# Process for moving to Greece



## chuyelchulo (Nov 13, 2016)

Hello,

I have seriously been considering moving abroad for awhile now, and I think I am ready to do it. I am in my 20s, single, and want to travel with access to other countries nearby. I thought Greece would be a good idea.

I will be keeping my US based job, as I work in IT and will be working remotely. What is the process to begin, and maintain residence in Greece? Where are some good places to live here? I love the beach, but I do want to avoid the more touristy areas. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The first step in moving to Greece (or anywhere) is to contact the embassy or consulate to inquire about visas. Many countries have a Visas section on their consulate websites - or it may be called something like "Coming to Greece."

A couple caveats here:
Even if you keep your US job, you will be working in Greece (i.e. physically in Greece while doing whatever it is you do) so you will need to know the work rules for Greece, especially those related to "payroll taxes" (i.e. mandatory social insurances). 

As a US citizen, you will be subject to US income taxes (at a Federal level) no matter where in the world you live. There are treaties and rules in place so that you shouldn't have to pay income tax twice on the same income. However, you will be primarily liable for Greek taxes once you have established residence there. (Take a look at IRS Publication 54 for the US side of things.)

Do you speak Greek? As a tourist, you're normally surrounded by English speaking staff, but if you live there, you will need to speak the language - at least at a conversational level. 

Have you ever been to Greece? You may want to make a couple of visits there before you decide.
Cheers,
Bev


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## chuyelchulo (Nov 13, 2016)

Thanks for your response. You have shed a lot of light here. I plan to visit Greece a few times before making my final decision, ultimately looking to move sometime late next year, so I definitely have a lot to do! I have a few other places in mind, all of which I've visited, but Greece would be a first for me.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The key thing you need to look into is the "little" matter of getting a visa that will allow you to work in Greece. I don't know the details for Greece, but for many EU countries, it's next to impossible to get a visa with work privileges unless you have a regular job and a local employer who can get authorization to hire a foreigner. For someone working remotely, like you seem to be planning on doing, you may well have to set up a small company/business under Greek regulations and registrations. That can be tricky.
Cheers,
Bev


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## chuyelchulo (Nov 13, 2016)

Bevdeforges said:


> The key thing you need to look into is the "little" matter of getting a visa that will allow you to work in Greece. I don't know the details for Greece, but for many EU countries, it's next to impossible to get a visa with work privileges unless you have a regular job and a local employer who can get authorization to hire a foreigner. For someone working remotely, like you seem to be planning on doing, you may well have to set up a small company/business under Greek regulations and registrations. That can be tricky.
> Cheers,
> Bev


That's quite unfortunate to hear. I was also considering Asuncion, Paraguay. I already speak spanish, so this may be a more realistic route at this point.


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## DonViaje (Nov 17, 2016)

I have a job that allows me to work remotely and I telecommute from Spain. I have a visa called the "non-lucrative visa" that allows me to live here as long as I provide my own health insurance and earn a minimum amount of money (2130 euros per month) from a source outside of Spain. I only pay taxes in the USA. It sounds as though this is the scenario you are looking for and while I never looked into Greece, I found similar visas in Portugal, France and Italy as well, so it's entirely possible that something like this exists.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

DonViaje said:


> I have a job that allows me to work remotely and I telecommute from Spain. I have a visa called the "non-lucrative visa" that allows me to live here as long as I provide my own health insurance and earn a minimum amount of money (2130 euros per month) from a source outside of Spain. I only pay taxes in the USA. It sounds as though this is the scenario you are looking for and while I never looked into Greece, I found similar visas in Portugal, France and Italy as well, so it's entirely possible that something like this exists.


You still have to submit a tax return to Spain & might possibly have to pay some tax, once what you have paid in the US is taken into account.

If you live in Spain, you are taxed on your worldwide income.


Also, not all Spanish Consulates will issue a non-lucrative visa if you are working at all, even remotely. Until recently, none did.


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## narco a (Sep 20, 2013)

Hi Chuyelchulo
This is a great thing to do at your age before you get bogged down in all the things that life brings. I love Greece for lots of different reasons. I live in the UK and planning to live there later next year with a view to buying somewhere depending what happens with Brexit. You say you like beaches well there are plenty and of course the weather in the summer is great but the sea doesn't really warm up until mid June. The Cyclades (the islands in the middle of the Aegean) are what I consider as the quintessential Greek islands...a must to visit but I wouldn't base myself there because of the travel. Though there are flights and lots of ferries. I have chosen the Peloponnese because its more or less the mainland, has an airport and a quick flight to Athens. You say you want to travel to other countries so yes Greece is close to Italy and Turkey both great places to visit. I think you need to think about the sunny warm months, more all less April to October and then the rest perhaps go off Travelling. Internet access is not so fast in some places too. I'm sure you can find a way through the the visa problems. You can talk yourself out of anything so I say go for it.. The world favours the brave.


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