Greece · Spouse visas
Greece Spouse of a resident
Residence permit for family reunification with a third-country resident (spouse or partner), Articles 83-90 Law 5038/2023
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a resident is a spouse visas route for Greece. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €150 ≈ $170
- Processing
- 9 months
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €150 ≈ $170; decision: 9 months. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€150 ≈ $170
- EUR 150 (≈ $170)Residence permit fee for type O.1 and O.2 family reunification permits.
RenewalRenewable
The permit expires with the sponsor's permit and follows its renewal; an independent permit becomes available after 5 years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Long-term resident status needs 5 years of continuous legal residence and income at least the annual minimum wage (plus 10% for dependants); absences under 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total are allowed.
CitizenshipAfter 12 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 12 continuous years of legal residence on a permit like this one, but only 7 years once you hold a long-term resident permit or another listed title, plus Greek language and history tests.
Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services
Processing9 months
The application is decided within 9 months, extendable by up to 3 more months in exceptional cases.
Where to applyFrom abroad
The sponsor files online; after approval the spouse gets an entry visa and then applies for the residence permit.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Greece, not after arriving
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- Sponsor holds a Greek residence permit valid for at least two years with a path to permanent residence.
- Sponsor has lived legally in Greece for two years before applying.
- The spouse or partner is outside Greek territory when the application is filed and examined.
- If the sponsor already has a spouse living in Greece, no second spouse can be reunited.
- Sponsor has full health insurance that covers the family members.
What you must show2
- Sponsor has stable, regular personal income of at least the annual net minimum wage (14 monthly salaries) plus 20% for the spouse.
- The income does not come from social assistance, and the sponsor has accommodation for the family.
Documents1
- Proof of the family relationship and the documents set by the ministerial decision on required papers.
Steps3
- The sponsor files the family reunification application online with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
- The consulate may interview the family members; failing to attend an interview makes the application inadmissible.
- After approval the spouse gets an entry visa and applies for the residence permit before the visa expires.
After you arrive2
- The permit expires with the sponsor permit; if the sponsor becomes a long-term resident it is renewed every three years.
- An independent O.2 permit of up to 3 years is available after 5 years of residence.
What happens at day 183
How Greece decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any 12-month periodPresence in Greece for more than 183 days in total makes a person tax resident from the first day of presence.
- Foreign-source income
Greek tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 9% to 44% (scale applied from tax year 2026); residence follows the main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests, or presence over 183 days.
All tax rules for Greece Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Sponsor has full health insurance that covers the family members
- Accommodation
The income does not come from social assistance, and the sponsor has accommodation for the family
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
For the spouse or cohabitation partner of a third-country national who has lived legally in Greece for two years. It gives a residence permit that expires with the sponsor permit, with access to employment. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170) · Residence permit fee for type O.1 and O.2 family reunification permits. 4
Requirements
- Sponsor holds a Greek residence permit valid for at least two years with a path to permanent residence. 1
- Sponsor has lived legally in Greece for two years before applying. 1
- The spouse or partner is outside Greek territory when the application is filed and examined. 1
- If the sponsor already has a spouse living in Greece, no second spouse can be reunited. 1
- Sponsor has full health insurance that covers the family members. 1
- Sponsor has stable, regular personal income of at least the annual net minimum wage (14 monthly salaries) plus 20% for the spouse. 1 3
- The income does not come from social assistance, and the sponsor has accommodation for the family. 1
- Proof of the family relationship and the documents set by the ministerial decision on required papers. 1
- The sponsor files the family reunification application online with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. 1
- The consulate may interview the family members; failing to attend an interview makes the application inadmissible. 1
- After approval the spouse gets an entry visa and applies for the residence permit before the visa expires. 1
- The permit expires with the sponsor permit; if the sponsor becomes a long-term resident it is renewed every three years. 1
- An independent O.2 permit of up to 3 years is available after 5 years of residence. 1
Stay
- Initial permit expires on the same date as the sponsor permit and follows its renewal; decided within 9 months (up to 3 more in exceptional cases).
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
The spouse has the same access as the sponsor to education, employment and vocational training.
Family
Unmarried minor children and, where specified, other dependent family members can be reunited; holders of investment permits can bring family without the two-year wait.
Official sources
- Law 5038/2023 Migration Code, Articles 83-92 (family reunification) · Taxheaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit categories and family-reunification document checklist · Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Greece · checked 2026-10-10
- Joint Ministerial Decision 225679/2024 on sufficient resources (Government Gazette B 5223/17.09.2024) · Hellenic Republic Government Gazette (copy hosted by University of Athens) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2024-09-17
- Law 5038/2023, Migration Code (Government Gazette A 81/01.04.2023) · Ethniko Typografeio (Government Gazette) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2023-04-01
- Migration Code, art. 144 (long-term resident status: conditions), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 143 (long-term resident status: scope), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Naturalisation of non-ethnic-Greek aliens (Politografisi Allogenon Allodapon) · Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a resident and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a resident | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 5 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a citizen Portugal | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident Spain | Needs income of €900+ a month ≈ $1,010 | – | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Spouse of a resident?
A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170). Residence permit fee for type O.1 and O.2 family reunification permits.
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a resident?
Initial permit expires on the same date as the sponsor permit and follows its renewal; decided within 9 months (up to 3 more in exceptional cases).
How long does the Spouse of a resident take to process?
The application is decided within 9 months, extendable by up to 3 more months in exceptional cases.
Can I work on the Spouse of a resident?
The spouse has the same access as the sponsor to education, employment and vocational training.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a resident?
Unmarried minor children and, where specified, other dependent family members can be reunited; holders of investment permits can bring family without the two-year wait.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a resident?
Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Spouse of a resident lead to permanent residence in Greece?
Time on the Spouse of a resident counts toward permanent residence in Greece, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Spouse of a resident counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 12 years of residence.
How are Spouse of a resident holders taxed in Greece?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a resident. The standard rules apply: Greek tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 9% to 44% (scale applied from tax year 2026); residence follows the main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests, or presence over 183 days.
More in Greece
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 7 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law 5038/2023 Migration Code, Articles 83-92 (family reunification) · Taxheaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit categories and family-reunification document checklist · Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Greece · checked 2026-10-10
- Joint Ministerial Decision 225679/2024 on sufficient resources (Government Gazette B 5223/17.09.2024) · Hellenic Republic Government Gazette (copy hosted by University of Athens) · checked 2026-10-10
- Law 5038/2023, Migration Code (Government Gazette A 81/01.04.2023) · Ethniko Typografeio (Government Gazette) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 144 (long-term resident status: conditions), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 143 (long-term resident status: scope), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Naturalisation of non-ethnic-Greek aliens (Politografisi Allogenon Allodapon) · Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.