Greece launched its Type-Z digital nomad visa in September 2021. Keep the immigration and tax rules separate: the visa can authorize a non-EU remote worker to live in Greece, but it does not automatically qualify its holder for Article 5C. That regime exempts 50% of qualifying income from employment with a Greek entity or a Greek permanent establishment of a foreign company, or from an individual business activity started in Greece, for seven tax years.
The visa itself is solid without being unusual: €4,000/month income threshold (higher than Spain or Portugal), 12-month initial term, renewable for 2 years, family-inclusive, and a path to Greek/EU citizenship after seven years of residence. The operational friction is the one weak spot — Greek consulates are chronically slow, and the post-arrival registration process at Aliens' Offices can drag.
At a glance
- Minimum income: €3,500/month net (unchanged since the 2021 launch) — some consulates apply €4,000 as buffer
- Duration: 12-month visa, then 2-year residence permit, renewable
- Processing time: 10 business days statutory; realistic 3–6 months end to end
- Application fee: €75 + €150 residence permit
- Family allowed: Yes — spouse (+20% income), children under 18 (+15% each)
- Path to citizenship: 7 years legal residence + Greek-language test (A2 level)
- Tax residency trigger: 183 days in Greece
- Potential tax benefit: Article 5C exempts 50% of qualifying Greek employment or individual-business income for 7 tax years; the visa alone is not eligibility
Why Greece over Portugal or Spain?
For EU-passport-seeking nomads, the real decision is Greece vs Portugal vs Spain. Greece's Article 5C incentive is valuable only for people who pass its separate work and tax-residence tests; a remote employee of a foreign company with no Greek permanent establishment does not enter the employee route merely by holding the nomad visa. Where Greece loses is speed (consular processing is slow), and where it wins is lifestyle and cost of living for nomads who prefer island or coastal living.
If you like the Mediterranean/Schengen base but do not need Greece's seven-year citizenship runway, the Croatia MUP application process is the lighter procedural alternative: temporary stay, no direct PR path, but a more direct MUP route and a foreign-income exemption.