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The FIRE Exit
The Europe atlas
The Europe atlas

Greece.

EU fund gains tax-free, and a 7% deal for arriving pensioners.

Greece quietly has one of the best deals in the set for an index investor. Gains on EU UCITS funds are simply exempt for residents, dividends take 5%, and life is about 13% cheaper than the EU average, about €2,190 a month for the €2,500 reference life. The fund exemption carries the whole plan, though, and it deserves a Greek adviser's confirmation before you lean on it. If the paperwork checks out, this is as close as cheap and sunny gets to tax-free.

Price it in your money

Tell me where you live now and what you spend a month, and every cost here becomes your number: the same life, priced country by country, in your own currency.

A guide, not a quote. I move your monthly spend by each country’s official price level (Eurostat and the World Bank, whole-economy, EU-27 = 100). No exchange rates, so it stays in your own currency. But averages hide rent and the city you pick, and changing country is rarely a straight swap. Read these as the right ballpark, then price the real thing.

Cost of living
87

EU-27 = 100 · 2025. Living in Greece runs about 13% cheaper than the EU average.

63EU 100174

Eurostat (prc_ppp_ind) / World Bank, 2025, CC BY 4.0. Whole-economy price level. Country averages hide big regional and rent spread.

Deals for new residentsNo wealth taxResident dividend tax at 10% or lessForeign pension rule or regimePassive-income visaGolden visa open
The same life, priced here

A €2,500 a month reference life runs about €2,190 a month here, roughly €26,280 a year, and a ×30 number near €788,000.

Price your own exit

The reference life the calculators use, scaled by the index above: the same whole-economy figure, a guide not a quote.

Where in Europe

The country, in one line
Verified 8 July 2026
Where it stands
EU · Schengen · the euro
The money
The euro
no FX risk on a euro budget
Language
Greek
Capital
Athens

Mediterranean: hot dry summers, mild bright winters.

Housing

To buy
€1,792/m²

a new-build asking price

To rent
€12.7/m²

in Athens, about €890/mo for 70 m²

Vs the EU
−29%

a roof here, against the EU-27 average

In Greece, rents up 13% since 2015.

Read these as the shape, not the price. Housing is the most divergent cost in Europe, and a national average buries the thing that actually decides it: the city, the street, new-build against old. Treat it as a ballpark, then price the real place. Not property or mortgage advice.

One home, two paths

Price buying against renting in Greece.

Bring the purchase price and rent for one genuinely comparable home. I will not carry the Atlas averages into the calculator.

The calculator still works for Greece, but it has no automated country rule yet. Choose Custom / anywhere and enter the local purchase costs yourself.

Open Buy or Rent?
Compare housing across the map

Buy price and rent: Deloitte Property Index 2025 (14th ed., 2024 data). Level vs the EU: Eurostat comparative price level for housing (prc_ppp_ind, EU-27 = 100, 2024). Trend: Eurostat house price index and actual-rentals index (2015 = 100, 2025).

What prices did here

Prices here rose 3.9% in the year to June 2026, faster than the euro area’s 2.8%. Since 2020 they’re up 28% in total, about 4.2% a year.

The €26,280 reference life this page prices today took about €20,582 in 2020 money.

Eurostat’s HICP, data through June 2026.

Your own number, restated at today’s prices in Greece

How the money you live on is taxed

Greece does not give every payment the same tax answer. Start with the asset or income source, then add the arrival-year and treaty rules.

The full income picture

These are the usual rules for a resident unless a case says otherwise. A new-resident rule, tax wrapper or treaty may change one case without changing the others.

Securities and funds

0% below a 0.5% holding (else 15%)

A listed-share gain is exempt when the holding stays below 0.5% and carries 15% tax at or above that level. Qualifying EU or EEA fund gains are exempt.

Listed shares
0% below a 0.5% holding (else 15%)
A resident's gain on listed shares is exempt where the transferor holds less than 0.5% of the listed company's share capital. Taxed at 15% where the holding is 0.5% or more.
Fund and ETF units
Different rules apply
Gains on qualifying Greek and EU/EEA EU-regulated retail fund units are exempt for a resident individual. A vehicle outside that category must be classified under its actual legal form before assigning the 15% result.
Holding period and allowances
No time-based holding discount
Greece has no short-versus-long holding-period discount for securities. Its exemptions depend on the asset and holding type, not time held.
Losses
Tax deferred until the stated event
A taxable securities loss offsets taxable securities gains and any unused amount carries forward for five years against later gains. The loss on an exempt sub-0.5% listed-share disposal does not enter the offset or carry-forward pool.
Foreign and US listings
Different rules apply
For shares listed on the Athens exchange or a foreign exchange and acquired from 1 January 2009. The gain is exempt where the seller holds under 0.5% and taxable at 15% at or above 0.5%. Check the treaty for source tax and Greece's relief.
Accumulating funds and annual tax
No annual deemed charge
Greece has no annual deemed-distribution or advance tax on an accumulating fund's fund income for individuals. An accumulating Greek/EU-EEA EU-regulated retail fund is taxed only on disposal, and that sale gain is exempt.
Worth checking

The below-0.5% exemption is confirmed for shares listed in Athens or on a foreign exchange. The qualifying Greek or EU/EEA-regulated retail-fund exemption covers gains and distributions.

Dividends

5% (self-assessed)

A listed-share dividend carries a final 5% tax. The same Greek rate applies to a foreign dividend, with a credit for qualifying tax already taken abroad.

Greek company dividend
5% (final withholding)
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
Foreign listed-share dividend
5% (self-assessed)
A resident's foreign dividend carries tax at the same 5% rate, declared in the annual return. Tax taken abroad can be credited up to the Greek tax on that dividend. Check the treaty for source tax and Greece's relief.
Passive or substantial holding
5% regardless of holding size
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
Fund or ETF distribution
Qualifying Greek or EU or EEA EU-regulated retail fund distribution exempt
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
New-resident treatment
Lump sum or 7% covers foreign dividends
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

There is no separate rule here. Use the general foreign-income case, then check what the treaty says about the country paying the money.

Worth checking

The 5% dividend rate is very low, so the binding constraint on a foreign dividend is usually the source-state withholding, not Greek tax. Excess tax taken abroad is a reclaim question, not a Greek credit.

Crypto

No safe answer yet

No safe rate is shown for private crypto disposals or rewards. Reporting rules exist, but they do not settle the tax result.

Sale for money
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Crypto-to-crypto exchange
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Spending crypto
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Holding relief and losses
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Staking and lending
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Mining, validation and airdrops
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Private investor or business
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Wealth tax and departure tax
No separate rule
Greece has no net-wealth tax on movable assets (the property tax is real-estate only), so crypto is not wealth-taxed. Enacted law contains no crypto-specific exit charge or deemed disposal.
New-resident treatment
Cover foreign crypto gains
A foreign-source crypto gain of an (lump sum) or (7%) newcomer would fall inside that regime's foreign-income coverage while in force, no matter how the domestic framework eventually treats crypto. For this case, greek-source or once-domestic crypto activity is outside the foreign-income coverage.
Worth checking

Fast-moving: official 2026 law establishes EU and international crypto-asset reporting.

All 34 crypto rules, side by side

Pensions

Progressive 9–44%

A foreign private or occupational pension normally enters the 9–44% income-tax bands. A qualifying newcomer can instead elect 7% on foreign income.

Greece pension
Progressive 9–44%
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
Foreign state or social-security pension
Income-tax bands
A foreign state or social-security pension is included in worldwide income on the progressive scale for an ordinary resident, with foreign tax credited. Some treaties reserve social-security pensions to the source state. Check the treaty for source tax and Greece's relief.
Foreign occupational or private pension
Progressive 9–44%
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.
Foreign government or civil-service pension
Usually source-state only
A government/civil-service pension has its own treaty article: usually taxable only in the paying (source) state. This applies unless the recipient is a Greek national and resident.
Foreign pension lump sum
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Special foreign-pension rule
7% flat on all foreign income, 15 years
Lets a foreign-pension recipient transferring tax residence to Greece pay a flat 7% on all foreign-source income (pension, dividends, interest, foreign rent, capital gains) for up to 15 tax years. This 7% is paid in one instalment by end of July and cannot be offset.
Worth checking

This remaining live question is the actual pension-country treaty, especially for government service and lump sums.

If you own a company

5% (self-assessed)

A Greek company pays 22% company tax. A dividend to the resident owner then carries a final 5% personal tax.

Company profit
22% company tax
A Greek company pays 22% corporate income tax on profits before any distribution. A foreign company whose effective management sits in Greece is itself Greek-resident and taxed at 22% on worldwide profits.
Distribution from a Greek company
5% (final withholding)
A distribution from a Greek company to its individual owner is a 5% final withholding. The same rate as a listed dividend.
Distribution from a foreign company
5% (self-assessed)
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.
Foreign entity type
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Ownership threshold
Reduced rule
The dividend is 5% no matter the size of the stake. The 10%/24-month threshold is the company-level participation exemption.
Sale of your company stake
Different rules apply
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the asset is sold or otherwise disposed of.
Salary or director fee
Progressive 9–44% plus social security (social insurance)
A salary or director's remuneration taken from the company is progressive-scale employment income (9–44%) plus mandatory social insurance social-security contributions. The treaty's directors-fees article may let the company's state tax the fee.
Social contributions and remuneration risk
Social insurance contributions on remuneration
Remuneration and director activity attract social insurance social-security contributions. An owner-manager taking only dividends to avoid contributions can face scrutiny.
Running the company from Greece
Greek residence if managed from Greece (any period)
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the relevant tax event occurs.
Controlled foreign company rules
Attribution at more than 50% control plus low foreign tax
Controlled foreign companies rules can attribute a controlled foreign company's undistributed passive profits to the Greek controller.
New-resident treatment
Cover foreign distributions or gains only
(lump sum) and (7%) cover foreign-source income. A foreign company's distribution or a foreign stake sale is inside the regime.
Worth checking

The combined 5%+22% load and the effective-management residence risk are the two facts most likely to surprise an owner-mover.

Review the company and your personal position together before the move.

Interest and cash

15% final (5% listed corporate bonds)

15% final withholding on bank/bond interest. From 11 April 2025 interest on listed corporate bonds earned by resident individuals is reduced to 5%.

Greece bank or bond interest
15% final (5% listed corporate bonds)
Interest on Greek deposits and bonds falls under a 15% final withholding for individuals. For this case, interest earned as of 11 April 2025 by resident individuals on listed corporate bonds is reduced to 5%.
Foreign bank or bond interest
15% (self-assessed)
A resident's foreign interest carries tax at 15%, declared in the annual return. Tax taken abroad can be credited up to the Greek 15% on that interest. Check the treaty for source tax and Greece's relief.
Allowances and extra charges
No general savings allowance
Greece has no general exempt savings/interest allowance for individuals. Domestic interest is collected by final withholding.
New-resident treatment
Lump sum or 7% covers foreign interest
Foreign interest is inside the €100,000 lump sum and the 7% regime for eligible newcomers. The ordinary resident in this comparison keeps the 15% baseline (5% on listed corporate bonds from Apr 2025).
Worth checking

The 11 April 2025 reduction to 5% for listed corporate bond interest is recent. Confirm scope (listed vs unlisted, corporate vs government bonds) against the enacting law before relying on it.

Rent

15%, 25%, 35% or 45% by band

From 2026, rent uses a separate 15%/25%/35%/45% scale at €12,000, €24,000 and €36,000. Individuals deduct 5% of gross rent for maintenance and repairs.

Property in Greece
15%, 25%, 35% or 45% by band
From tax year 2026, rent from a Greek property carries tax at 15% to €12,000, 25% to €24,000, 35% to €36,000 and 45% above. A flat 5% of gross rent is deducted for maintenance/repairs.
Property abroad
15%, 25%, 35% or 45% by band, with foreign-tax credit
Foreign rent uses the same 2026 scale. The property country normally taxes first, and Greece can give capped credit for tax charged on the same income.
Rental deductions
5% flat deemed-expense deduction on gross rent
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

There is no separate rule here. Use the general foreign-income case, then check what the treaty says about the country paying the money.

Property gains

No capital-gains tax while suspended (would be 15%)

Capital gains tax on the transfer of immovable property is suspended until 31/12/2026. A resident currently pays no Greek capital-gains tax on a property sale.

Greece main home
No capital-gains tax while suspended (would be 15%)
A resident selling a Greek main home currently pays no capital-gains tax because the immovable-property capital-gains tax regime is suspended until 31/12/2026. The rate is 15% on the gain and a main-home/holding relief would need re-checking.
Greece investment or second property
No capital-gains tax while suspended (would be 15%)
A Greek investment/second property sale is equally inside the suspension until 31/12/2026. This would-be rate on reinstatement is 15% on the gain.
Foreign property
Special rule
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the asset is sold or otherwise disposed of. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.
Main-home conditions
No safe answer yet
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Starting value after a move
Special rule
Greece grants no market-value step-up on becoming resident, so a pre-move gain on a foreign property remains in scope historically. Though the current capital-gains tax suspension mutes any Greek charge until 31/12/2026.
New-resident treatment
Cover foreign property gains
A foreign property gain of an (lump sum) or (7%) newcomer is inside that regime's foreign-income coverage. A Greek property sale is Greek-source and outside the foreign-income regime.

There is no separate rule here. Use the general foreign-income case, then check what the treaty says about the country paying the money.

Worth checking

The immovable-property capital-gains tax regime has been suspended repeatedly and is currently suspended to 31/12/2026. For this case, watch each budget for reinstatement (15% rate) and the main-home/holding conditions that would return with it.

Royalties

20% withholding

Royalties fall under a 20% withholding tax. A resident's foreign royalties are included with the foreign tax credited.

Greece royalties
20% withholding
A Greek-source royalty paid to a resident individual falls under a 20% withholding. In a private (non-business) recipient this is typically the tax on the royalty.
Foreign royalties
Taxable under the ordinary rule
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.
Which rights qualify
20% on intellectual property-use compensation
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
Passive or active
20% (passive) vs progressive business (active)
A passive royalty is investment income at the 20% treatment. Systematic creation/exploitation of intellectual property as a profession is business income on the progressive 9–44% scale plus social security.
Social contributions and value-added tax
Value-added tax or social insurance if a business
The ordinary resident rule applies when the taxable event occurs. Check the stated conditions before using the rate line.

If you still work

Progressive 9–44% plus social insurance

Employment and business income use the 9%/22%/28%/36%/44% scale plus social insurance. Eligible movers can exempt 50% of Greek employment or business income for up to seven years.

Employment in Greece
Progressive 9–44% plus social insurance
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.
Remote work for a foreign employer
Progressive (worldwide) plus taxable business presence risk
The Greek resident working remotely for a foreign employer is taxed on that employment income on the progressive scale as worldwide income. The foreign employer risks creating a Greek permanent establishment or a payroll obligation. Check the treaty for source tax and Greece's relief.
Self-employment and consulting
Progressive 9–44% plus social insurance
Self-employment/business income is taxed on the same 9–44% progressive scale, with social insurance social-security contributions on a self-employed basis. The former annual business tax (telos epitidevmatos) has been reduced/abolished in stages.
Director fees
Income-tax bands
Director fees are progressive-scale income. The treaty's directors-fees article may let the company's state tax the fee, with Greece relieving double tax.
New-resident worker rule
50% of Greek employment or business income exempt, 7 years
The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

One layer stays off this page: the tax taken inside a fund before its dividend ever reaches you. Everything above is the tax after it.

The withholding guide explains that layer The Domicile Tax prices it on your pot

One term that matters in Greece

UCITS

The EU framework for retail investment funds. Greece gives qualifying Greek and EU or EEA funds treatment that does not automatically reach every non-EU fund.

Your first tax year and starting values

Two dates matter: when your new country starts taxing you, and which value it uses to work out a later gain. Check both before you move.

When residence starts
Residence can begin through a permanent or main home, a Greek centre of vital interests, or presence exceeding 183 days in any 12-month period.
The arrival year
No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.
Dual residence
If the former country still claims residence, the treaty tie-breaker decides. It looks at the permanent home, centre of vital interests, habitual abode and nationality.
Listed shares and funds, Owner-company stake, Property
Original purchase cost

The original purchase cost continues after the move. A later taxable gain can therefore include growth from before residence began.

Crypto
No safe answer yet

No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.

These answers carry dates because the rules move.

See what changed in the atlas changelog Look up a term in the glossary

Plain-language key
Withholding tax
Tax taken before the money reaches you, usually in the country where the payment comes from.
Tax credit
Tax already paid abroad can reduce the bill where you live. The reduction is usually capped at the local tax on that same income.
Original purchase cost
What you paid for the asset. A market-value reset replaces that figure with the asset's value when you move.
Income-tax bands
The income is added to your other taxable income. Higher total income can push part of it into a higher band.
Permanent establishment
A taxable business presence. Running a foreign company from your new home can create one even if the company remains registered abroad.

This gives you the starting rule, not your final bill. The country paying the money, your treaty, account, holding period, residence dates and activity can change the result.

The system around it

Wealth tax

None on portfolios; Greece's annual property tax is a real-estate matter.

Exit tax

None on private portfolios.

Inheritance & gifts

Mild for close family: the spouse, children and parents get €150,000 each tax-free, then 1–10%; distant heirs pay 20–40%.

Worth watching

Nothing moved for investors in 2026, but the fund exemption is the load-bearing fact here; have a Greek adviser confirm your exact fund's treatment before you count on it.

Same pattern elsewhere
Compare head-to-head
Entry rules
Your passport

Can you actually move here?

Hold an EU or EEA passport and the door isn't the question: freedom of movement covers the move itself. The clocks and the tax-residency rules below still run for you.

With your passport, skip the doors: the clocks and the tax-residency rules are what matter for you.

No EU passport means one of the doors on the left: each checked against the authority that issues it.

The route in
The FIP permit

€3,500/mo for the main applicant, +20% for a spouse, +15% per child (set 2024)

Golden visa
Open

Open, tiered: €800k in Athens, Thessaloniki and the famous islands; €400k elsewhere; €250k for conversions and listed buildings. Short-let renting of the property is banned.

The passport
7 yrs

permanent residency at 5 yrs · dual allowed · Greek at B1 + a history-and-civics exam

When you become tax-resident
183 days, and you're resident from your first day of presence; a centre of living interests also counts

Greece prices its doors plainly: €3,500 a month of passive income for the FIP permit, or a golden visa that now starts at €800,000 where the tourists actually go. The catch is the middle years: public health cover is contribution-based, so a non-working resident stays on private insurance the whole way. The passport is quicker than Iberia's: seven years.

Keeping the permit: guides put renewal at 183+ days a year in Greece: an official pin is still missing

Worth watching

The FIP's 183-day renewal rule rests on dated secondary guides, not an official page: treat it as real, but re-verify before relying on it.

Check it yourself: Ministry of Migration: the FIP permit · PwC: Greece tax residence

Getting-in rules checked July 2026. They move faster than tax law: confirm the current rule with the authority before you plan a move around it. Education, not immigration advice.

Health

Contribution-based: public cover follows work or self-employed contributions. A non-working FIP or golden-visa resident doesn't qualify, and private insurance is a standing permit condition the whole way.

Private cover: private plans run roughly €50–100 a month basic to €250+ comprehensive (2026 guide, not age-specific).

Healthcare access checked July 2026. Systems are stable but details shift: confirm before you rely on them. Education, not health-insurance advice.

Your pension, the official number

This country’s official, free place to check where your pension stands: e-EFKA individual insurance account .

What it’s worth to an early exit: The Pension Bridge

Common questions

Can I retire early in Greece?
For an index investor the deal is unusually good: gains on EU UCITS funds are exempt, dividends take 5%, and the €2,500 reference life costs about €2,190 a month. The whole plan leans on that fund exemption, so have a local adviser confirm it against your exact holdings.
Does Greece have a wealth tax or an exit tax on investments?
No wealth tax on portfolios (Greece's annual property tax is a real-estate matter), and no exit tax on private portfolios.
Does Greece have a separate rule for a foreign pension?
A foreign private or occupational pension normally enters the 9–44% income-tax bands. A qualifying newcomer can instead elect 7% on foreign income.
Can an American or a Brit retire early in Greece?
Yes. The door is the FIP permit: the financially-independent-person route: a three-year, renewable permit for living on stable passive income. The bar is €3,500/mo for the main applicant, +20% for a spouse, +15% per child (set 2024). An EU or EEA passport skips the visa question entirely: freedom of movement covers the move itself. Rules like these move. Confirm with the immigration authority before planning around them.
How long until a Greece passport?
7 years of legal residence is the general naturalisation rule, with Greek at B1 + a history-and-civics exam. Dual citizenship is allowed. Permanent residency usually comes at 5 years.

Run your own numbers.

The Exit Calculator

Years to your number, at your savings rate.

Open

Where You Live

What an annual wealth tax does to the maths, deliberately simplified.

Open

The Geoarbitrage Map

The same life, priced across 58 countries.

Open
The brokers

Seven of the nine brokers on the broker guide advertise accounts here.

None of them does your tax paperwork here: every row means filing yourself; the guide shows what that involves.

The broker guide: all nine, and your bank The Broker Bill: your yearly bill, filtered to this country

The whole system (wrappers, funds, withdrawal, the blank page) is in the guide: The European FIRE guide

None of this is tax or investment advice: it's education, kept deliberately at the level that survives fact-checking. Rules shift with every budget round; the specifics of your situation belong with a licensed adviser in your country. I'm happily not one.

This page was last verified against official sources on 8 July 2026. What's changed on the map

Sources: check it yourself
Income and cross-border tax (13)

Open the sources behind each topic

Keep it honest

Know a figure here that’s wrong or out of date? Point me to the line and a source: every correction gets checked, and it’s how the map stays right.

Report a correction

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