Greek residency

[Davy_S]

Greek citizenship to require written exams, Tania Georgiopoulou | Kathimerini

 

[sailaboutvic]

Greek citizenship to require written exams, Tania Georgiopoulou | Kathimerini

It seen in the future is may not Be so easy , so guess who ever wants it better get there finger out .

 

[Perrycas]

Hope this is relevant. Have a friend, Australian, single nationality. Owns a place in Samos. It has been the case he could get residency for some time, but they wanted about a quarter of a Mill $aud, or some such, deposited in a Greek bank. He was telling me the other day that this has been reduced. Hugely. I think just 10s of K, maybe 100K $AUD Suspect they are trying to get more money in.

 

[Tony Cross]

Greek citizenship to require written exams, Tania Georgiopoulou | Kathimerini

There's a big difference between citizenship and permanent residence.

 

[Tony Cross]

Hope this is relevant. Have a friend, Australian, single nationality. Owns a place in Samos. It has been the case he could get residency for some time, but they wanted about a quarter of a Mill $aud, or some such, deposited in a Greek bank. He was telling me the other day that this has been reduced. Hugely. I think just 10s of K, maybe 100K $AUD Suspect they are trying to get more money in.

Many countries offer these 'golden passports' (including the UK). In Greece they're not permanent however, I think they last only 5 years.

 

[Davy_S]

There's a big difference between citizenship and permanent residence.

I do know that Tony, having had permanent residence, i simply thought i would give them something to talk about!

 

[grumpygit]

I do know that Tony, having had permanent residence, i simply thought i would give them something to talk about!

I thought I had tried that so I looked back to #55 and silly old me had put in the wrong link instead of https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/09/03/all-you-need-to-know-about-acquiring-greek-citizenship/

 

[Davy_S]

Grumpygit, link is a 404 error

Try this.
All You Need to Know About Acquiring Greek Citizenship | GreekReporter.com

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Greek citizenship to require written exams, Tania Georgiopoulou | Kathimerini

That's another way to gain money in brown envelopes €300 for a driving l

 

[Wanderlust193]

Does anyone have any updates on this in the current changing world?
Just back from short trip to Greece (held back because of COVID) and key questions are:
1 If I quickly buy a boat and get an address in Greece, can I then apply at local police station for residency?
2 Should I then commit to staying 90 days each 180 in Greece?
3 Will this residency enable continued European residency (EHIC, right to travel, work, etc in Greece and across Shengen?)
4 Various people have recommended using agents - any recommendations please?
Am very keen to retain my European status if at all possible. I have lived in Greece before but not for some years.
Suggestions very welcome

 

[AndrewB]

I hold a buff residency permit which in the past was easy to obtain and exempted me from reporting to police if I stayed in Greece for more than 90 days. The assumption (hope!) has been that this would continue after Brexit. I am normally in Greece about 8 months each year.

However British friends, owning property in Corfu, who have made a last minute application for one have just been told this permit has now been discontinued. They were advised responsibility for residency has been transferred to a different agency - it is all up in the air.

 

[Mistroma]

Does anyone have any updates on this in the current changing world?
Just back from short trip to Greece (held back because of COVID) and key questions are:
1 If I quickly buy a boat and get an address in Greece, can I then apply at local police station for residency?
2 Should I then commit to staying 90 days each 180 in Greece?
3 Will this residency enable continued European residency (EHIC, right to travel, work, etc in Greece and across Shengen?)
4 Various people have recommended using agents - any recommendations please?
Am very keen to retain my European status if at all possible. I have lived in Greece before but not for some years.
Suggestions very welcome

You should probably have applied when you were in Greece. No need to have a boat, just an address you can use (plus money to support yourself and required documents). The window for UK citizens closes at the end of this year.

Are you planning to return to Greece this year?

AndrewBs post is a bit worrying. I was going to apply next year using my Irish passport so don't see how Greek government can remove my freedom of movement. However, they can change their rules on what I must do to register in order to stay longer than 90 days.

 

[grumpygit]

I hold a buff residency permit which in the past was easy to obtain and exempted me from reporting to police if I stayed in Greece for more than 90 days. The assumption (hope!) has been that this would continue after Brexit. I am normally in Greece about 8 months each year.

However British friends, owning property in Corfu, who have made a last minute application for one have just been told this permit has now been discontinued. They were advised responsibility for residency has been transferred to a different agency - it is all up in the air.

When was this application made? The Police Office in Nafplio was still issuing up to about three weeks ago, I have no idea on today's policy.

 

[B&M]

When was this application made? The Police Office in Nafplio was still issuing up to about three weeks ago, I have no idea on today's policy.

I picked up my buff residency permit on Monday this week from Kranidi

 

[Mistroma]

I picked up my buff residency permit on Monday this week from Kranidi

Sounds more like it. I suspect AndrewB's friend ran into the usual thing in Greece where they happened to catch a guy who couldn't be bothered. Decides to invent a story so that they go away and don't bother him.

It is possible that something changes in the process but EU haven't changed the rules. I suspect that I'll take a printed copy of the EU regulations plus stuff from the Greek Government web-site when I try next year. A little extra preparation never helps, as long as it appears that you are trying to help them and reduce the work involved.

I guess the Greek Government might change something to help UK citizens but I'm relying on current rules for EU citizens. My Irish passport means that I will still be an EU citizen next year.

 

[Cariadco]

The Beige one is residency but means you have to be in/out in the 180 days rule, The Blue one is forever and you can be out of Greece for ages, say 5 years.

 

[Mistroma]

The Beige one is residency but means you have to be in/out in the 180 days rule, The Blue one is forever and you can be out of Greece for ages, say 5 years.

Is it 180 days or 183 days? EU rules on freedom of movement confer the right to reside and I know that countries are free to have their own processes to register EU citizens. I thought that EU usually mentions difference for up to 3 months, more than 3 months, or permanent. However, I thought that mention of stays longer than 183 days were usually tax related.

I don't think it is much of a problem for EU citizens as long as they are paying tax in another EU country. Most places don't bother them if they spend a little too long in another country. I have seen 181 or 183 days as the limit before you are meant to change residence from your previous "home" country.

All different next year of course and I'll avoid staying more than 180 days even though I'm an EU citizen as I pay tax in UK (3rd country). Better safe than sorry as my wife only has a UK passport.

 

[Tony Cross]

Is it 180 days or 183 days? EU rules on freedom of movement confer the right to reside and I know that countries are free to have their own processes to register EU citizens. I thought that EU usually mentions difference for up to 3 months, more than 3 months, or permanent. However, I thought that mention of stays longer than 183 days were usually tax related.

I don't think it is much of a problem for EU citizens as long as they are paying tax in another EU country. Most places don't bother them if they spend a little too long in another country. I have seen 181 or 183 days as the limit before you are meant to change residence from your previous "home" country.

All different next year of course and I'll avoid staying more than 180 days even though I'm an EU citizen as I pay tax in UK (3rd country). Better safe than sorry as my wife only has a UK passport.

In Greece if you reside here for more than 183 days you are automatically a tax resident for that tax year (Greece tax years run January to December). Greece taxes worldwide income and although there is a dual taxation agreement with the UK you have to have resided in the UK for 183 days to claim tax residency there in that tax year. Although this has not been an issue for Brits in Greece in the past, Brexit may change all that and it's not impossible that the Greek tax authorities will take more interest in that taxation status of Brits - particularly those with buff or blue residence cards.

 

[nortada]

In Greece if you reside here for more than 183 days you are automatically a tax resident for that tax year (Greece tax years run January to December). Greece taxes worldwide income and although there is a dual taxation agreement with the UK you have to have resided in the UK for 183 days to claim tax residency there in that tax year. Although this has not been an issue for Brits in Greece in the past, Brexit may change all that and it's not impossible that the Greek tax authorities will take more interest in that taxation status of Brits - particularly those with buff or blue residence cards.

Hi Tony,

PMd you.

Hope Portugal do not catch on to this wheeze.

In Portugal temporary residents have to spend at least 183 day per year in country and are tax residents so can be required to put in a tax return but will only be taxed on any income earned in Portugal, plus income not taxed elsewhere.

I practise, if you are not liable to Portuguese tax they are not interested in a tax return - all pain and no gain for anybody (except the accountants ).

Sorry for the thread drift. PM explains all.

 

[Mistroma]

In Greece if you reside here for more than 183 days you are automatically a tax resident for that tax year (Greece tax years run January to December). Greece taxes worldwide income and although there is a dual taxation agreement with the UK you have to have resided in the UK for 183 days to claim tax residency there in that tax year. Although this has not been an issue for Brits in Greece in the past, Brexit may change all that and it's not impossible that the Greek tax authorities will take more interest in that taxation status of Brits - particularly those with buff or blue residence cards.

Thanks, I was pretty certain it was 183 days and not 180 or 181. I've seen all three used but any official documents I've seen use 183 days. We used to avoid spending too long in Spain but time varied between 180-190 days, though 200 days once. Of course nobody monitored it and it wasn't a high priority for us. Our winter travels meant that we could be outside UK for several weeks. Pretty certain we were only in UK for 145 days a couple of time and always less than 183 days for years.

It has never been a real problem but of course that's likely to change with Brexit and also new electronic systems.