Greece FIP Visa

What is the FIP Visa?

The Financially Independent Person (FIP) visa is Greece's residence category for non-EU nationals whose income is entirely passive — pensions, dividends, investment returns, or rental income from property owned outside Greece. No employment. No active business. No freelancing. The permit is a residency for people who have already built their income and want to spend it somewhere with good weather, EU access, and favorable tax treatment.

The FIP is structurally different from the Golden Visa in one critical way: it requires you to actually live in Greece. The Golden Visa imposes no minimum stay. The FIP requires 183+ days per year to satisfy the renewal condition. That distinction makes the FIP a permit for people who are genuinely relocating; anyone who wants an EU base with maximum travel flexibility is looking at the Golden Visa instead.

Eligibility

The FIP is available to non-EU/EEA nationals. The fundamental eligibility requirement beyond nationality is income source: all income must be passive. This means pensions, dividends, investment returns, and rental income from property held outside Greece. Employment income — even remote employment for a foreign employer — disqualifies you from the FIP category. That is the Digital Nomad Visa's territory.

The profile the FIP is built for: a retired professional with a pension and investment portfolio, or someone who has sold a business and lives on investment returns, who wants to spend a significant portion of the year in Greece within an EU-legal framework that comes with a path to full residency.

Income Requirements

The income floor for the FIP is €3,500/month in passive income, evidenced by bank statements and income declarations covering the preceding months. Source: ExpatsGreece, 2026 FIP Guide.

What Counts as Passive Income

Income Type	Qualifies?	Notes
State pension (foreign)	Yes	Core qualifying income type
Private pension / annuity	Yes	Confirmed via pension statements
Dividends from shares or funds	Yes	Must be documented; variable dividends may need averaging
Investment returns / interest	Yes	Bank and brokerage statements required
Rental income from property outside Greece	Yes	Rental agreement and bank receipts
Employment income (any)	No	Use the Digital Nomad Visa instead
Freelance / consulting income	No	Active income; disqualifies the FIP category
Rental income from Greek property	Potentially yes	Confirm with immigration lawyer; Greek-source passive income has different tax treatment

Passive Income Only — The Hard Line

The FIP is not a "low-income digital nomad" visa or a hybrid category. The Greek Migration & Asylum Ministry assesses applications on whether the income is genuinely passive. Applicants whose income mixes active consulting work with dividends and pension need to look carefully at whether the active income stream can be separated, stopped, or restructured before applying.

The practical gotcha here: some applicants who are semi-retired but still take on occasional consulting projects try to frame the FIP as their category. If the consulting income is material and documentable (invoices, contracts, client payments), it will appear in the bank statements and income documentation. Consulates and the Ministry review the income mix, not just the total.

Required Documents

For the D-Visa Application (at Greek Consulate)

• Completed visa application form
• Valid passport (minimum 12 months validity beyond intended stay)
• Recent biometric passport photographs
• Proof of passive income meeting the monthly threshold: pension letters, bank statements, dividend statements, investment account statements — covering at least 6 months prior
• Documentation confirming income is passive (pension award letters, investment account summaries, rental agreements for foreign properties)
• Private health insurance valid in Greece for the visa duration
• Clean criminal record certificate from country of residence and citizenship (apostilled)
• Proof of accommodation in Greece (lease, or host declaration)
• Statement of intent to reside in Greece for more than 183 days annually

For the Residence Permit (Inside Greece)

• Current D-visa (valid)
• AFM (Greek Tax Identification Number)
• Greek address proof: Taxisnet-registered lease
• AMKA (Greek Social Security Number) — requires AFM and permit; sequential dependency
• Updated passive income evidence (bank statements, pension letters)
• Health insurance proof (private coverage, unless EFKA enrollment becomes possible)
• Application fee
• Biometric data at Ministry

Application Process

Phase 1 — Consulate Application

Like the Digital Nomad Visa post-February 2026, FIP applications start at a Greek consulate or embassy in your country of residence. Assemble the income documentation package and apply for the D-type visa. Processing at the consulate typically takes 4–12 weeks.

Phase 2 — Arrival and Administrative Setup

On arrival in Greece with the D-visa, begin the administrative sequence immediately: secure a formal lease (registered on Taxisnet by the landlord), apply for an AFM at the local Tax Office (DOY) or via the myAADE online portal, and — once the residence permit is issued — apply for the AMKA at a KEP (Citizens' Service Center). AMKA requires the permit; it cannot be obtained in advance.

For practical healthcare between arrival and permit issuance, private health insurance coverage is legally required as a permit condition and is also the only realistic option during the gap. See the Nestia AMKA guide for 2026 for timing nuances.

Phase 3 — Residence Permit Submission

Submit the FIP residence permit application to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Appointment queues in Athens ran 4–8 weeks in 2025–2026. Submit the online appointment request immediately upon arrival. Processing after a complete submission takes 2–6 months for the permit card; a receipt confirming right to remain is issued at submission.

Phase 4 — Renewal at 3 Years

The FIP permit is issued for 3 years (extended from the prior 2-year term). Renewal requires:

• Continued passive income at or above the threshold
• Evidence of 183+ days per year physical presence in Greece (passport stamps, Greek bank transactions, utility bills — documents showing you actually live here)
• Continuing health insurance

The 183-day physical presence requirement at renewal is the element that catches the most FIP holders. If you have been splitting time between Greece and another home and your presence records show fewer than 183 days in Greece per year, renewal may be refused or challenged.

Timeline & Costs

Phase	Duration	Notes
Consulate D-visa processing	4–12 weeks	Varies by consulate; income documentation prep takes 2–3 weeks additionally
AFM registration after arrival	1–2 weeks	Appointment at DOY or myAADE video call
Ministry appointment wait	4–8 weeks	Submit appointment request on arrival day
Permit card processing	2–6 months	After complete submission
Total: Consulate application to permit card	4–8 months	Conservative assumption

Cost Summary

Item	Cost
Consular D-visa fee	~€75–€100
FIP residence permit — primary applicant	€2,000
FIP residence permit — each dependent	€150
Health insurance (private, mandatory)	€80–€210/month per adult
AFM registration	Free (translation/notary costs for foreign documents vary)
Immigration lawyer	€1,500–€4,000

Tax Regimes That Pair with FIP

The FIP's 183-day physical presence requirement means FIP holders become Greek tax residents in most years. That triggers worldwide income taxation — but also opens access to two of Greece's most favorable special regimes.

Regime 1 — The 7% Foreign-Pension Flat Rate (Article 5B)

This is the primary tax regime for FIP holders. It applies a 7% flat rate to all foreign-source income — not just the pension, but foreign dividends, interest, rental income from overseas properties, and foreign investment returns — for up to 15 years.

Feature	Detail
Rate	7% flat on all foreign-source income
Duration	15 tax years
Qualifying income	Foreign pension as primary income source; foreign dividends, interest, overseas rental income also covered
Minimum investment	None (this is the key structural difference from the €100k HNWI regime)
Eligibility	Must not have been Greek tax resident for 5 of the preceding 6 years; must transfer from a country with Greek tax cooperation agreement
Application deadline	March 31 of the applicable tax year
Physical presence	183+ days/year required to maintain Greek tax residency (and thus the regime)

For a retiree with €60,000/year in foreign pension and investment income, the 7% regime means €4,200 in annual Greek income tax — versus a standard Greek progressive rate that would generate approximately €16,700 on the same income. The difference compounds over 15 years. Source: PwC World Tax Summaries — Greece; Relocate.World, Greece 7% Flat Tax.

Regime 2 — €100,000 HNWI Lump Sum (Article 5A)

The non-dom regime: a fixed €100,000 annual payment covering all worldwide foreign-source income, regardless of amount. Designed for high-net-worth individuals whose foreign income exceeds roughly €227,000/year (below that level, the 7% rate is cheaper). Requires a €500,000 investment in Greek real estate, businesses, or securities within 3 years of applying. Duration: 15 tax years.

Unlike the 7% regime, Article 5A does not formally require 183-day physical presence — the regime itself establishes Greek tax residency. But FIP holders who are living in Greece 183 days anyway can access this regime if they also make the required investment and their income justifies it. Following Italy's 2025 increase of its equivalent regime to €300,000/year, Greece's €100,000 flat tax has attracted increased demand. Source: ImmigrantInvest.

Which Regime Fits the FIP Profile

For most FIP applicants — retirees and passive-income earners whose total foreign income is below €227,000/year — the 7% pensioner regime (Article 5B) is the relevant comparison. It requires no minimum investment and applies a predictably low flat rate to the income types that FIP holders typically have. The €100k HNWI regime becomes relevant only for individuals with very high foreign income, or for those who are also making a substantial Greek investment (such as buying a Golden Visa property alongside the FIP application).

Physical Presence Reality

The FIP's 183-day requirement is the most common renewal problem. People who plan to treat the FIP as a "part-time" arrangement — spending three months in Greece, four months in France, two months in the US — may fall below the threshold. Greece's tax authority (AADE) has been increasing verification of physical presence since 2024, cross-referencing passport stamps, bank transactions, and utility records.

If your plan involves splitting time significantly between Greece and another country, model your annual presence carefully before applying. A FIP permit obtained on the assumption you'll be in Greece "most of the year" but not tracked precisely is a renewal risk at year 3.

Evidence that typically supports a 183-day presence claim: Greek bank card transaction records, utility bills for the Greek residence, healthcare appointments in Greece, gym memberships, children's school records, vehicle registration. The more varied the evidence, the stronger the presence case.

PR and Citizenship Path

The FIP is one of the cleaner paths to Greek PR and citizenship for non-EU nationals, because the 183-day presence requirement means every year of holding the permit actually counts toward the residence clock.

Milestone	When	Requirements
FIP permit issued	Year 0	Income, health insurance, presence commitment
First renewal	Year 3	Continuing income + 183-day presence evidence
PR eligible	Year 5	5 years continuous legal residence with physical presence
Citizenship eligible	Year 7	7 years continuous residence + B1 Greek + Panhellenic Naturalization Exam

The Panhellenic Naturalization Examination is held twice yearly (typically May and November). It tests Greek language to B1 level and civic knowledge. The overall pass mark is 70%, with minimum thresholds in each component section. Greece permits dual citizenship — naturalized Greeks do not need to renounce prior nationalities. Source: Leptokaridou Law.

Healthcare Access Along the Way

FIP holders with the AMKA (obtained after the residence permit is issued) and who register with EFKA gain access to the Greek public healthcare system. Private insurance is required until then and is the practical choice for many expats regardless, given that public hospital wait times for non-urgent conditions in Athens and Thessaloniki can be long.

Island healthcare is the main vulnerability: outside Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, and a handful of other larger islands, serious illness or emergency may require helicopter or ferry evacuation to the mainland. This is a relevant factor in choosing where to base yourself on the FIP.

FIP vs. DNV vs. Golden Visa

Feature	FIP	Digital Nomad Visa	Golden Visa
Target profile	Retirees, passive income earners	Remote workers for foreign employers/clients	Investors seeking EU access
Income type	Passive only (pension, dividends, investment)	Active remote income from non-Greek entities	No income requirement (investment instead)
Income floor	€3,500/month	€3,500/month net	None
Investment required	None	None	€400k–€800k (property) or €250k–€500k (other)
Minimum stay	183 days/year (renewal condition)	No formal minimum; 183+ days triggers tax residency	None
Work rights	None	Remote work for non-Greek entities only	Self-employment and business ownership; no local employment
Permit duration	3 years (renewable)	2 years (renewable)	5 years (renewable indefinitely)
Citizenship clock	Accrues with 183-day presence	Accrues if spending 183+ days/year	Does NOT accrue unless investor physically resides 183+ days
Best tax pairing	7% pensioner flat rate (Article 5B)	Standard progressive unless restructured to Greek activity	€100k lump sum (if income high enough and investment made)

Resources

• ExpatsGreece — 2026 FIP Visa Guide — Income thresholds and process detail
• Marlowbray — Updated FIP and DNV Rules — 2025/2026 rule changes
• Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum — Official application portal
• PwC World Tax Summaries — Greece — 7% pensioner regime and Article 5A non-dom detail
• Relocate.World — Greece 7% Flat Tax — Pensioner regime eligibility and application
• Leptokaridou Law — Greek Citizenship Test Guide — Panhellenic Naturalization Exam format and requirements
• Nestia — AMKA for Expats 2026 — Social security number timing for FIP holders
• ImmigrantInvest — Greece Non-Dom Taxes — €100k lump-sum regime comparison with Italy