Greece: non-dom €100k and benefits for pensioners and workers

Concept

Greece offers three preferential tax regimes for those who move their tax residence to the country — under Articles 5A, 5B, and 5C of the Tax Code. The principal one is the non-dom regime (resident but not domiciled), with a flat tax of €100,000 a year on all foreign-source income.

These are tax regimes; they do not grant the right to reside. Immigration is decided separately: EU citizens enjoy freedom of movement, everyone else arranges a Golden Visa or another basis, and the 5A investment is conveniently combined with a residence-by-investment permit.

Non-dom €100k (Art. 5A)

• a flat tax of €100,000 a year on all foreign-source income, whatever its size;
• a term of up to 15 tax years;
• an added €20,000 a year for each family member (with no separate investment);
• entry condition: you were not a Greek tax resident for 7 of the last 8 years;
• an investment of at least €500,000 in real estate, a business, or securities within three years (or a current Golden Visa);
• Greek-source income is taxed at the normal rates and declared.

Pensioners: 7% (Art. 5B)

For foreign pensioners who move their residence to Greece, all foreign income — pension, dividends, interest, rent, capital gains — is taxed at 7% for up to 15 years. Conditions: you were not a Greek resident for 5 of the last 6 years, and you arrive from a country with which Greece has an agreement on administrative cooperation in tax matters. The tax is paid in a single instalment by the last working day of July and does not override the application of double-tax treaties.

Workers and self-employed: 50% (Art. 5C)

For those who move their job or business to Greece, half of Greek employment or business income is exempt from tax for seven years; there is no extension. Conditions: you were not a Greek resident for 5 of the last 6 years, you relocate from an EU/EEA country or a state with an administrative-cooperation agreement, you take a new position with a Greek employer or start activity here, and you commit to staying at least two years. Deemed income on housing and a car is not charged in this case.

Immigration

Greece is a member of the EU and Schengen. EU/EEA citizens move without a visa; non-EU applicants go through the Golden Visa (thresholds €250k–€800k, covered in a separate article) or other permits. For 5A, the investment is often combined with a Golden Visa.

Context

The Greek non-dom is a flat sum, as in Italy, but cheaper: €100,000 against the €300,000 to which Italy raised its regime for new arrivals from 2026 (those who registered earlier keep the previous €200,000). Greece, however, requires a €500,000 investment, while Italy does not. Comparable in logic are the Spanish Beckham Law, the Swiss forfait, and the UK regime after the 2025 non-dom reform; Turkey taxes foreign income at zero, but without a flat payment. The choice comes down to the size of the income and the willingness to tie up capital.

Risks

• the €500,000 investment for 5A is a real tying-up of capital;
• Greek-source income is taxed normally (progressively, up to 44%);
• the flat sum is paid regardless of income; the regime pays off only with a large foreign income;
• leaving your former jurisdiction triggers CFC rules, exit tax, and the tax-residency tie-breaker; for 5B, a treaty in force with the country of departure is critical — for Russian nationals, some of these mechanisms are affected by the suspension of double-tax treaties.

How and when to file

The application for 5A and 5B is filed with the tax authority (AADE) by 31 March of the relevant tax year; a decision on 5A is normally issued within 60 days. For 5C, the deadline depends on the start date of employment: if it begins before 2 July, the application is filed by the end of that year, and if later, by the end of the following one.

The exit logic is strict: if in any year the flat tax (€100,000 or 7%) is not paid in full, the benefit is cancelled, and from that year all worldwide income is taxed on general terms. Under 5A, foreign income need not be declared, and tax paid abroad is not credited in Greece; under 5B and 5C, both Greek and foreign income are declared.

Evolution and place among European regimes

Greece launched these regimes in 2019–2020, recovering from the debt crisis and competing for mobile capital with Italy, Portugal, and Cyprus. The aim was to attract wealthy residents, foreign pensioners, and returning professionals — each group got its own article: 5A, 5B, and 5C.

Since then the neighbours have tightened their rules: Portugal closed the classic NHR and replaced it with the narrow IFICI regime, the UK abolished non-dom status from 2025, and Italy raised its flat tax to €300,000. Against this backdrop, the Greek package with a €100,000 entry payment and a 15-year horizon looks like one of the most stable offers in the EU.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• AADE — Independent Authority for Public Revenue (EN)
• AADE — income tax (EN)
• Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Greece, EN)