Digital nomad and residence permit in Greece

As everyday life reaches new levels of flexibility and more and more people provide teleworking services, there is the  possibility of working from anywhere in the world.  Working remotely is a new concept that allows for more flexible working hours instead of the traditional schedule.  The conditions of the new working reality have contributed to the rapid increase in the popularity of digital nomadism - a free lifestyle that is not tied to a permanent location. 

Digital nomads are people who only need a laptop, a smartphone and a stable high-speed Internet network for their business activities.  They can easily move around the world without interrupting their work. 

Greece is a country that attracts digital nomads for many reasons, such as good quality and cheap cost of living, safety, excellent climatic conditions, year-round holidays  , friendliness of the local population,  excellent national cuisine , European quality of life, the introduction of fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology, the  satisfactory work of state bodies issuing residence permits.  Everything you need for a happy everyday life is here.  The Greek islands are no longer chosen only by foreign pensioners, but also by young professionals who become part of the local community, the economy and enhance Greece's reputation abroad.

Thus, as of September 2021, the Hellenic Republic introduced a new category of residence permits, the digital nomad, for third-country nationals, professionals, private entrepreneurs or employees working remotely using digital information technologies (IT) and tools, with employers or customers for outside of Greece.

Digital nomads, as mentioned above, work either as employees or as self-employed (soleproprietorships).  Indicatively, they can work remotely in the following fields:

- Media Marketing

- Copywriting

- Web design

-Translations

- Internet Entrepreneurship

- Search engine optimization

- Virtual assistance

- E-commerce

- Graphic design

-Programming

- Sports betting

- Commercial Arbitration

- Search advertising (SEA)

- Blogger

- Language teaching

- Counseling, etc.

The main obligation of a digital nomad in  Greece is not to look for work or engage in business activities in the country and not to enter into labor relations with Greek employers.  The digital nomad must prove that the source of his income is outside of the country.  It is acceptable to have contracts with multiple clients or employers. 

• The digital nomad must not have been a tax resident of Greece in the past.

• He or she must provide services remotely from Greece in the context of an employment or self-employment relationship. 

Other conditions that applicants for a residence permit in Greece must have in the digital nomad category are a fixed income to cover their living expenses during their stay in the country, without burdening the national social security system.  The amount of sufficient resources is set at three and a half thousand (3,500) euros per month and is certified by: a) an employment contract or a contract for the provision of services or a certificate of employment relationship in case of employment outside of Greece, b) a bank certificate.  The above amount is increased by twenty percent (20%) for a spouse or partner and by fifteen percent (15%) for each child.

There are two ways to get a digital nomads residence permit in Greece:

1) After obtaining a national type D visa, issued to the person concerned by the competent consular authority of Greece,

2) After the interested party enters Greece without having to obtain a type D visa, ie.  on a visa with a different purpose, for example, for tourism (tourist visa type C) or under a visa-free regime (90 days).

The interested party has the possibility, during the validity of this visa, to apply to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum for a digital nomad residence permit.  In this case, in addition to the above supporting documents, the applicants also submit an apartment / residence rental contract or a real estate purchase contract in Greece. 

The time validity of the residence permit is two years and each time there is the possibility of extension for two years, under the legal  condition  that they will  reside permanently in Greece for at least half the duration of their residence permit  (ie 6 months a year) and provided that they maintain the specified minimum income.  

Advantages of the digital nomad residence permit:

• Significantly longer stay in Europe compared to a tourist visa.

• Significantly lower cost than obtaining a residence permit for permanent investors (Golden Visa).

Often, a residence permit in the category  of digital  nomads is compared to  a Golden Visa, calling the  residence permit for digital nomads a simplified version of the latter.  The cost of acquiring it is an undeniable advantage.  The holder of a residence permit in the digital nomad category has access to many social services, can open a bank account in Greece and Europe and many other privileges. 

Highly professional digital nomads are gradually becoming the main resource for many countries that prefer the development of human capital rather than the development of other sectors of their economy.  As a result, competition to attract the digital nomads between individual states will increase rapidly.If you really want to become a digital nomad and get a digital nomad residence permit, regardless of the country of citizenship and tax residence, our law firm specializing in immigration law in Greece provides you with legal support and will make your dream come true much faster.  We are ready to provide assistance in the following areas:

• Preparation of all necessary documents for the application for a residence permit for you and your family.

• Legal translation into Greek  of all documents required by the Ministry of  any degree of difficulty.

• Download a number of terminological Register (TIN).

• Submit an application for a digital residence permit   to the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and continuously monitor your file until you obtain your residence permit.

• Opening a bank account.

• Full services for the completion of  property purchase/consulting services and negotiations when drawing up a real estate lease agreement.

• Legal advice on the full range of immigration legislation in Greece. 

We continue to be with you to clarify any questions you may have. Lawyer Kasatkina-Kouskou Svetlana will personally answer all your questions.  Contact us today in a convenient way for you: +306948273758