GreeceFinancially independent residence permit

Financially independent residence permit in Greece

The programme is intended for foreigners able to support themselves on passive income or accumulated funds without taking employment in Greece. A stable, documented income from sources outside Greece is required: pensions, dividends, income from letting property or substantial savings. The visa gives the right to live in Greece, spending at least six months a year there, but it does not allow you to work. After five years of residence a route to permanent status opens up, and then to citizenship.

Visa term

3 years

Renewal: yes, for a further 3 years

Processing time

A few weeks to months

Work

No right to work in Greece

Residence

Actual residence for renewal

Source: migration.gov.gr — residence permit for financially independent persons

Who obtains the status and how

The residence permit for economically independent people is issued on the basis of steady passive income. There are two main routes: by income or by savings. Both require proof of the origin of the funds and of their stability.

By passive income

Pensioners with income from pension payments
Investors living on dividends and interest
Landlords (income from foreign property)

By savings

People with savings covering 24 months of residence
Families with joint savings
Those who prefer to put up a lump sum instead of proving income

When the programme is not a fit

You need to work actively in Greece or receive a salary

The Digital Nomad Visa or a work visa (which requires an employer as sponsor)

You have no steady income, only irregular earnings

A tourist visa or a work visa with a contract

You would like to invest in property and obtain residence

The Golden Visa (EUR 250,000-800,000 depending on the region; no residence requirement)

What it costs

Monthly passive income (a single applicant)In force since 2023 under Law 5038/2023; previously EUR 2,000 was required	3,500 EUR
Monthly passive income (with a spouse)The main income plus 20% for the spouse	4,200 EUR
Savings instead of income (a single applicant, for 24 months)The equivalent of EUR 3,500 a month x 24 months; an alternative for those without a stable income	126,000 EUR
Savings instead of income (with a spouse, for 24 months)EUR 4,200 a month x 24 months	151,200 EUR
Supplement for each child (per month)15% of the base rate; applied to income when a child under 21 is included	+525 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Supplement for each child (per month)” adds 525 EUR; the “Savings instead of income (a single applicant, for 24 months)” branch replaces the “Monthly passive income (a single applicant)” line — 130,200 EUR; the “Savings instead of income (with a spouse, for 24 months)” branch replaces the “Monthly passive income (with a spouse)” line — 154,700 EUR. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	7,700–8,225 EUR

Paid separately

Active salary, business income, services on Greek territory — Not permitted; a Digital Nomad or a work visa is required
Employment with a Greek company — Prohibited under the terms of the FIP; a breach may lead to the visa being cancelled

Documents to gather

The set of original and certified documents is filed first with the Greek consulate together with the Type D visa application, and then, on registration in Greece, with the local immigration authorities.

Passport (valid for at least 3-6 months beyond the intended return)
Criminal record certificate (obtained in the country of residence; no more than 6 months old)
Medical certificate on your state of health (may be issued either by a doctor in your country or in Greece)
Evidence of passive income or savings: bank statements for the last 3-6 months, dividend certificates, leases of foreign property, pension documents
A contract or document on accommodation in Greece (a lease, ownership or a letter of invitation from the owner)
A health insurance policy (private; it must be valid in Greece)
Passport-size photographs (usually 2-4, 4x6 cm format)
The Type D visa application form (completed at the consulate)

How the process runs

The process consists of stages in the country of origin and then in Greece. It usually takes 3-6 months from filing the documents to receiving the permit.

1
Preparing and collecting the documents
2-4 weeks
Collect all the necessary documents, including the criminal record certificate, the medical certificate and bank statements. If the documents are in a local language, a notarised translation into English or Greek is required.
2
Filing the application with the Greek consulate
1-2 days
Visit the Greek consulate in your country of residence with the full package of documents. Complete the Type D visa application form. The consulate may require an interview in person.
3
Consular processing
4-8 weeks (usually 10 days to 6 weeks)
The consulate checks the documents and may request additional certificates or explanations. Processing may be quick (10 days) or take up to 8 weeks depending on the consulate and its workload.
4
Receiving the Type D visa
1-3 days after approval
If the decision is positive, the consulate issues a Type D visa in your passport. The visa allows you to enter Greece in order to obtain the residence permit.
5
Entering Greece and registering
Within 30 days of entry
Enter Greece and within 30 days apply to the local immigration office (ICP — Immigration Control Post) or file the application online through the e-services at migration.gov.gr.
6
Filing the residence permit application
1-2 days (in person or online)
File the application for a residence permit (άδεια διαμονής) with the local immigration office together with the originals or certified copies of the documents. Pay the required fees.
7
Biometrics and interview (if required)
1-2 weeks
The immigration service may invite you to give biometric data (fingerprints, photograph). The officer may ask questions about your income and living arrangements.
8
Examination and decision
2-8 weeks after the biometrics
The immigration service checks the financial documents, the origin of the funds and the living arrangements. There may be a request for clarification. The decision is taken on the results of the check.
9
Receiving the plastic permit card
1-2 weeks after approval
If the decision is positive you will receive a plastic residence permit card (άδεια διαμονής) valid for 3 years. Sometimes a paper temporary permit is issued until the card is produced.

Who you can bring with you

Families may be included in a single application, and the financial requirements rise in proportion to the number of members. Children must be minors or financially dependent.

Lawful spouse / partner

Included in the application with an increase in the monthly income of 20% (EUR 700 extra) or the equivalent in savings (EUR 25,200 extra over 24 months). They must have their own passport and go through the same checks.

Children under 21

Financially dependent children may be included; each child requires a supplement of 15% to the main applicant's income (EUR 525 a month) or the equivalent in savings (EUR 12,600 over 24 months). Birth documents and proof of financial dependence are required.

Adult children (21+)

As a rule they are not included in the FIP programme. They may file separate applications as independent applicants if they meet the income requirements.

Parents or other relatives

The FIP programme has no separate category for older dependants. They have to file their own applications or consider other visa categories (family reunification through an EU citizen and so on).

Renewal and the grace period

The residence permit is valid for 3 years and may be renewed for a further three-year period if the conditions are met. Renewal requires fresh proof of income or of savings and a valid health insurance policy. There is no requirement in the Migration Code to spend 183 days a year in the country: absences of up to six months a year do not affect the permit, and for a serious reason one absence of up to twelve consecutive months is allowed. The renewal application may usually be filed during the last 6 months of validity of the current permit. After 5 years of continuous residence it is possible to apply for EU long-term resident status, which has a more favourable legal regime.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Financially independent residence permit	Investment residence permit	Digital nomad visa
Visa term	Temporary status with renewal	A residence permit for 5 years, renewed while the investment is retained	Temporary status with the possibility of renewal
Grounds	Financial independence	Property/funds	Remote income
Work	No right to work in Greece	No right to work as an employee; free residence and Schengen travel	Remote work for a foreign employer is allowed; not for a local one
Residence	Actual residence for renewal	No mandatory minimum number of days to keep the residence permit	No strict day-count regime

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

The route goes through long-term residence

Route to citizenship

Citizenship through ordinary naturalisation

Frequently asked questions about Financially independent residence permit

Which sources of passive income are accepted? Can an employer in another country pay me for remote work?

There is no concept of «passive income» in the rules. The joint ministerial decision on sufficient resources requires a steady annual income and lists the acceptable evidence: a foreign pension, a bank account, or the applicant's own funds of proven lawful origin. A salary from a foreign employer is named outright among the incomes with a regular periodicity, alongside a pension and dividends from abroad. What is forbidden is different: taking employment or running your own activity in Greece itself. Rent, interest and royalties are not named separately — they go through as own funds.

How is the origin of the funds and savings checked?

The immigration service requires bank statements, certificates from banks and financial institutions, ownership documents or leases, and pension statements. When you submit bank statements they must clearly show where the income comes from. If the source of the income is not clear enough or raises suspicions of money laundering, additional explanations or certificates from the tax authorities or banks may be requested.

What happens if I work in Greece while holding an FIP visa?

This permit expressly gives no right to employment or to any independent economic activity in Greece, and the ban covers the spouse and the family members too. Break that condition and the permit is refused, revoked or not renewed, and a return decision follows the revocation. The code attaches monetary fines to unlawful stay and to a failure to report changes in circumstances, not to the work itself; the five-year bar on a fresh application is for forged documents and deception. Anyone who needs to work applies on a different basis.

Do you have to spend 183 days a year in Greece to renew the permit?

There is no such requirement: the number 183 does not appear in the Migration Code at all. The rule runs the other way round — the validity of a permit is not affected by temporary absences of up to six months a year, and for serious reasons such as study, illness, pregnancy or compulsory military service one absence of up to twelve consecutive months is allowed. The 183 days are a tax-residence test from the Income Tax Code and have nothing to do with renewing a permit.

Can I move to another type of visa after obtaining the FIP (for example to the Golden Visa)?

Yes, after obtaining the FIP permit you may apply for another category if you meet its requirements. For example, if you have accumulated funds you may apply for the Golden Visa (investor) without losing your current permit. Each visa has its own examination procedure, and the decision on the change is taken by the Greek immigration service.

What tax regime applies to foreign pensioners on the FIP?

A pensioner transferring tax residence to Greece may enter the regime of article 5Β of the Income Tax Code: 7% on all income earned abroad, not on the pension alone. The regime runs for up to fifteen tax years and does not switch itself on. Two conditions apply: for five of the six years before the move the person was not a Greek tax resident, and the move is from a country with which Greece has an agreement on administrative cooperation in tax matters. The application goes in by 31 March, the tax is paid in a single instalment by the last working day of July; miss a payment and the person drops out of the regime and is taxed on worldwide income under the general rules. Greek-source income is taxed in the ordinary way.

How do I find out the exact amount of savings I have to show?

The savings must cover 24 months of living at the current level of income. So EUR 3,500 a month x 24 = EUR 84,000 as a minimum, but the immigration service applies a factor of 1.5, giving EUR 126,000 for a single applicant. For a family the formula is: (main income + supplements for family members) x 24 months. The exact amount can be checked with the Greek consulate or by contacting the immigration office.

Other ways to move to Greece

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Greece.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.