Digital nomads: why Greece has become our home

“My wife and I went on vacation in 2019 and fell in love with the island,” says Yessua Clay from the US. The young couple moved to Chania in 2021 and have been living and working in Greece ever since.

Gradually more digital nomads (not from countries EU) arrives in Greece. In 2021, ten people applied, in 2022 this number increased to 595 people, and in the first two months of 2023, 70 people have already applied.

Digital nomads vote for Greece

The dream of a vacation in Greece, taking advantage of technology, takes on other dimensions and can turn into a stay in the country for several years with a legal residence permit. Most digital nomads (outside the EU) in Greece are from Russia, namely 433 out of 595 (for 2022). However, already in 2023, out of 70 people who applied, 48 are Russians. It is estimated that CEOs of multinational companies chose to emigrate in this way after the outbreak of war with Ukraine, possibly out of fear of being drafted into the hostilities.

The second country of origin for digital nomads is the US, but by a wide margin (53 people applied in 2022), and the third is the UK (17 people). They are followed by Israel with 14, Brazil with 9 and Lebanon with 7.

Technology allows many people to enjoy the view of the Acropolis, even if they work for a company located on the other side of the world.

National Vision
The national visa program to enter the country as a digital nomad, originally designed for one year, began to be implemented in Greece about a year ago – later than in other European countries – in response to the need for people from third countries who want to stay in the country longer than tourist visa allows. Residents of non-EU countries can enter Greece on a tourist visa, which, however, allows them to stay in the country for three months, renewable for another three months. In practice, after six months, third-country nationals could not legally remain in the country.

All you need is a computer and you can enjoy the view of the Santorini caldera while working hundreds of miles away.

The ability to live several hundred miles from a place of work or employer has become a reality for many people and for many types of work. According to surveys, Greece is one of the best options for digital nomads as it combines a relatively low cost of living, mild weather and an interesting social life.

All you need is a computer and you can work from a cozy cafe in the city center, a rooftop garden overlooking the Acropolis, or even looking out over the Santorini caldera.

Requirements
Obtaining a national visa initially, and a year later, a digital nomad residence permit in Greece can be done digitally, without personal presence. The applicant must express in the declaration his intention to reside in the country “with a national visa for teleworking”, while undertaking not to offer work, services or labor to an employer located in Greece. In order to prove your employment relationship with a foreign employer, you must provide proof (eg an employment contract) or, in case the applicant is self-employed, proof of his place of work, which must be located outside of Greece.

Income
The applicant must have evidence that he/she has sufficient resources, a stable income, to cover their living expenses during their stay in the country, without becoming a burden on the national social security system. The amount of “sufficient funds” is set at 3,500 euros per month and is confirmed by: i) an employment contract or employment contract, or proof of employment relationship in the case of dependent work, services or work; ii) bank account. This amount is increased by 20% for a spouse or partner and by 15% for each child, in accordance with the decision to implement the program, organized and supervised by the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and the Ministry of Finance. “The Ministry of Finance is involved in the process as these people are not taxed in Greece as long as they have no income here,” said Patroclus Georgiades, secretary general of immigration policy.

In numbers

• In 2021, there were 10 applications for a national visa to enter the country.
• In 2022, 595 applications were submitted. Most of them (433) are from Russia.
• 70 applications (48 from Russia) were submitted in the first forty days of 2023.
• EUR 3,500 per month – the amount of “sufficient funds” to cover the applicant’s living expenses.

“Life with a capital letter”
“We filmed a short scene on the island for my next film,” proudly says American director and screenwriter Yeshuya Klei, who recently became a naturalized Cretan and works from his home in Chania. “My wife and I came here on holiday in June 2019 and fell in love with this island,” he tells K. The young couple moved to Chania in October 2021 after living in Germany for some time filming Tears of Blood.” It’s a medieval film where the two characters are from the Byzantine Empire and speak Greek,” explains Gezua, who now goes by the name “Syphis”. projects, perhaps a film about ancient times,” he admits.

So far, Crete is a source of inspiration for the 30-year-old Atlanta-based artist. In fact, he says: “My love for the island is partially embodied in the film.” His wife Vivian is a scientist who also works remotely. When moving to Greece, the couple did not encounter any bureaucratic obstacles. “Life on the island in the winter is sometimes lonely,” the 30-year-old admits, “but I feel homesick.” However, for now, two young Americans have anchored in Chania and adopted an adorable puppy. “I feel that life in Greece is life with a capital letter.”

“Make yourself at home”
Hamda Zormati, 30, from Tunisia, who has also been in Crete since November last year, feels the same way. “I lived in Bucharest for three years, where I attended MBA courses and worked part-time.” Her first experience abroad was very positive, “but didn’t like the weather,” she notes. So Hamda returned home for two years, where she worked at her family’s hotel. “Then I decided to come to Greece, finding a job with a large telecommunications company,” she explains to K. She adds that “the bureaucratic process took no more than a week.” Hamda first lived in Athens for several months. “I didn’t like it, it was very noisy there and dirty compared to Bucharest.” She started looking for a place to live near the sea.

“I considered Glyfada and Voula, but the rent was not available.” So… she ended up in Crete. “From the first minute I felt at home,” she says, continuing to work for the same company remotely. “I have made many friends, both foreign and Cretan. I am trying to learn Greek as well, because I plan to stay in Crete for a long time, where I want to open my own business.” In her free time, she goes hiking and exploring the island’s villages. “I feel completely safe here, I often left my mobile phone in different places, and they always returned it to me.”

Who can become a Digital Nomad

Digital nomads (tracing paper from English digital nomads), as mentioned above, work either as employees or as self-employed (individual entrepreneurs). Tentatively, they can work remotely in the following areas:

• Media marketing
• Copywriting
• Web design
• Translations
• Entrepreneurship on the Internet
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Virtual Help
• E-commerce
• Graphic Designer
• Programming
• Sports betting
• Commercial Arbitration
• Search advertising (SEA)
• Blogger
• language teaching
• Consulting, etc.

The main obligation of a digital nomad in Greece is not to seek employment or engage in entrepreneurial activities in the country, not to enter into labor relations with Greek employers. Digital nomad must prove that the source of his earned income is outside the country. It is acceptable to have contracts with several clients or employers.

• The digital nomad must not have been a Greek tax resident in the past.
• Digital nomad must provide services remotely from Greece in the context of an employment relationship or in the context of self-employment.

Tax incentives for everyone

Both workers and pensioners leave their countries and move to Greece to pay taxes. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Finance, more than 4,500 applications from individuals wishing to work in Greece have been approved by AADE services, and 335 retirees currently reside in Greece. Treasury sources say there would be far more retirees were it not for the health crisis, and suggest numbers will rise in the coming period.

From 2020 to date has been approved 335 applications from pensioners from at least 21 countries wishing to move to Greece.

tax incentives

For workers, more than 4,500 applications have been approved by the competent authorities and 1,500 are still pending. These are mostly Greeks who left the country during the years of the memorandum and are returning to Greece for a new job and with a very low tax rate. There has been increased interest in being subject to the new provisions, as they provide for persons who change their tax residency and take up a new job or start self-employment, an income tax exemption of 50% on income earned in Greece, for a period of seven years. According to the decision, those who move to Greece for tax purposes will be able to benefit from a 50% tax deduction on their income, as well as an exemption from the presumption of owning and using private cars. In particular, you can apply for inclusion in this system if:

1. He/she was not a tax resident of Greece in the previous five of the six years prior to the transfer of his/her tax residency to Greece.
2. He transfers his tax residency from an EU or EEA member state or from a state with which Greece has an agreement on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation.
3. Provides services in Greece in the context of an employment relationship carried out either in a domestic legal entity or legal enterprise, or in a permanent establishment of a foreign enterprise in Greece.

The same exemptions apply to individuals who transfer their tax residency to Greece in order to carry out self-employment activities in the country. He states that he will stay in Greece for at least two years.

As for foreign pensioners, 335 applications from at least 21 countries have been granted since 2020 to date, and 120 applications are under consideration. According to the law, pensioners each tax year pay a tax calculated at a rate of 7% on all income received abroad. Retiree legislation provides that those who apply, and if accepted, will pay a self-assessed tax at the rate of 7% annually on all income earned abroad. Payment of this tax will exhaust all tax liabilities on this income. Any tax paid abroad on income subject to the alternative tax regime will not be deducted from tax levied in Greece.

We remind you that in Greece the following Russian-speaking lawyers deal with the legalization of “digital nomads”:

Advocate Svetlana Kasatkina-Kusku:
Athens Tel.: +30211-0149605 / Mob.: +30 694-8273758 (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram)

e-mail : Email address is being protected from spambots. Javascript must be enabled in your browser to view the address. / website: www.kasatkinalaw.com

Advocate Anastasia Susanidou:

Athens, Tel: +30210 5141112 Mob: 6944718117 (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram)
Email Email address is being protected from spambots. Javascript must be enabled in your browser to view the address.

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