Moving to Greece 2026: Americans, Pets, Residence
Americans can visit Greece visa-free, but living there needs a residence permit under the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, and most applications are now made online through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. EU citizens and their families follow simpler rules. And anyone bringing a dog or cat from the United States has to meet the EU's microchip, rabies and health certificate rules first. This guide sets out the routes, the documents, the fees and the pet rules, as published by Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, its Ministry of Labour and the US Department of Agriculture, and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
US citizens can stay in the Schengen area, including Greece, for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa. To live in Greece they need a residence permit, for example the E.4 permit for a job with a Greek employer, which costs 166 € and is applied for online after entering on a national visa. Dogs and cats from the US need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA, valid for 30 days.
Moving to Greece as an American
- Visiting: the United States is on the Schengen list of nationalities that do not need a visa for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Living: staying longer needs a residence permit. Applications for the initial issue or renewal of residence permits are submitted exclusively through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's electronic services.
- While you wait: within forty (40) days of an online application, the authority issues a certificate, the "Blue Certificate", which confirms you reside lawfully and enjoy the rights of the permit applied for until the final decision.
Moving to Greece for a job
- Your employer applies online for approval to employ you, with a contract of at least six (6) months paying at least the unskilled-worker wage, and pays EUR 200.
- You obtain a national visa from the Greek consulate in your country of origin or lawful residence.
- After entering, and before the visa expires, you apply online for the E.4 residence permit: EUR 150 plus EUR 16 for printing, with an estimated 50 to 80 days to decide.
A yearly Decision of the Council of Ministers caps the number of posts. The details are in our Greece work visa guide.
Moving to Greece as an EU citizen
- EU citizens may reside in Greece for 3 months with a valid ID card or passport as the only condition.
- They may stay longer if they are employed or self-employed, or are students, in vocational training or unemployed with sufficient funds and health insurance.
- The administrative formalities for EU citizens fall to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, and the same rules apply to citizens of Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland.
Non-EU family members of EU citizens
- Apply for a residence document within 3 months of arrival, at the immigration authority for your place of residence.
- Pay EUR 16 for printing the e-residence permit.
- If the documents are complete, you receive an immediate acknowledgement, the blue confirmation letter.
- A decision on the residence card is adopted within 6 months of receipt of the application and all supporting documents.
Moving to Greece with a dog or cat
For pets travelling from the United States, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) sets out the EU rules for dogs, cats and ferrets.
| Step | What APHIS says |
|---|---|
| Microchip | A working microchip before the rabies vaccination. ISO-compliant chips are 15 digits and meet ISO 11784 and 11785. Your vet must scan it before vaccinating. |
| Rabies vaccination | After a primary vaccination, wait at least 21 days, or the manufacturer's immunity period, before travelling. A primary vaccination given in the US is valid for only 1 year, and a booster is required within 12 months. |
| Health certificate | The EU non-commercial certificate, issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA. It is valid for 30 days after the vet issues it, and USDA must endorse it within 10 days of the pet's arrival in the EU. |
| Who travels | The non-commercial certificate applies when the owner travels with the pet, or a designated person travels no later than 5 days after the owner, with five or fewer pets. |
| Commercial certificate | Needed for 6 or more pets, or a pet changing owner, with a veterinary inspection within 48 hours of departure. |
Pets that do not meet the EU's rabies requirements may be refused entry or quarantined at the owner's expense. Cats follow the same steps as dogs. If you are moving to Greece to look after cats, the same rules apply to cats you bring with you.
Costs and first steps
For a budget, see our cost of moving to Greece, and for the first weeks, first steps after moving to Greece.
Frequently asked questions
Can an American move to Greece?
Yes, with a residence permit. US citizens can visit for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and apply online for a residence permit on a ground such as employment.
How long can Americans stay in Greece without a visa?
No more than 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, including Greece.
Can I bring my dog to Greece from the US?
Yes. Your dog needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel if it is a primary vaccination, and an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA.
Can I bring my cat to Greece?
Yes, under the same EU rules as dogs: microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian.
How long is the pet health certificate valid?
The non-commercial certificate is valid for 30 days after the veterinarian issues it, and can be used to travel within the EU for up to 6 months while the rabies vaccination stays valid.
Do EU citizens need a permit to live in Greece?
No permit is needed for the first 3 months. EU citizens may stay longer if they work, are self-employed, or study or are unemployed with sufficient funds and health insurance.
What is the Blue Certificate?
A certificate issued within forty days of an online residence permit application, confirming lawful residence until the final decision.
Official sources
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security — Work for third-country nationals in Greece
- National Registry of Administrative Public Services — E.4 residence permit
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum — Residence of EU citizens and family members
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel from the United States to Greece
- Schengen visa-free nationalities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia)
All rules, fees and time frames verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.