A beautiful and culturally rich country, Greece attracts many foreign nationals who are so enchanted by it that they decide to relocate permanently. If you are interested in moving to Greece from the UK, you can read this short guide drawn up by our immigration lawyer in Greece. While Britons are in no need of a visa to enter Greece (right now, they can come to the country for tourist purposes only by using identification documents), the requirements for living in the country differ and all foreign nationals are expected to lawfully stay in the country based on a residence permit. Our immigration agents can also assist clients who want to immigrate to Greece from UK.
One of the easiest ways to relocate to Greece is to enlist the services offered by our local team of specialists in Greece immigration. Once you decide to move to Greece from the United Kingdom, we will help streamline the process and will guide you through the needed applications. This initial assistance offered by a local team can be valuable for foreign nationals who do not speak the language yet.
In this article, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions by those who are interested in moving to Greece from UK.
Table of Contents
What are the types of residence permits for UK nationals in Greece?
Moving to Greece from UK implies a set of steps and interested individuals should first decide on the reason for the lengthy stay.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Visa requirement to enter Greece | Visa-free entry for up to 90-day stays |
| Types of temporary residence permits for those who relocate from UK to Greece | Study, employment, investment, family reunification, retirement. |
| Documents for temporary residence permits | Permit-specific documents (employment agreement, etc.) and general documents |
| Approximate time needed to obtain a temporary stay permit | Processing times can vary but can take approximately one month. |
| Residence permits for investors in Greece | Available for real estate purchases and other types of investments. |
| Temporary residence permit duration | One year or more, depending on the type of permit. |
| Post-arrival registration with the Greek authorities | Yes |
| UK permit holder can bring dependents to Greece | For some types of permits, such as the golden visa. |
| Facilities for UK nationals married to a Greek citizen | Residence as the spouse of a Greek citizen. Conditions can apply. |
| Minimum lawful stay before applying for permanent residence | Five continuous years |
| Minimum time in the country before applying for citizenship | Seven years of permanent residence for non-EU citizens, three years of permanent residence for EU citizens. Conditions apply. |
| Naturalization requirements for those who relocate from UK to Greece | Minimum lawful residence, proof of relations to Greece and the Greeks, other conditions. |
| Dual citizenship | Yes |
| UK pension available in Greece | State pension can be claimed if the applicant has paid enough UK national insurance. Conditions apply. |
| UK national taxation in Greece | Progressive personal income tax rates from 9% to 44%. |
One of our immigration lawyers in Greece can provide you with detailed information about the special requirements in any of the following cases:
- Work: when you have been offered a job by a Greek company or are interested in an intra-corporate transfer as well as for researchers and other professionals.
- Study: moving to Greece from the UK can be interesting for students who wish to take Greek history courses and have been accepted by a higher education institute in the country.
- Investment: for those who are interested in starting an independent economic activity; please note that this is different from the golden visa that at the moment only applies to non-EU nationals; it remains to be seen how this will apply to UK nationals after the Brexit.
- Family reunification: immigrating to Greece from the UK can be important for the family members (spouse, parent, or child) who wishes to reunite with an individual who is already living in the country.
Please feel free to reach out to our Greece immigration agents for more detailed information about each of these residence permits and the required documents.
You can still reach out to us even if you are not a UK national. We assist all foreign nationals interested in obtaining a residence permit for Greece and we answer specific questions, such as those that concern one’s nationality and whether or not he or she is relocating with a spouse, children, or dependent family members. You can reach out to us as soon as you wish to apply for the residence permit.
The following infographic summarises your options:
What are the general requirements for staying in Greece long-term?
All foreign nationals who plan to stay in Greece for more than three months or retire to Greece from UK are expected to apply for the right type of residence permit with the Greek Embassy or Consulate General in their country of origin before they arrive. This means that an individual who wants to immigrate to Greece from UK will start the process before actually arriving in Athens or another city of choice. Our team can help guide you along the way so that the application process runs as smoothly as possible and that you submit all of the requested documents. One should remember that while some documents are general ones (like a valid passport as well as a UK criminal record), others will depend on the chosen reason for the prolonged stay, such as the employment contract or the University letter of acceptance.
Are you a British national who wishes to retire to Greece? We can help you with this decision by giving you all the needed information about the long-term residence permit, the mandatory documents, and the minimum pension income (or other types of passive income) you will need in order to retire to this beautiful Mediterranean country. Please reach out to us for more details. You can also watch a short video about the process:
How does the Brexit affect UK residents living in Greece?
The Withdrawal Agreement stipulates a number of terms and sets forth a transition period until the end of December 2020. UK nationals who are in Greece until this date can continue to work or study as they did before the commencement of the withdrawal.
Once the United Kingdom has finished the procedures to exit the European Union, those who are Greek residents at the end of the transition period will continue to have their rights protected. One of our immigration lawyers in Greece can help answer any questions you may have during this transition period as well as aid you in renewing your residence permit, based on your reason to stay in the country, so that you will be within your rights.
Our lawyers can also help foreign nationals from the UK, as well as other countries, understand all of the compliance requirements once they start living in the country. We can provide detailed information about the taxation requirements for individuals set forth by the Ministry of Finance as well as other requirements that are of interest to all residents.
If you are interested in knowing more about moving to Greece from the UK, as well as the protection of rights after the Brexit, please reach out to our lawyers. We can help answer your immigration questions and guide you along the way.
Living in Greece
UK nationals relocating to Greece have to handle several important matters before and after their relocation. While each move is different (and based on different personal reasons), we highlight some of the most important aspects you should consider when moving to Greece:
- Healthcare: when moving to Greece for medium to long-term purposes, registration with the national social security organization is part of the post-arrival registrations one will have to handle. Our immigration lawyer in Greece can give you more details;
- Accommodation: as a UK national, you are free to rent or buy property in Grece. Property purchases should also be considered according to one’s budget, location, and other criteria;
- Banking: UK banks can provide services to their customers living abroad, however, for most purposes related to moving to Greece from the UK, you will have to open a bank account with a local Greek bank branch;
- Schools and kindergartens: when you relocate to Greece from the UK with your minor children, you may choose to enrol them in a public school, subject to the local requirements;
- Cars and other vehicles: bringing your UK car or other vehicle (such as a caravan or a boat) to Greece is possible, however, registration with the official vehicle technical control centres is required and so is passing a test for the said vehicle;
- UK pension and benefits in Greece: while you can claim some UK benefits and pension if you retire to Greece, not all income-related benefits you would get from the UK will be transferable. At the same time, once you have worked in Greece for several years, you may become eligible for Greek social security benefits.
As highlighted by our immigration lawyer in Greece, UK nationals have more than one route of relocating to the country, whether it is for employment, retirement, or as financially independent persons.
If you are interested in obtaining citizenship, we can give you complete details about the minimum lawful stay (which can be three years, or seven years, depending on nationality), and about the conditions to acquire this status as an investor.
Discussing the requirements for Greek citizenship by naturalization before starting the process is advisable and our team can assist you. Clients who desire to immigrate to Greece from UK can also receive assistance from our team of immigration agents.
Foreign nationals living in Greece
According to a report on migration issued by the Helenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, the statistical data on foreign nationals living in Greece is the following:
- The total number of third-country nationals residing in Greece in September 2023 was 461.598;
- When this number also includes beneficiaries of international protection and other categories of foreigners living in the country, the total amounts to 758.016 people;
- The data for September 2023 reveals that 7.2% of the country’s population consists of immigrants who are legally residing in the country.
- Data also shows that between January and September 2023 there were 35,735 asylum applications lodged with the authorities. In addition to the assistance mentioned above, we can also provide proper counsel for those seeking asylum in Greece.
Our Greece immigration experts can assist you during your move to the country, irrespective of your nationality. You can also rely on our solutions if you are moving to Greece from the USA, Canada, or Australia.
Contact our Greece immigration specialists for more information and personalized assistance if you are interested in moving to Greece from the UK.
