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Apply for a Retirement Visa in Greece

Immigration advice for Non-EU nationals who want to retire in Greece

The Retirement Visa is also called the Financially Independent Person Permit in Greece.

You can live in Greece and embrace retirement with this visa. The main requirement is proving that you have enough wealth to support yourself and your family if they join you. The easiest way to do this is through a pension. If your state or private pension meets the criteria, you can move to Greece. Successful applicants also get visa-free access to enjoy tourism throughout Europe. They visit countries in the European Union’s Schengen zone without needing a visa.

How can a lawyer help with the Greek Retirement Visa?

We can assist in completing forms, reviewing documents and getting you set up when moving to a different country.

Our lawyers will speed the process for appointments and offer support if any setbacks come up in meeting with Greece’s immigration offices. We will track and monitor the progress of your application to ensure any delays are minimized.

Our team will prepare you for any interviews with the Greek officials and join you on the filing date to help with language barriers and unforeseen issues.

We provide full assistance through our English-speaking team as well as Spanish, French, Portuguese, Greek or Italian.

We can also put you in touch with partners such as insurance companies or sworn translators.

¨We will be with you each step of the journey.¨

 

What is a Retirement Visa?

This visa, which is technically a Financially Independent Person permit, gives non-EU citizens permission to reside in Greece. They just need to show that they can support their lifestyle without working. The majority of people do this by using their pension and savings.

The main applicant’s family is able to join them if they also can support themselves. They can do this with their own pension or savings, or rely on the main applicant’s wealth. Anyone with a retirement visa in Greece can travel visa-free in the EU’s Schengen zone.

This is a Greek residency visa and is valid for two years. It can be renewed indefinitely just as long as the holder can continue to support themselves. The visa holder cannot work under a retirement visa.

How to Get a Greek Retirement Visa?

The application process starts with visiting the Greek Consulate in your home country or country of residence. You must first apply for a long-term visa called “Visa D” and is valid for a year. This is usually issued within 10 days of applying and will include an interview with the officials. 

After receiving Visa D, you can enter Greece and apply for a Residence Permit with the Immigration office. You will be asked to provide biometric information during this step. 

You will then receive confirmation of your submission, which is known as the “blue certificate” and gives you the right to travel to and from Greece. 

The residence permit card is typically issued one to two months after filing the application. 

You can’t work but you can draw upon a pension or another source of passive income like real estate.

What are the requirements?

  1. You must receive a fixed monthly amount from a permanent source of income, which is usually a pension or trust fund. It cannot be a salary because this would suggest you need to work while in Greece. The amount must be at least €2,000 a month for the main applicant. This increases by 20% if you are joined by a spouse and by 15% for each child. You can show proof of sufficient wealth individually or collectively.
  2. You need to have full coverage with a private health insurance plan.
  3. You may also need to show paperwork like a clean police record and a medical certificate. If you’re moving with your spouse, you may need paperwork from the civil registry where you were married. Children will require a birth certificate.

Let us do the work!

The Process to Get a Retirement Visa in Greece

Leading Immigration
Assistance

What do I need to do?

1. Collect the documents

You will need to collect the paperwork to support the application. This includes marriage and birth certificates if your family is joining you, as well as proof that you can support your lifestyle. These documents may need to be certified and officially translated.

2. Apply at the Greek Embassy or Consulate

The applicant must apply for Visa D by appearing in person at their Greek Consulate in their home country or where they legally reside. Visa D is a long-term visa and is the first permit needed to get a retirement visa. You will be interviewed by the immigration officials during this step.

3. Move to Greece

Once the application is approved, you will be granted a visa that allows you to travel to Greece. It usually takes 10 days to get a Greek visa. The entry visa is valid for one year.

4. Apply for Residence Permit Card

Once you have the entry visa and have entered Greece, you must apply for a Residence Permit with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. To get the Residence Permit, you will need to provide some biometric data. Your submission will be confirmed with a “blue certificate”, which allows you to travel to and from Greece. The residence permit is usually approved within two months.

Some clients struggle with the language barrier, so Lexidy’s immigration attorneys can accompany you to the appointment.

Renewing the Greek Retirement Visa

The process to renew the visa is relatively simple. The main requirements are:

  • continuing to be able to support your lifestyle
  • maintaining private healthcare insurance
  • and residing in Greece for at least six months annually

The permit is renewed for two-year periods and you can work with our immigration attorneys to maintain your status.

OUR WORK

We are a department formed by qualified legal experts who have been trained in the field of immigration law. We work on these requests every day and it’s our passion. For us, Lexidy is a way of life and what excites us the most is to be able to deliver the happiness and satisfaction of a successful immigration process. We want to help you achieve your goals and dreams.

Eleftheria Charalambous

Eleftheria Charalambous

Lawyer, Head of Athens Office
Eleni Maderaki

Eleni Maderaki

Head of Corporate Department Athens
Maria Balaoura

Maria Balaoura

Paralegal
Iliana Arvaniti

Iliana Arvaniti

Legal Trainee

IS TO MAKE CLIENTS HAPPY

Lexidy Legal Tech
4.9
Based on 12 reviews
Gabriel
Gabriel
02:50 07 Aug 23
I used Lexidy in Athens via email correspondence. The experiece was excellent and every detail was looked after as if I was in person in Athens. I highly recommend them for your legal needs.
Janett Riebe
Janett Riebe
12:18 04 Aug 23
Our experience with Maria and Eleni was immaculate. Responsive and personable communication, every detail simply and beautifully explained, and we felt completely untouched by the complexity of all immigration and legal processes thanks to their support. The speed and ease they brought to our residency and tax processes exceeded all expectations.
Tala Re
Tala Re
06:41 03 Aug 23
I worked with Eleni Maderaki, she helped me with opening an bank account. It was a very good experience. I’m happy that I worked with them.
zaneta freyer
zaneta freyer
13:20 30 May 23
With Lexidy Law Boutique I had a very nice experience. Eleni Maderaki is very competent but at the same time practical. She is service minded and interested in customs needs. Lexidy Law Boutique meets my Norwegian standards!
Daniel Matcham
Daniel Matcham
08:27 12 May 23
Eleni has been exceptional every step of the way! She guided me through the formation of my company in Greece (as a foreigner), set the up tax number, opened me a bank account, set up civil liability insurance and more. I would recommend her to anyone!
beyouta myriam
beyouta myriam
08:28 22 Feb 23
Very nice experience.We feel that we do not know how to begin with such as many procedures to establish a new company. Lexidy Law Boutique giving us all facilities and clarification.Assistance highly appreciated step by step.They answered to all our questions and didn't leave any doubts to succeed, very responsive rate through all channels, phone ,emails.Thank you Lexidy, you made my dream a reality.I recommend very much.Bonne continuation !
Rosa Akbari
Rosa Akbari
16:07 10 Jan 23
Lexidy staff were speedy, straightforward, and reassuring. No hesitation to recommend to anyone needing help navigating residency bureaucracy.
Julians Mjankovs
Julians Mjankovs
08:10 21 Nov 22
I got everything I needed. Big thanks to Eleftheria and Maria for help! You just ask what you need, and they'll figure out how you can get it.
Natasha Halicki
Natasha Halicki
09:51 09 Nov 22
Genuinely welcoming and friendly! As well as very knowledgeable, professional and have great integrity. We hit a few bumps in my visa process but I was supported the whole way through and didn't give up and I was finally successful in my application thanks to their hard work going above and beyond. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone and I would certainly use Lexidy again.
Stephanie Bratnick
Stephanie Bratnick
13:28 05 Sep 22
I can't recommend Lexidy enough. They made our move to Greece incredibly smooth and went up and beyond their regular legal duties to help my family. They new all the ins and outs of the Greek immigration, and the whole process went flawlessly all due to their expertise. Thank you so much! And we will definitely use their services for many years to come.
Kenneth Shen
Kenneth Shen
00:32 24 Aug 22
If you’re looking for knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely supportive lawyers on your side - look no further. Lexidy and Eleftheria made my process of applying for residency smooth and easy. It’s hard to imagine working with someone with more professionalism and knowledge of the subject than the team at Lexidy.
Rossy Rojas
Rossy Rojas
12:28 23 Mar 22
Max is the best and Lexidy LegalTech Boutique solved our immigration process with great aplomb. we were very lucky!
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