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Greece vs Portugal for retirees
On retirement, Greece grades strong (85 of 100) and Portugal grades strong (85 of 100) and on healthcare, Greece grades mixed (58 of 100) and Portugal grades strong (76 of 100). [GR R1] [GR R2] [GR R3] [GR V1] [PT K1] [PT R1] [GR H1] [PT H1] The table below sets Greece and Portugal side by side on every factor we have checked, and it does not rank them.
Side by side
Greece and Portugal, factor by factor.
Each grade is against the same published measure for both places, with its source and the date we checked it. Research information, not advice.
| Factor |  Greece |  Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the residence permit for people with sufficient means (type I.8, Article 163) has no age minimum and no deposit, lasts 3 years and renews; five years of lawful residence can lead to permanent long-term resident status (Articles 144 and 145). The minimum income is about EUR 3,500 a month. To be safe, have more than EUR 3,600 a month. The permit gives no right to work. Source: Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Article 163 paragraph 8: residence permits for third-country nationals with sufficient means (type I.8); Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Articles 143 to 145: long-term resident status (type M1); Ministerial decision 225679/2024: amount and proof of sufficient means (Government Gazette B 5223, 17 September 2024); Residence permit for financially independent persons. Checked 15 October 2026. | 85 of 100Strong Strong: a residence visa for retirement and passive income exists with no age minimum or deposit stated, and holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask). Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Healthcare | 58 of 100Mixed WHO UHC service coverage index 77 (2023). Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026. | 76 of 100Strong WHO UHC service coverage index 83 (2023). Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Cost of living | 54 of 100Mixed Price level 0.595 of United States prices (2025). Source: Price level index (GDP), Greece. Checked 15 October 2026. | 53 of 100Mixed Price level 0.604 of United States prices (2025). Source: Price level index (GDP), Portugal. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Safety | 54 of 100Mixed Global Peace Index 2026: 53rd of 163. Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026. | 75 of 100Strong Global Peace Index 2026: 7th of 163. Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Community | Unknown Not covered by Expat Insider 2026 | 76 of 100Strong Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 7th of 31. Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Climate | 33 of 100Weak Athens, the main city: 5 comfortable months a year (April, May, September, October and November). June misses by a hair, with an average daily high of 30.3 °C against the 30 °C line. Source: Climate normals 1991-2020, Ellinikon (Athens). Checked 15 October 2026. | 42 of 100Mixed Braga, the main city: 6 comfortable months a year (April to September). Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Visa, United States passport | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the digital nomad visa is open to US passport holders who work remotely for employers or clients outside Greece, with no Greek job offer and no age minimum. It lasts up to 12 months, and a two-year residence permit can follow. The income test is a net income of more than €3,500 a month (about €42,000 a year, or about US$47,100 at the ECB rate of 15 October 2026), plus 20% for a partner and 15% for each child. No deposit or investment is asked. The visa fee is €75. It does not allow work for a Greek employer or Greek clients. Source: Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Article 68: digital nomads (permit type Z.1); Ministerial decision 225679/2024: amount and proof of sufficient means (Government Gazette B 5223, 17 September 2024). Checked 16 October 2026. | 85 of 100Strong A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Visa information. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Visa, Canada passport | Unknown Research for Canadian passports is being checked | 85 of 100Strong A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Residence visa in Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Visa, Australia passport | Unknown Research for Australian passports is being checked | 85 of 100Strong A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Where should you lodge a visa application. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Visa, New Zealand passport | Unknown Research for New Zealand passports is being checked | 85 of 100Strong A residence visa for remote work is open without a Portuguese job offer (proof of work for employers or clients abroad is enough), with no age minimum. The income test is four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months: about €3,700 a month, about €44,200 a year, about US$49,500 at 1.1208 US dollars per euro (ECB, 15 October 2026), under the US$60,000 line. To be safe, have more than €3,700 a month. Holders of temporary residence for at least 5 years can request permanent residence. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Temporary stay documents: remote work; Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026; Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar; Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask); Where should you lodge a visa application. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Schools | Unknown Our research doesn't cover schools yet. | Unknown Our research doesn't cover schools yet. |
| Lifestyle | Unknown Not covered by Expat Insider 2026 | 69 of 100Strong Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 11th of 31. Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Work and career | 85 of 100Strong Strong: a residence route for remote workers exists (digital nomad national visa, Migration Code Article 68) and fixed broadband is 44.7 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. Source: Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Article 68: digital nomads (permit type Z.1); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece; Digital nomad visa: frequently asked questions. Checked 15 October 2026. | 85 of 100Strong Strong: a residence visa for remote work exists, and fixed broadband is 45.2 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. Source: Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Internet | 100 of 100Strong 44.68 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece. Checked 15 October 2026. | 100 of 100Strong 45.24 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), above the 30 anchor. Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| English | 95 of 100Strong EF EPI 2025 score 592 (rank 20), in EF's High band; the 2026 edition was not found on 15 October 2026. Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Greece. Checked 15 October 2026. | 100 of 100Strong EF EPI 2025 score 612 (6th of the countries ranked), above the 550 anchor. Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Portugal. Checked 15 October 2026. |
Where they differ
Where the grades fall in different levels.
A different level is a difference in the measure, not a verdict on either place. What matters depends on your own circumstances.
Compare
The comparison for everyone.
Questions about Greece vs Portugal for retirees.
What does a retiree need to show in Greece and in Portugal?
Greece's I.8 permit asks a set monthly amount (to be safe, more than €3,600 for one, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child). Portugal's retirement or passive-income visa asks for a document certifying your pension or income from assets; means scale from the minimum wage (more than €1,000 a month for one, to be safe).
How long do the permits last, and what leads to permanent residence?
Greece's I.8 permit lasts 3 years, renews and gives no right to work; long-term status needs five years of lawful continuous residence, and no official source says I.8 years count. Portugal's residency visa lasts 4 months, then AIMA issues the permit; permit holders of 5 years can request permanent residence.
What should a retiree know about healthcare and reciprocal cover?
Greece: non-EU arrivals need private cover, says Work From Greece. Portugal: an SNS user number is open to legal residents but does not alone guarantee the SNS pays; a private guide says US Medicare does not apply. Neither country is on Australia's list; New Zealand's covers only Australia and the UK.
How are pensions taxed in Greece and in Portugal?
Greece taxes residents on worldwide income at 9% to 44%; Article 5B sets a flat 7% on a foreign pension if you qualify, which is unknown here. Portugal: the US convention taxes past-employment pensions only where you live; Canada's is in force, Australia's is not yet listed and New Zealand's is under negotiation.
What do living costs look like for retirees?
World Bank price levels for 2025 were about 0.60 of US prices in both, national averages. Athens adverts asked €1,150 and €1,200 a month and a Thessaloniki one €800; Braga one-bedroom adverts asked €750 to €1,000 in early October 2026. Utilities, groceries and insurance are unknown in both.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [GR R1] Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Article 163 paragraph 8: residence permits for third-country nationals with sufficient means (type I.8), Hellenic Republic, Migration Code (consolidated text on Taxheaven, a private legal portal; official Gazette text not opened). Checked 15 October 2026. Permit lasts 3 years and renews for equal periods; family members may join; no right to dependent work or independent economic activity. Greek text.
- [GR R2] Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Articles 143 to 145: long-term resident status (type M1), Hellenic Republic, Migration Code (consolidated text on Taxheaven, a private legal portal; official Gazette text not opened). Checked 15 October 2026. Five years of lawful, continuous residence, income above the minimum wage plus 10% for dependants, full health insurance and a Greek language and history test; the status is permanent (Article 145 paragraph 7). Article 143 paragraph 2 excludes study, protection and diplomatic permits and does not name the sufficient-means permit. Greek text.
- [GR R3] Ministerial decision 225679/2024: amount and proof of sufficient means (Government Gazette B 5223, 17 September 2024), Ministry of Migration and Asylum (published in the Government Gazette; copy hosted on migration.gov.gr). Checked 15 October 2026. For the type I.8 permit (Article 163 paragraph 8, a and b) and for digital nomads: at least EUR 3,500 a month, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child, shown by a foreign pension, a bank account or own funds with a lawful origin, without working in Greece. Greek text.
- [GR V1] Residence permit for financially independent persons, Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Checked 15 October 2026. The page only lists two clarifying circulars (23 June 2022 and 7 November 2022, both written under earlier law); it confirms the permit exists but gives no requirements. Used for the permit's existence only.
- [PT K1] Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists remote work (digital nomads) with proof of average monthly income over three months of at least four times the monthly minimum wage, and a fixed residency for retirement or passive income; no age minimum, job offer or deposit is stated. The page gives no euro figure and no validity period.
- [PT R1] Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask), Portuguese Government (gov.pt), service of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026: holders of a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years; the page warns it may be out of date and points to the AIMA portal.
- [GR H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Greece: 77 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory data service (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
- [PT H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal: 83 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory API on 15 October 2026.
- [GR C1] Price level index (GDP), Greece, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 59.54 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [PT C1] Price level index (GDP), Portugal, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 60.37 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [GR S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Greece ranks 53rd of 163 countries, score 1.828 (ranking table, report PDF opened 15 October 2026).
- [PT S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 163 countries (score 1.427).
- [PT Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 31 countries.
- [GR W1] Climate normals 1991-2020, Ellinikon (Athens), Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS). Checked 15 October 2026. HNMS climatic data portal (https://www.emy.gr/en/climatic-data), normal values for the period 1991-2020, read from the portal's data service on 15 October 2026 (data created 17 March 2026). The service labels the monthly mean of daily highs 'max'; the service gives no monthly rain totals, so the rain test was checked against the older HNMS city page (period 1955-2010, http://newportal.hnms.gr/emy/en/climatology/climatology_city), where every month with a comfortable high has under 150 mm. Station Ellinikon (HNMS), id 72, 37.89 N, 23.74 E, 46 m. Monthly mean daily highs 13.5 (January) to 33.4 (August); June is 30.3 and July 33.2. HNMS lists no other long-record Athens-area station on this portal (Elefsina is an automatic station without published normals).
- [PT W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Braga, the main city for Portugal's climate grade. Monthly highs 14.1 to 28.7 °C; April to September are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain (6 comfortable months).
- [GR K1] Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), Article 68: digital nomads (permit type Z.1), Hellenic Republic, Migration Code (consolidated text on Taxheaven, a private legal portal; official Gazette text not opened). Checked 15 October 2026. National visa for up to 12 months for third-country nationals who work remotely for employers or clients outside Greece; sufficient means EUR 3,500 a month net, plus 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% for each child; visa fee EUR 75; no work for Greek employers; a 2-year type I.8 permit can follow. Greek text; carries the scheme first created by Law 4825/2021.
- [PT K3] Temporary stay documents: remote work, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Temporary stay visa for remote work: work contract, employer declaration or service contract, fiscal residence, and income of four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months; no age minimum stated. The page gives no stay length.
- [PT V1] Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 15 October 2026. €920 a month from 1 January 2026 (Decree-Law 139/2025); four times is €3,680. The 2027 figure is expected to rise, so the test needs reconfirming for 2027.
- [PT V2] Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar, European Central Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 15 October 2026: 1.1208 US dollars per euro (14 October 1.1195); €44,160 is about US$49,500.
- [PT V3] Visa information, Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. US applicants: the list of national visa forms includes 'Resident Visa - Retirees, Living on Income and Religious Purposes' and 'Resident Visa - Remote Work'.
- [PT V4] Residence visa in Canada, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 15 October 2026. Canadian applicants served by Toronto: residence visas include digital nomads and retirees or people living on passive income (D7).
- [PT V5] Where should you lodge a visa application, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Australia: Consulate General in Sydney or Embassy in Canberra; New Zealand: Embassy in Canberra.
- [PT Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 11th of 31 countries.
- [GR K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 44.68 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [GR K3] Digital nomad visa: frequently asked questions, Work From Greece (Marketing Greece, a tourism-industry body, under the auspices of the Hellenic Government). Checked 15 October 2026. Plain-English summary for non-EU applicants: visa up to a year, apply at the Greek consulate of main residence, no right to work for a Greek company. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pages (mfa.gr) refused automated access, so this is the page the Ministry points to; not an official legal text.
- [PT K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 45.24 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [GR F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Greece, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 592 (down 10 on the previous score), global rank 20; the page lists Athens 616 and Thessaloniki 611; the 2026 edition was not found on 15 October 2026.
- [PT F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Portugal, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 612, global ranking #6; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.