Greece introduces special visa for digital nomads

A few days ago, the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and the Ministry of Citizen Protection submitted to the Hellenic Parliament a bill named “Reform of deportation and return procedures of. third-country nationals, issues of residence permits and procedures for providing international protection and other provisions”. This bill aims to attract digital nomads to live and work from Greece by providing them with a special type of visa called digital nomads visa.

This visa allows digital nomads from third-country citizens to remain and live in Greece. These nomads must be self-employed, employees or freelancers, who use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to work remotely for employers outside of Greece. The duration of the visa is 12 months with its renewal being possible, upon application. The application for the visa will be accepted after the authorities make sure that all the criteria and conditions are met.

If a digital nomad wishes to stay and work from Greece, he must follow the following procedure:

• The applicant must deliver to the competent consular authority a solemn declaration stating his/her intention to reside in the country on a national visa for the purpose of providing distance work and an undertaking that he/she will not in any way provide work or services or work to an employer established in Greece.
• An employment or project contract or proof of an employment relationship with an employer, natural or legal person, established outside the Greek territory, for an indefinite period or, in the case of a fixed-term contract with a remaining duration covering the period of the national visa issued. If the applicant is working for several companies outside Greece, then he must provide the employment or project contract or proof of an employment relationship with all his employers. If the applicant owns a company outside Greece, then he must provide the necessary documents of his business activities and information.
• The applicant must earn at least 3500 euros a month. This amount is increased by twenty percent (20%) for the spouse or partner and by fifteen percent (15%) for each child. This ensures that the applicant has the necessary funds to live in Greece without requiring welfare assistance. The applicant must provide the necessary documents to prove his income to the competent consular authority.
• The applicant must also pay the national visa fee of seventy-five (75) euros.

Finally, if the applicant wishes to stay in Greece with his family, they shall be granted, at their request, an individual visa which shall expire at the same time as the sponsor’s visa. During their stay in Greece, the spouse or partner and the members of the sponsor’s family are not allowed to perform any form of dependent work or engage in any form of economic activity in the country. The visa expires after 2 years with its renewal being possible, upon application. The sponsor’s application for the residence permit is accompanied by a fee of one thousand (1,000) euros, while his/her family members submit the prescribed fee as family members of the third country citizen. The applicants must also provide a lease of a residence or a contract of purchase of real estate in the Greek Territory.

Background vector created by brgfx – www.freepik.com