Greece · Spouse visas
Greece Spouse of a citizen
First stay: 5 yrs
Residence card for family members of a Greek citizen (type O.3), spouse or partner
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Greece. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 5 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The card is valid 5 years and renews for 5 years each time; it converts to a permanent card (M.3) when the five-year conditions are met.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
A permanent residence card (M.3) follows after five continuous years of lawful residence in Greece with the Greek family member; it is renewed automatically every 10 years. Absences up to six months a year do not break continuity.
CitizenshipAfter 7 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 7 years of legal residence for family members of a Greek citizen, or 3 years for spouses with a child, plus Greek language and history tests.
Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Enter with a uniform visa where one is required and apply within 3 months of entry or of a marriage celebrated in Greece.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- Applicant is the third-country spouse, or the partner in a cohabitation agreement, of a Greek citizen.
- The couple has a genuine marital or family life; sham marriages are refused or the card revoked.
- Applicant is not a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to public order or security.
What you must show1
- No fee is charged for issuing the residence card, the permanent card or the personal-right card.
Documents1
- Written proof of the family relationship with the Greek citizen, such as the marriage certificate.
Steps2
- Enter Greece with a uniform (Schengen) visa where one is required for the applicant's nationality.
- Apply within 3 months of entry or of a marriage celebrated in Greece; a EUR50 (≈ $56) fine applies if not filed within one year.
After you arrive2
- The card is valid for five years and turns into a permanent residence card (M.3) if the conditions are met.
- The spouse keeps a personal right of residence after the citizen's death or after a divorce of at least 3 years, one of them in Greece.
What happens at day 183
How Greece decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
5 years at first, renewable
- 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
Full official text
For the non-EU spouse or civil-partnership partner of a Greek citizen. It gives a five-year residence card, free of charge, with full work rights, leading to a permanent residence card. 1 2 3
Requirements
- Applicant is the third-country spouse, or the partner in a cohabitation agreement, of a Greek citizen. 1
- The couple has a genuine marital or family life; sham marriages are refused or the card revoked. 1
- Applicant is not a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to public order or security. 1
- No fee is charged for issuing the residence card, the permanent card or the personal-right card. 1
- Written proof of the family relationship with the Greek citizen, such as the marriage certificate. 1
- Enter Greece with a uniform (Schengen) visa where one is required for the applicant's nationality. 1
- Apply within 3 months of entry or of a marriage celebrated in Greece; a EUR50 (≈ $56) fine applies if not filed within one year. 1
- The card is valid for five years and turns into a permanent residence card (M.3) if the conditions are met. 1
- The spouse keeps a personal right of residence after the citizen's death or after a divorce of at least 3 years, one of them in Greece. 1
Stay
- Residence card valid for five years, renewable for five years each time; absences up to six months a year do not break continuity. It converts to a permanent residence card (M.3) when the five-year conditions are met.
- Initial permitted stay: 60 months.
- 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
Employment, provision of services and professional activity allowed.
Family
Descendants under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents of the Greek citizen or the spouse, can obtain the card; parents and minor siblings of minor Greeks also qualify.
Official sources
- Law 5038/2023 Migration Code, Article 93 (residence card for family members of a Greek citizen) · 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
- Law 5275/2026, Government Gazette A 17 of 6 February 2026 (amendments to the Migration Code) · National Printing House (Ethniko Typografeio) · checked 2026-10-12
- 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 citizen and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 5 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident | – | – | – |
| 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 long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?
Residence card valid for five years, renewable for five years each time; absences up to six months a year do not break continuity.
Can I work on the Spouse of a citizen?
Yes. Employment, provision of services and professional activity allowed.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen?
Descendants under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents of the Greek citizen or the spouse, can obtain the card; parents and minor siblings of minor Greeks also qualify.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a citizen?
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 citizen lead to permanent residence in Greece?
Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in Greece, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 7 years of residence.
How are Spouse of a citizen holders taxed in Greece?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a citizen. 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 2026-10-12 against 4 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, Article 93 (residence card for family members of a Greek citizen) · 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
- Law 5275/2026, Government Gazette A 17 of 6 February 2026 (amendments to the Migration Code) · National Printing House (Ethniko Typografeio) · checked 2026-10-12
- 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.