How to Move to Greece in 2026: The Complete Relocation Roadmap

Moving to Greece means choosing the right residence route — a Digital Nomad permit, the Financially Independent Person (FIP) permit, a Golden Visa, or an employment or study permit — then, after arrival, registering to obtain a tax number (AFM) and a social security number (AMKA). Non-EU citizens apply for a national (type D) visa at a Greek consulate first and convert it into a residence permit through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. EU citizens can move freely and simply register their residence.

Who Can Move to Greece and How the Routes Differ

Greece separates newcomers into two broad groups. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have freedom of movement: they can enter, live and work in Greece without a visa and only need to register their residence with the authorities after roughly three months. Non-EU (third-country) nationals need a specific legal basis to stay long term, and that basis determines everything that follows — which documents you gather, whether you can work, and how long your permit lasts.

For non-EU movers, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum is the authority that issues residence permits, while Greek consulates abroad issue the national entry visa you normally need first. The most common long-stay routes are the Digital Nomad permit for remote workers, the Financially Independent Person (FIP) permit for those living on stable passive income, the Golden Visa for real-estate investors, and employment, family reunification and student permits. Each has its own income evidence, documents and timeline, so the first real decision is matching your situation to the correct category before you book anything.

Step One: Choose Your Residence Route

If you work remotely for a company or clients outside Greece, the Digital Nomad route is designed for you and lets you live in Greece while earning abroad. If you do not need to work at all — retirees or people living on savings, pensions or investment income — the Financially Independent Person permit is the usual path, provided you can show stable, sufficient income. Investors who buy qualifying Greek property use the Golden Visa, which grants residence without requiring you to live in Greece full time.

If a Greek employer has offered you a job, you move on an employment permit tied to that role; students enrol at a recognised institution and apply for a study permit. Because the exact income thresholds, fees and document lists are updated periodically, confirm the current requirements for your chosen route on the Ministry of Migration and Asylum website before you apply — that is the single most important accuracy check in the whole process.

Step Two: Apply for the National Visa

Most non-EU applicants must obtain a national (type D) long-stay visa from the Greek embassy or consulate in their country of residence before travelling. You submit your application with the supporting documents for your route — proof of income or employment, health insurance, a clean criminal record certificate and accommodation evidence are typical — and, once approved, you enter Greece on that visa.

EU citizens skip this step entirely. For everyone else, apply early: consular processing takes time, appointments can be scarce, and you cannot begin the in-country residence permit process until you have arrived on the correct visa.

Step Three: Get Your AFM and AMKA

Almost nothing practical happens in Greece without two numbers. The AFM is your tax registration number, needed to sign a lease, open a bank account, connect utilities or get paid. The AMKA is your social security number, which links you to public healthcare and social insurance. New residents obtain the AFM from the tax office (and increasingly online) and the AMKA through the relevant social security channels.

Treat these as your first post-arrival errands. Landlords, banks and employers will all ask for them, so getting them promptly unblocks the rest of your setup — housing, banking and healthcare all depend on having them in hand.

Housing, Banking and Healthcare

Rental demand is high in Athens and on the popular islands, so budget time to search and be ready to move quickly with your AFM and proof of income when you find a place. Opening a Greek bank account is straightforward once you have your AFM, passport and proof of address, and it makes paying rent and bills far simpler than relying on a foreign account.

For healthcare, your AMKA connects you to the public system, and many newcomers also hold private insurance — which is in any case usually required as part of the visa application. Confirm the exact coverage rules that apply to your permit type, since obligations differ between employees, the self-employed and the financially independent.

Settling In: Language and Daily Life

Greece is welcoming and English is widely spoken in cities and tourist areas, but daily bureaucracy, contracts and small-town life run in Greek. Learning even functional Greek makes appointments, renting and building a local network dramatically smoother, and it signals commitment when you deal with officials.

This is exactly where SettleBuddy's Language Lab helps: it teaches the real situations a move creates — the tax office, the landlord, the pharmacy — rather than tourist phrases, so you arrive able to handle the interactions that actually matter in your first months.

FAQ

Official sources

The regulated facts in this guide are drawn from official government sources. Rules and figures change — always confirm the current detail on the official page before you act.

• Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Greece)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visas (Greece)