move to Greece from South Africa.
South African nationals interested in moving to Greece can receive personalized assistance from our team. We offer complete services to foreign nationals who wish to relocate to the country and have questions concerning the entry requirements according to their nationality, as well as how they can renew or change their residence permits so that they can continue to remain in Greece.
In this article, our immigration experts answer some of the most common questions about how to immigrate to Greece from South Africa. If you require more details, have different questions or need special, personalized assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to us for more details.
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What is the golden visa in Greece?
Non-EU nationals have access to a special programme allowing them to receive residency following a significant investment. The permit obtained in this manner allows the holder to remain in the country for long-term purposes, as long as the investment remains valid. Some of the categories of investment are the following:
- at least 400,000 euros in a locally registered company;
- purchase of shares, Greek Treasury bonds or corporate bonds of at least 800,000 euros;
- purchase real estate in the country with a minimum value of 250,000 euros.
Special conditions apply in each of these cases for those who relocate to Greece from South Africa via an investment. For example, the company headquartered in Greece that receives the 400,000 euros investment cannot be a holding company. Moreover, investors in real estate can also conclude an agreement for the lease of hotel accommodation or furnished tourist residence for at least 10 years, as opposed to purchasing property, with the same value of 250,000 euros.
The investment must be paid in full for the residence permit to be released.
The golden visa or the investment programme is just one of the ways to immigrate to Greece from South Africa. Read below to find out more.
What are the options for those who do not invest?
You can enter Greece and remain here for long-term purposes even if you do not have the means to make a significant investment:
- Employment: if you wish to work in Greece, you can obtain a work permit; a tax number is also obtained during this process and our team can give you more details;
- Study: when interested to study in Greece, you obtain a visa that will be valid during the duration of your studies; this is dependent on having been accepted at a Greek University or certified educational institution;
- Family reunification: the motive for some foreign nationals who immigrate to Greece from South Africa can be to join a spouse or a family member already living in the country; special requirements for proving the relationship apply in this case;
- Others: if you wish to start a business, as opposed to making a significant investment as previously mentioned, our team can give you more details about you options.
Getting a residence permit for Greece will be different according to your purpose of stay. This is why we advise applicants to send us their questions so that we can help them prepare the documents for submission. We assist all foreign nationals, not only South African ones, and can also answer particular questions about their situation (such as bringing their spouse or family members to Greece).
If you are a South African national who is already living in Greece based on a long-term residence permit, our team can help you assess your options for applying for Greek citizenship. This is a step that interests foreign nationals as they will then be able to have a Greek passport and remain in the country indefinitely. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us.
How can you help me during the process to immigrate to Greece from South Africa?
Special conditions apply for all of the types of long-term purpose stays described above, whether they are related to study or investment. Our team can help you with detailed information about the needed documents and when you are required to apply for the residence permit.
For example, students from South Africa may first wish to enter the country without a visa and explore their options with certain Greek Universities, however, they will need to apply for the permit that will allow them to remain in the country during their bachelor’s or master’s degree. Our agents can help you organize and schedule your application so that it will suit any particular dates, such as the start of the academic year.
We will help you not only apply for the right type of long-term residence permit when you move to Greece from South Africa, but also handle any post-arrival issues that are linked to your long-term stay in the country for the purpose of immigration. This includes the registration with the Greek Municipality as well as handling any issues related to changing the diver’s license and other mandatory steps.
South African nationals who wish to retire to Greece can discuss their options with our team. While there is no special type of visa to apply for as a retiree, one can remain in the country for long-term purposes as long as the foreign-source income (usually from pensions) is sufficient. Our team can also give you details about the special tax rates that can apply in this case.
Contact us if you have questions about the routes available to immigrate to Greece from South Africa. Our team of immigration specialists is ready to assist you and your family if you wish to move to this beautiful Mediterranean country.
