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Greece

Greece EU free movement

EU free movement (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens)

First checked against official sources on Change log

Key facts

EU free movement is a long-stay route for Greece. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

  • Only for passports from 31 countries

What you'll need

Who can apply2

  • Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland may live in Greece under EU free movement rules.
  • Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid national ID card or passport.

What you must show2

  • Beyond 3 months, workers and self-employed persons may stay while they work.
  • Beyond 3 months, persons not working need sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance.

Documents2

  • A valid national ID card or passport is needed.
  • Application form, ID or passport, proof of status, proof of address in Greece and photos are submitted.

Steps4

  1. Appear in person after the 3-month period at the police authority handling aliens for your place of residence.
  2. In Attica and Thessaloniki this is the Aliens Department; elsewhere a Security Sub-directorate, Security Department or police station.
  3. The police issue a registration certificate immediately, stating your name, address and registration date.
  4. Registration is in person only; no online procedure is provided.

After you arrive1

  • Permanent residence is acquired after 5 years of continuous lawful 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

Official site

What you need to arrange

  • Health insurance

    Beyond 3 months, persons not working need sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance

  • Accommodation

    Application form, ID or passport, proof of status, proof of address in Greece and photos are submitted

Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.

Full official text

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live and work in Greece; after 3 months they register in person with the police aliens department, which issues a registration certificate immediately. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Requirements

  • Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland may live in Greece under EU free movement rules. 11 12 1 8 9
  • Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid national ID card or passport. 12 1
  • Beyond 3 months, workers and self-employed persons may stay while they work. 11 4
  • Beyond 3 months, persons not working need sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance. 11 14 3
  • A valid national ID card or passport is needed. 2
  • Application form, ID or passport, proof of status, proof of address in Greece and photos are submitted. 13 14
  • Appear in person after the 3-month period at the police authority handling aliens for your place of residence. 11
  • In Attica and Thessaloniki this is the Aliens Department; elsewhere a Security Sub-directorate, Security Department or police station. 13
  • The police issue a registration certificate immediately, stating your name, address and registration date. 11
  • Registration is in person only; no online procedure is provided. 11
  • Permanent residence is acquired after 5 years of continuous lawful residence. 5

Stay

  • No time limit while the conditions are met; register in person with the police after the first 3 months.
  • First 3 months up to 3 months: Valid ID card or passport only.
  • After 3 months: Worker, self-employed person, student, or person with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance.

Nationality

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Work

EU citizens may work in Greece as employees or self-employed persons without a work permit; some public-authority posts may be reserved for nationals.

Family

Family members, whatever their nationality, may remain longer than 3 months with the EU citizen; non-EU family members apply for a residence document.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

  1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Workers: residence rights · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  5. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  6. Working abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  7. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  8. Free movement of EU nationals · European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion · checked 2026-10-10
  9. Free movement of persons (Switzerland and the EU) · Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
  10. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  11. Obligation for citizens to register their residence for periods exceeding three months · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-06-03
  12. Free movement and residence of EU citizens and family members · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Ministry of Migration and Asylum) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-11-28
  13. Registration certificate for Union citizens residing in Greece as workers · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-06-03
  14. Registration certificate for Union citizens residing in Greece as economically inactive persons · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-06-03

EU free movement and its alternatives

RouteMoney neededStayWork
EU free movement––Yes
EU free movement Portugal––Yes
Free movement by treaty Spain–5 yrYes
Visa-free stay (12 months) Georgia–1 yr–
EU free movement Italy––Yes

Questions people ask

How long can I stay on the EU free movement?

No time limit while the conditions are met; register in person with the police after the first 3 months.

Can I work on the EU free movement?

Yes. EU citizens may work in Greece as employees or self-employed persons without a work permit; some public-authority posts may be reserved for nationals.

Can I bring my family on the EU free movement?

Family members, whatever their nationality, may remain longer than 3 months with the EU citizen; non-EU family members apply for a residence document.

Who can apply for the EU free movement?

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

How are EU free movement holders taxed in Greece?

No special regime in our records is tied to the EU free movement. 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.

Similar visas elsewhere

🇫🇷 EU free movement🇬🇧 Visa-free stay (6 months)🇦🇱 Open Balkan🇭🇺 Visa-free stay (4 months)🇷🇸 Open Balkan🇦🇲 Visa-free stay (6 months)

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-10 against 14 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.

  1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Workers: residence rights · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  5. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  6. Working abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  7. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  8. Free movement of EU nationals · European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion · checked 2026-10-10
  9. Free movement of persons (Switzerland and the EU) · Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
  10. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  11. Obligation for citizens to register their residence for periods exceeding three months · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10
  12. Free movement and residence of EU citizens and family members · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Ministry of Migration and Asylum) · checked 2026-10-10
  13. Registration certificate for Union citizens residing in Greece as workers · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10
  14. Registration certificate for Union citizens residing in Greece as economically inactive persons · Gov.gr, Your Guide to Greece (Hellenic Police Headquarters) · checked 2026-10-10

Tracked since 2026-10-11. 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.