Greek Residency – How to Get it? A short guide.

Each year, more and more people are attracted to the idea of living in Greece. This is because this country has some interesting and appealing things to offer to their citizens in comparison with other countries of the European Union: A cheaper cost of living, amazing landscapes, some of the most beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean coast, the hospitability of their citizens, and a relaxing lifestyle that also blends with a very active social activity.

Would you like to get your permanent Greek residency? There are various ways in which you can obtain a permit that will allow you to stay in the country. You must take into consideration that this may vary if you are a EU or a non-EU citizen.

If you are a EU citizen, you can stay in Greece without a residency permit. However, if you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you must present a residence certificate at a police station in the country or an alien’s bureau and provide other documents such as your passport and proof of accommodation. Once you present these documents, you can work and live in the country.

On the other hand, if you come from a third country outside of the EU, things can get a little bit more complicated. Still, there are plenty of residency options that Greece offers to people that want to live in the country. We will summarize the most popular and most common types of residence permits.

Golden Visa Program: This type of residence permit is based in a law (4251/2014) that grants temporal permanent residency for 5 years to owners of real state in Greece, which must cost at least €250.000. In this particular case, you will have some options regarding the ownership of the real estate:

● To obtain your residence permit, you can own more than one piece of real state to be able to get the permit. Still, the total value of those pieces of real estate that you own must be at least €250.000.

● If you have joint ownership of the real state with your spouse, both of you can obtain the residence permit as long as the ownership of the property is undivided. You can also get the residence permit for your children if you present their birth certificates.

● You won’t need to spend a required amount of time in Greece once you get your residency permit. You can even rent out the property that allowed you to get your residence and obtain additional income from your real estate.

This type of residency permit will allow you to enjoy some benefits as if you were a Greek citizen such as traveling visa free around countries that are located in the Schengen zone, use their high quality public health services, or give your kids the opportunity to study in local schools or universities.

Residence Permit for Financially Independent People (FIP): This is the option for those people who want to live in Greece without working in the country. To obtain this type of residence permit, you must demonstrate that you can live in the country with your own resources, with a fixed monthly income that has to be at least €2.000. If you would like to obtain this type of residence permit, you must apply for a long-term Visa on a Greek consulate in your place of residency.

Investing in real estate is the easiest way in which you can obtain your Greek residency, and it also brings its fair share of advantages for the people that applies for a golden visa in the country. As usual, we can help you with obtaining a Greek golden visa. All you have to do is contact us right now.

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