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Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic, is distinguished by its unique geography and rich cultural heritage. Key features include:
Geography: Greece boasts the longest coastline in Europe, with thousands of islands scattered across the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Ionian Seas. The mainland is characterized by rugged mountains, lush forests, and picturesque lakes, while the Peloponnese peninsula lies to the south.
Fast Facts:
Language: Greek is the official language of Greece, reflecting the nation’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
With its stunning natural beauty, historic landmarks, and vibrant culture, Greece stands as a captivating destination for travelers and a proud member of the global community.
The Greece Golden Visa program offers a Permanent Residence permit, renewable every five years, to non-European Union (non-EU) citizens in exchange for an investment in the Greek economy, either through real estate or regulated alternate investment funds.
The minimum Euro 250,000 investment (for real estate purchase) and Euro 400,000 (for financial investments) offers residency to the applicant and their dependents as well as their ascendants.
Earlier laws required the applicant to be physically present in Greece. However, recent amendments allow international investors to carry out the process remotely.
To qualify for a Golden Visa for Greece, you must make one of the following investments:
Although in most cases, you should be in Greece to finalize your investment, you may also do it remotely, if you give Power of Attorney to a legal representative.
Eligibility criteria for a Greek Golden Visa are:
A Greek Golden Visa is one of the most competitive Golden Visas in the EU and is accompanied by the following benefits:
The Golden Visa for Greece is issued for five years and can be renewed indefinitely as long as you maintain the investment.
If you ultimately choose to live in Greece, then after seven years of continuous residence, you can also apply for Greek citizenship.
Unlike most other countries that issue Golden Visas, you do not need to live in Greece at all in order to renew the residence permit. You can keep renewing it every five years, as long as you have still maintained your investment.
To renew the residence permit, you have to provide proof that the real estate property is still in your ownership or a solemn declaration by the relevant representatives that the investment is still ongoing.
Yes, you can become a Greek citizen by making an investment in Greece and obtaining a Golden Visa. However, unlike residency, you cannot apply for Greek citizenship without actually living there and paying taxes. You must live in Greece for at least seven years before being eligible to apply for citizenship.
In addition, you must also be able to prove you have ties to the country and knowledge of the Greek language and culture, at least on a basic level.
The required documents when applying for a Greece Golden Visa are:
Document guidelines:
To apply for a Greece Long-term family reunification visa collect the following documents:
A national visa for Greece is usually valid for a year. Yet, some categories of applicants are granted with shorter visa validity. Find these categories, and the validity of their visas listed below:
All foreigners moving to Greece with a visa that is valid for a year or longer need to apply for a Greek residence permit.
To apply for a Greece Residence Permit complete the steps listed below.
Please not that those holding a visa valid for less than a year do not need to possess a residence permit. Yet, they must pay the consular post, in addition to the visa fee, which is €150.
Benefits of having a Greece residence permit:
Greece, being famous for the tourist that it has, is an amazing place to be. One of the few destinations that visions more tourists than locals is the very amazing “Greece”. For all purposes, it attracts travellers but one important reason is work. What attracts many Indians is the rich lifestyle of the country which has the perfect blend of modern and contemporary. Working in Greece is as exciting and adequate.
At a Glance:
Over the past few years, Greece has been making headlines with its financial crisis. Tough and unpopular austerity measures have been implemented by the government, and the economy seems to be going slowly back on track. However, the unemployment rate is still extremely high at 24%.
So why is working in Greece still a viable option for expats? Actually, the Greek government is specifically targeting expats, especially investors and entrepreneurs willing to invest their capital in Greece’s economy. See the Moving to Greece article for more information on the financial crisis, and on expat opportunities in Greece.
Greece’s economy, along with that of many other developed countries, is becoming increasingly involved in the service sector, which represents an estimated 82.8% of Greece’s GDP. Greece is a major tourist destination, and projections for 2016 report 28 million international visitors will arrive in Greece this year, making tourism one of the main contributors to the service industry. Tourism accounts for about 18% of Greece’s GDP and employs one-fifth of the people working in Greece. However, although this industry is very much seasonal, measures, such as developing multilingual websites to promote the Greek experience, are being taken to develop it into a year-round affair.
The majority of Greek contracts are open-ended. The normal Greek work week comprises 40 hours. When you start a new job, the first two months are usually a probationary period, during which either party can terminate the employment contract without penalty. To terminate an open-ended contract, an employer has a prior-notice period of up to four months. The amount of severance indemnity has been determined at a maximum of 12 salaries for 16 years of work.
Employees earn 125% of their wage for the first five hours of additional work per week (known as “extra work”) and 150% for each additional hour thereafter (classed as “overtime”). The legal annual leave allowance is set at 20 days, increasing incrementally up to 26 days per year after 25 years of work. Greek companies also pay employees for six public holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s.
New mothers receive a total of 17 weeks of maternity leave, eight weeks before childbirth and nine weeks afterwards. If the mother works and does not take advantage of her legal entitlement to leave after the baby is born, than the father is entitled to take this period of leave. Additionally, for 30 months after returning to work, either the mother or the father may work one hour less per day without receiving a reduction in pay.
Greece work visas categories:
1. Part Time Work Visa:
Most student visas will allow you to work for up to twenty hours a week while you are in Spain. You should check the specific terms of your visa before finding a job.
2. Seasonal workers Visa:
In seasonal workers Visa, the employee needs to apply for a visa in the same manner as other work visas. The employer takes the lead role in this application, and work visas allow a stay period of six months. After this, an extension of up to a further three months can be allowed for a Seasonal workers Visa.
3. Self-employment Visa:
An applicant can get an Greece work visa as an entrepreneur; if you plan to work for yourself when you are in Greece you must apply for a self-employment visa, following the same process as outlined.
Greece Work Visa Requirements and Checklist for Applicants:
*Note: The Embassy/Consulate General has the right to ask for additional information or documents and request a personal interview with the applicant.
Greece Work Visa Requirements and Checklist for Employer:
