Best residency countries 2026: pick by profile, not by brochure
Nomad, founder, retiree or wealthy family? Taxes, visas and daily life in Europe’s and the Gulf’s favourite bases compared – find your match.
Greece
Greece’s normal rates are high (22% corporate, up to 44% income tax), but three special regimes turn it into one of the EU’s best relocation deals: a 50% income exemption for newcomers, a €100,000 lump-sum non-dom tax and 7% for foreign pensioners. Add a 5% dividend tax, Schengen and the Mediterranean.
Our verdict
Worth it if you actually move, work from Greece and use the 50% newcomer exemption or the low dividend tax – or if you’re wealthy enough that €100,000 a year is a bargain. Skip it if you want a cheap company with little admin, fast bureaucracy or a residence permit that doubles as a tax-free base without living there.
Great for
- Employees and freelancers relocating to Greece (50% off income tax for 7 years)
- High-net-worth individuals with €1m+ foreign income (€100,000 flat tax)
- Founders who want Schengen, sea and a 5% dividend tax
Skip it if
- Anyone who wants low corporate tax on retained profits (22%)
- People allergic to paperwork, notaries and Greek-language admin
- Golden Visa buyers expecting a property deed to cut their taxes
Key numbers at a glance.
- Corporate tax
- 22%
- Dividend tax / WHT
- 5%
- residents and non-residents; EU parent companies can be exempt
- Personal income tax
- 9–44%
- 44% above €60,000; 50% exemption for newcomers (5C)
- Special regimes
- 5A / 5B / 5C
- €100k lump sum · 7% pensioners · 50% newcomer exemption
- VAT
- 24%
- Setup time
- About 1–2 weeks
- online via the GEMI one-stop shop once you have a Greek tax number
- Yearly running cost
- ≈ €4,000
- accountant (monthly bookkeeping), business duty, registry fees
- Minimum stay
- 183 days
- for tax residency; Golden Visa has no minimum
- Currency
- EUR
The Nerdy Index.
15 criteria, each scored 0–10 by a published formula or rubric. Pick who you are – the index re-weights what matters for you.
63Nerdy IndexFounder, moving with the company
57Company
69Residence
CompanyResidence
Company 57/100
Tax on distributed profits25.9% 3.5/10
Corporate tax plus dividend withholding on €100,000 profit paid out to a non-resident owner. Transparent entities (US LLC) pay nothing at company level – the owner pays at home, so they get a neutral 5.
Tax on reinvested profits22% 3.7/10
Tax while profits stay in the company (Estonia and Georgia: 0%).
Running cost≈ €4,000 / year 7.3/10
Typical yearly cost to keep a small trading company compliant: registered office, accounting, tax filings, audit if mandatory, government fees. Excludes local staff and office rent.
Context: Monthly bookkeeping and filings by a Greek accountant (double-entry books for companies), the €800–1,000 business duty (being phased out 2027–2029) and GEMI fees; the managing shareholder’s social insurance comes on top.
Setup speed & remote formation≈ 7 working days 7.2/10
Typical working days from signed documents to a registered company. +1 point (max 10) if it can be done fully remotely.
Context: An IKE (private company) registers online through the GEMI one-stop shop within days; getting a Greek tax number (AFM) and translations for foreign founders takes the rest.
Banking accessNerdy assessment 5/10
How easy it is for a foreign-owned company to open and keep a business account (local bank or regulated EMI) that works for international payments.
Our assessment: Four big banks (NBG, Eurobank, Piraeus, Alpha) open accounts for foreign-owned companies, but only in person, with a Greek tax number and translated documents; expect a few weeks.
Reputation & treaty network≈ 58 treaties · no list 8.4/10
Number of double tax treaties in force, minus penalties for blacklists that make banks and tax offices nervous: EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (Annex I), EU watchlist (Annex II), FATF grey list.
Context: Mid-sized treaty network covering all major partners; EU member, not on the FATF grey list.
Substance burdenNerdy assessment 6/10
How much real presence (director, office, staff, board meetings) the company needs locally to be respected as tax resident there and to keep the bank happy. Higher score = lighter burden.
Our assessment: Built for owners who live in Greece: a real registered address and management from Greece are enough, no local staff needed. Running it from abroad puts the company’s tax residence at risk.
Residence 69/100
Personal tax for a new resident5% (dividends) 8.9/10
Effective tax a newly arrived resident pays on €100,000 of income from their own (foreign or local) company, using the best regime realistically available to an entrepreneur (non-dom, flat tax, territorial, special regime). Social security excluded.
Context: Greek-resident owner taking €100,000 of taxed profit as dividends pays a flat 5%. Taking it as salary under the 50% newcomer exemption costs about 13% before social insurance.
Residency accessNerdy assessment 7/10
How realistic it is for a non-EU entrepreneur to get a residence permit that also gives tax residency: requirements, cost, time, approval odds. EU citizens usually have it easier – noted in the reason.
Our assessment: EU citizens just register. Non-EU founders have the digital nomad visa or FIP (€3,500 net a month), both within a few months; the Golden Visa is expensive but predictable.
Minimum stay183 days 4/10
Days per year you need to spend there to keep your permit and your tax residency (whichever is stricter, using the most flexible programme).
Context: The tax regimes need Greek tax residency – more than 183 days or your centre of vital interests in Greece. The Golden Visa itself has no minimum stay but gives no tax benefits.
Cost of living57.0 (Athens) · Athens 6/10
Numbeo Cost of Living Index (excl. rent, New York = 100) for the city most expats choose.
Context: Numbeo cost of living excluding rent for Athens; rents rose fast but are still below most Western European capitals. The islands in season are pricier.
Safety44.9 (Athens) · Athens 4.5/10
Numbeo Safety Index for the same city (0–100, higher is safer).
Context: Athens scores lower than most EU capitals – mainly pickpocketing, bag snatching and some rough areas around Omonia; smaller towns and islands feel much safer.
Rule of law & stability59th percentile 5.9/10
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, Rule of Law percentile rank (0–100). Measures how predictable courts, contracts and property rights are.
Context: EU legal system, but very slow courts and a heavy bureaucracy keep Greece in the middle of the global ranking.
English in daily life & business592 (EF EPI 2025) 7.7/10
EF English Proficiency Index score. Countries where English is an official or everyday business language count as 700.
Context: High proficiency in cities and tourism; authorities, contracts and tax forms are in Greek.
Mobility & long-term optionsNerdy assessment 8/10
What the residence gives you beyond the country: Schengen/EU access, permanent residence and citizenship path, passport strength of a future citizenship, dual citizenship allowed.
Our assessment: EU and Schengen; long-term residence after five years, citizenship after seven years with Greek language and civics exam. Dual citizenship allowed.
Numbers checked October 2026. Click any row for the formula, our reasoning and the source. How the Nerdy Index works
Residency & visa routes.
EU citizens: registration
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens register with the local police/municipality after three months and get a registration certificate. Combine it with the 5C newcomer exemption or the 5A non-dom regime.
Digital Nomad Visa
For non-EU remote workers employed by or working for clients outside Greece: at least €3,500 net a month (+20% for a spouse, +15% per child). Since February 2026 you apply at a Greek consulate before travelling; the 12-month visa can be turned into a two-year permit.
Financially independent persons (FIP)
For non-EU nationals living on passive income of at least €3,500 a month (+20% spouse, +15% per child); no work in Greece allowed.
Golden Visa
Five-year renewable permit for non-EU investors, no minimum stay: property from €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands, €400,000 elsewhere (one property, at least 120 m²), or €250,000 for commercial-to-residential conversions and listed buildings. No short-term rentals. It gives residence, not tax residency.
Why Greece5
- 50% income exemption for 7 years for people moving their tax residence (5C)
- Only 5% tax on dividends
- €100,000 flat tax on foreign income for HNWIs; 7% for foreign pensioners
- EU, Schengen, euro – and a realistic path to citizenship after 7 years
- Moderate cost of living once you leave the islands’ Instagram spots
Watch out for5
- 22% corporate tax, no relief on retained profits
- Bureaucracy, notaries and Greek-language admin – a good accountant is not optional
- Monthly bookkeeping and €800–1,000 business duty make even small companies cost €4,000+ a year
- Special regimes need tax residency – 183 days or a real centre of life
- Slow courts; Athens scores low on Numbeo’s safety index
Greece is not a low-tax country. Corporate tax is 22%, income tax climbs to 44% above €60,000, and the paperwork has its own mythology, complete with monsters and a labyrinth. So why is it on our list? Because since 2019 Greece has quietly built some of the most generous relocation regimes in the EU: half your income tax-free for seven years, a flat €100,000 on all foreign income for the wealthy, 7% for foreign pensioners – plus a 5% dividend tax that makes the corporate route surprisingly sane.
The headline rates scare people off. The regimes are where the money is. Here’s how the pieces fit together, with numbers as of September 2026.
Is it for you?#
Greece works for people who actually move there. Every attractive regime needs Greek tax residency: more than 183 days a year or your centre of life in Greece. If that sounds like a feature rather than a bug – sea, light, food, Schengen – read on. If you wanted a tax address without the move, Greece is the wrong myth.
The winners:
- Employees and freelancers relocating from abroad. Under Article 5C only half of your Greek employment or business income is taxed, for seven years. A €100,000 earner pays roughly €12,800 income tax instead of about €34,300.
- Founders who pay themselves in dividends. 22% at company level plus 5% on the payout makes 25.9% all-in. Cyprus and Bulgaria beat that on rate; Greece answers with Schengen, a bigger economy and no audit for small companies.
- Wealthy families with large foreign income. Article 5A caps tax on all foreign income at €100,000 a year for up to 15 years. At €1m of dividends that’s 10%; at €5m it’s 2%.
- Retirees with foreign pensions and portfolios. Article 5B: 7% on all foreign income for up to 15 years.
The losers: anyone who wants to reinvest profits cheaply (22% on everything retained), anyone with a low tolerance for queues and stamps, and people who think a Golden Visa comes with tax benefits. It doesn’t. It’s a residence permit, nothing more, however glossy the brochure.
The company#
The vehicle#
For owner-managed businesses the answer is the IKE (private company), Greece’s answer to the GmbH: capital from €1, one shareholder is enough, registration online through the GEMI one-stop shop. Foreign founders first need a Greek tax number (AFM), which a local lawyer or accountant can get via power of attorney. From complete documents to a registered company: about one to two weeks. “Complete” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Larger setups use the AE (société anonyme).
How profits are taxed#
- Corporate tax: 22% on taxable profit. No local business tax.
- Dividends: 5% withholding for residents and non-residents. Dividends to EU parent companies meeting the Parent-Subsidiary conditions can be exempt; treaties can reduce the rate further.
- Business duty (telos epitidevmatos): €800–1,000 a year for companies. The government has announced its phase-out: abolished outside Attica in 2027, halved in Attica in 2028 and gone in 2029.
Worked example: €100,000 profit, paid out to you as a Greek resident.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Profit before tax | €100,000 |
| Corporate tax (22%) | –€22,000 |
| Dividend | €78,000 |
| Dividend tax (5%) | –€3,900 |
| Net to you | €74,100 |
| Total tax | €25,900 (25.9%) |
Salary plus 5C: the alternative#
If you move your tax residence to Greece and are employed by (or run) a Greek business, Article 5C halves your taxable employment or business income for seven years. Greece’s 2026 scale runs from 9% on the first €10,000 to 44% above €60,000. On a €100,000 salary with 5C, only €50,000 is taxed – about €12,800, or 12.8%. The salary is deductible for the company, so compared with the dividend route you save corporate tax too. The catch: social insurance (EFKA) on salaries takes a serious bite, so model both routes with an accountant before you fall in love with the headline rate.
Costs, banking, substance#
Greek companies keep double-entry books and file monthly, so you need an accountant from day one. Not optional, not “later”, not your cousin with Excel. With the business duty and registry fees, expect around €4,000 a year for a small company, plus the managing shareholder’s social insurance. The good news: small companies don’t need an audit.
The four systemic banks (National Bank of Greece, Eurobank, Piraeus, Alpha) open accounts for foreign-owned companies, but in person, with your AFM and translated documents. Allow a few weeks and bring a book; our banking guide covers alternatives.
Substance is simple if you live in Greece and run the company from there. It gets complicated only if you try to run a Greek company from abroad – see place of management.
Living there#
Residency routes#
| Route | For | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | EU/EEA/Swiss citizens | Register after 3 months; address, health cover, income |
| Digital Nomad Visa | Non-EU remote workers | €3,500 net a month (+20% spouse, +15% per child), clients or employer outside Greece; apply at a consulate since Feb 2026 |
| Financially independent persons | Non-EU nationals with passive income | €3,500 a month; no work in Greece |
| Golden Visa | Non-EU investors | Property from €800,000 (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, larger islands), €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 for conversions/listed buildings; 120 m² minimum; no Airbnb |
The three tax regimes#
| Regime | Who | What you pay | Duration | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5A non-dom | Anyone moving tax residence | €100,000 a year on all foreign income (+€20,000 per family member) | Up to 15 years | Not Greek-resident 7 of the last 8 years; invest €500,000 in Greece within 3 years |
| 5B pensioners | Foreign pensioners | 7% on all foreign income | Up to 15 years | Not resident 5 of the last 6 years; coming from a treaty/cooperation country |
| 5C newcomers | Employees and self-employed | Tax on 50% of Greek work income | 7 years | Not resident 5 of the last 6 years; stay at least 2 years |
Greek-source income under 5A and 5B is still taxed normally. 5A is a rich person’s tool, and it doesn’t pretend otherwise: it starts to pay off once your foreign income reaches a few hundred thousand euros a year – and you have to fund the €500,000 investment; below that, normal rates or 5C are usually cheaper.
Days and daily life#
Tax residency starts with more than 183 days in Greece or your centre of vital interests there. Your old country’s tie-breaker still matters – see our tax residency guide.
Numbeo’s cost of living index for Athens (excluding rent) is 57.0 – below most Western European capitals, and rents outside the prime areas are still manageable. Athens is lively, walkable in the centre and full of cafés that stay busy until 2 a.m.; Thessaloniki is cheaper and younger; the islands are magical in May and October and priced for cruise passengers in August. Public healthcare (ESY) is stretched thin after years of austerity budgets; most expats add private insurance and use private clinics, which are good and affordable. English works in cities and tourism, less so in public offices (EF EPI 592). Athens scores only 44.9 on Numbeo’s safety index – mostly petty crime, but keep an eye on your phone in the metro.
The catches#
What can go wrong
01
Home-country exit.
Moving from Germany or Austria can trigger exit tax on company shares – see exit tax.
02
Retained profits.
22% corporate tax applies whether you pay out or not.
03
Real residency.
All three regimes need Greek tax residency; a Golden Visa alone gives none.
04
5A investment.
The €500,000 has to be invested within three years and kept – otherwise the regime can be revoked.
05
Bureaucracy.
Notaries, translations, AFM, in-person visits. Budget time and a good accountant.
06
Rule changes.
Greece reformed Golden Visa thresholds twice in two years and moved DNV applications to consulates in 2026.
Step by step#
From plan to Plaka
Pick your regime
5C, 5A, 5B or none – model them against your income in the tax calculator.
Plan your exit
Check exit tax, deregistration and CFC rules in your current country before you move.
Secure residence
EU citizens register after arrival; non-EU founders apply for the DNV or FIP at a consulate, or buy into the Golden Visa.
Get your AFM and a home
Tax number via a lawyer or accountant, then a lease – the basis for everything else.
Set up the IKE
Online through GEMI, with a local accountant on board from day one; open the bank account in person.
Apply for the regime
File for 5C, 5A or 5B with AADE by the deadline in your first year of Greek tax residence.
FAQ#
Does the Golden Visa make me tax resident?
No. It’s a residence permit without a minimum stay. Tax residency needs 183 days or your centre of life in Greece.
Can I combine 5A and 5C?
No – each person picks one regime. 5A suits large foreign income, 5C suits income earned from work in Greece.
Is 5% dividend tax guaranteed?
It has been 5% since 2020. Nothing is guaranteed, but it’s part of Greece’s pro-investment course.
Do I need to speak Greek?
Not for daily life in Athens. For citizenship you need Greek and a civics exam after seven years.
Greece is the high-tax country with the best side doors in the EU – worth it if one of the regimes fits you, pointless if none does. Want to see it against Cyprus, Malta or Bulgaria for your numbers? Try the Jurisdiction Finder or book a strategy session. This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Sources#
- Naftemporiki – business duty abolition timetable (Sept 2026)
- AADE – Independent Authority for Public Revenue
- Business Portal Greece (GEMI one-stop shop)
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece, corporate taxes
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece, withholding taxes
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece, personal income tax
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece, tax incentives (5A/5B/5C)
- Watson Farley & Williams – Golden Visa Law 5100/2024
- Numbeo – Athens
Sources & fact check.
Every number on this page comes from one of these. Last checked October 2026. Tax law changes – confirm with a licensed advisor before acting. Nothing here is tax or legal advice.
- Official AADE – Independent Authority for Public Revenue tax residency, special regimes 5A/5B/5C aade.gr
- Official Business Portal Greece (GEMI one-stop shop) company registration businessportal.gr
- Official Ministry of Migration and Asylum – residence permits Golden Visa, digital nomad, FIP permits migration.gov.gr
- Advisor PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece (corporate) 22% corporate tax taxsummaries.pwc.com
- Advisor PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece (withholding taxes) 5% dividend WHT, treaty list taxsummaries.pwc.com
- Advisor PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece (individual) 2026 PIT scale taxsummaries.pwc.com
- Advisor PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Greece (tax incentives) 5A, 5B, 5C regimes taxsummaries.pwc.com
- Advisor Watson Farley & Williams – Golden Visa Law 5100/2024 Golden Visa thresholds wfw.com
- Index Numbeo – Athens (cost of living & crime) cost of living, safety numbeo.com
- Index World Bank – Worldwide Governance Indicators rule of law percentile worldbank.org
- News Naftemporiki – business duty abolition timetable (Sept 2026) business duty phase-out 2027–2029 (announced) naftemporiki.gr
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