All You Need to Know About Greece’s Digital Nomad Visa

Greece introduced a digital nomad’s visa over the summer for those seeking to live and work in the country for employers based abroad.

The visa is drawing strong interest with many professionals eager to combine the lifestyle offered by the country with their ability to work remotely.

The visa process is handled by Greek consular authorities in the country where the applicant resides. Applicants already located in Greece can apply for the visa at the Migration Ministry.

Remote workers will, however, need to be able to provide proof of employment and monthly income of at least 3,500 euros, based on the rules set out by the Greek government.

EY Greece has provided some useful tips on the more technical details related to the process in Q and A’s listed below that can also be accessed here. 

What is the status provided by the Digital Nomad Visa?

Holders of a Digital Nomad Visa have the right of legal residence within the Greek Territory, with no access right to Greek dependent employment or business activity in Greece whatsoever.

Who is eligible for a Digital Nomad Visa?

Third country (non-EU) nationals who are either dependent employees or self-employed persons, working remotely with employers or clients outside Greece using Information and Communication Technologies (digital nomads).

Which authority is competent for the issuance of the Digital Nomad Visa?

The Greek consular authority of the place of the main residence of the applicant is competent to issue a Digital Nomad Visa, by applying a fast track process.

The Digital Nomad residence permit is issued by the competent authority of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum.

What is the basic requirement for the issuance of a Digital Nomad Visa?

In order to be eligible for a Digital Nomad Visa, the applicant is required (among others prerequisites) to provide evidence that he/she has sufficient resources, as a stable income, to cover his/her living expenses during his/her stay in the country, without burdening the national social welfare system. The amount of sufficient resources is set at three and a half thousand (3,500) euros per month.

If the applicant’s resources derive from dependent employment or independent provision of services, the above minimum amount refers to the net income, after payment of the required taxes in the country where the employment or services are provided.

The above amount is increased by twenty percent (20%) for the spouse or cohabitant and by fifteen percent (15%) for each child. Additionally, the applicant is required to provide documentation proving that he/she is a dependent employee or self-employed person working remotely with employers or clients outside Greece, covering the validity period of the Digital Nomad Visa.

I am already in Greece, am I eligible for a Digital Nomad Visa?

A third-country citizen, as well as members of his/her family, who meet the conditions to apply for a Digital Nomad Visa and have already entered the Greek 

Territories either with a uniform type of visa or under a visa waiver regime, have the opportunity, within the period of validity of their existing Visa, to apply to the one-stop service of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum for the issuance of a Digital Nomad residence permit.

In this case, they shall also be required to submit documentation proving their residence address in Greece.

Are family members eligible for a Visa?

Family members are eligible for an individual visa, valid for the same period as the digital nomad visa, which does not provide a right of employment or professional activity in Greece.

How long is a Digital Nomad Visa valid?

A Digital Nomad Visa is valid for a period of up to 12 months. If the third-country national estimates that he/she shall continue to be eligible following that period, then prior to the expiration of the Visa he/she may apply for the issuance of a Digital Nomad residence permit, with a 2-year period of validity (with the option of renewal). In that case, also, family members are eligible.

This article was first published here.

For more Real Estate News & Views on Greece and Europe’s South, head to The Greek Guru.

Greece Set to Welcome Digital Nomads

Greece has tabled a bill in parliament aimed at drawing digital nomads to the country.

Like many countries around the world, Greece has entered the race to take advantage of the huge increase in remote workers caused by the pandemic and their spending power.

The bill, prepared by the Ministry of Migration, foresees that non-Greek residents will be able to stay in the country for a period of up to 18 months and work with foreign-based employers.

Initially, those applying for the visa can qualify for a 12-month stay, and then a six-month extension will be possible.

Among the conditions that must be met is providing proof that the digital nomad will be in work for the duration of their stay by producing an employee contract. Evidence is also needed that the remote worker earns enough money to get by without burdening the country’s social security system.

Specifically, they will be required to show a monthly income of at least 3,500 euros.

Recent research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that the Greek economy could benefit by 1.3 billion euros if the country attracted 100,000 digital nomads annually and they stayed in the country for an average of six months.

The bill also includes changes being made to Greece’s Golden visa scheme in a bid to make it more competitive.

This article was first published here. 

For more Real Estate News & Views on Greece and Europe’s South, head to The Greek Guru.

Naxos Welcomes Digital Nomads

Will Naxos be the first of many islands to play host to professionals from around the world, perhaps even year-round?

I interviewed Jerome Bajou to find out more about his and his partner Luca Lattanzio’s plans for making Naxos an attractive and functional destination for Digital Nomads, through their project WorkFromNaxos. 

Interview by Alexia Amvrazi

Insights Greece - Naxos Welcomes Digital NomadsPlease tell us a little about yourselves.

My name is Jerome Bajou, I was born close to Paris, France, 35 years ago. I am the CEO of Blue Mango Business LTD, a UK tech company that I incorporated in 2009. I’m also the Founder of CaptainBook.io, a travel-tech startup in the pre-seed stage helping tourpreneurs to sell their tours via their own website. I co-founded the website WorkFromNaxos with Luca Lattanzio in March 2021. Luca was born in Milan and is 42 years old. He has more than 10 years of experience in industrial automation software and has worked for industry leaders. He founded Naxos Vacation Rentals in 2016, a company focused on hotels, property management, and general travel agency services. 

What led the two of you to team up for this project?

We both experienced the same problem with our life, leading us to move to Naxos: our work-life balance was completely off. We were working in high-stress environments – long hours – and somehow lost the meaning of it.

What is the active concept behind Work From Naxos?

I moved to Naxos in 2011 because of its central position in the Cyclades. It’s close to Mykonos and Santorini, both islands that have international airports, without being on the mass touristic path. The landscapes of Naxos definitely played a role as well. The island has some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe and is an island that remains very much alive during winter as well, due to its large population (22 000 inhabitants).

Four or five years ago, Luca and I were speaking about the Digital Nomad trend growing abroad, recognising the fact that we were somehow connected to it through the choices of life we’d made. The pandemic of COVID-19 accelerated the trend while slowing down the tourism market in general. It became clear to us that it was the time to help Naxos shift into this new era by facilitating the installation of Digital Nomads on the island. 

Insights Greece - Naxos Welcomes Digital Nomads

Why is Naxos a great destination for Digital Nomads?

Naxos benefits from good weather almost all year round. It has lots of activities to offer (from sailing to trekking, ie. from sea to mountain activities). The interconnection of the island for electricity has made power on the island as stable as on the mainland while optic fibre is being installed in town. 5G will arrive, and Naxos (and Greece in general) will be covered by StarLink (the internet-by-satellite program created by Elon Musk), possibly as early as this year.

We joined the Digital Nomad Observatory just a few days after the launch in the context of the convergence of our visions. This partnership will help us build the Digital Nomad Community in Naxos in a sustainable way, benefiting both nomads and locals.

How would you be making life easier?

Insights Greece - Naxos Welcomes Digital Nomads

We offer consultancy services for Digital Nomads aiming at moving to Naxos and benefiting from policies voted by the Greek Government (50% tax break for the first 7 years of fiscal installation in Greece, the Digital Nomad Visa, etc). We also help people to settle in, find the right place to stay, and dealing with all necessary actions that will help them feel at home. Finally, we help companies that are willing to relocate to Naxos via different partnerships that we are making in collaboration with specialised lawyers, accountants, etc.

What are your greatest goals related to this project?

At the moment, we are working on analysing the needs of the Digital Nomads wishing to come to Naxos. We believe that creating a co-working space would be the right move to help build a community on the island, with networking events running alongside that. Our greatest goal for this project is to attract innovation to the island, having startups working from Naxos in tech of course; but wouldn’t it be amazing to have agritech startups choosing one of the most fertile islands of the Cyclades as their home? 

Why Now May Be the Best Time to Work Remotely from Greece

If answering business calls and sending work emails with the Aegean Sea as a backdrop sounds like a dream, now could be the best time for you to pack your laptop and head to Greece, as the country is looking to make the move as easy as possible for digital nomads. 

According to the publication Protothema, Greek authorities are looking to launch a special visa for digital nomads, who are classified as people who work remotely, telecommuting rather than being physically present at a company’s office.

With more and more people working from home and realising they have the ability to perform their duties from anywhere in the world, Greece is set to draw an increasing number of digital nomads, with authorities looking to introduce a special visa for remote workers. 

“We must create an attractive environment for people that choose this advanced way of working,” said Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi in an interview with Protothema. 

This comes after legislation passed in Greek Parliament last December, allowing digital nomads to half their income tax for the first seven years. From January 2021, the scheme opened to both employed and self-employed workers as long as they have not previously been a tax resident of Greece. 

And if you still aren’t convinced Greece should be your next stop for work and play, chief economic adviser Alex Patelis says, “Greece is naturally blessed with a great climate, lots of sunshine, and it has both beaches and mountains.” Apart from the great weather and beautiful landscapes, he also added that working from Greece has other benefits, such as “a strong currency, the euro, and the safety of the EU.” 

And from a technical perspective, the rollout of 5G networks has already begun in major Greek cities and towns and will also be introduced to the Greek islands, which is expected to be viewed as an advantage for those looking to live and work anywhere across the country.