The Fernshore Index
The factors retirees look at first.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
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.
Healthcare
58 of 100Mixed
WHO UHC service coverage index 77 (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.
Safety
54 of 100Mixed
Global Peace Index 2026: 53rd of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Community
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 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.
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.
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
The rest of the research on Greece.
The country page grades every factor, with its sources.
GreeceQuestions from retirees about Greece.
Which Greek permit is meant for retirees, and what does it ask for?
The I.8 permit for people with sufficient means suits pension or savings income without working in Greece. The 2024 decision asks a set monthly amount, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child, shown by a foreign pension, bank account or lawful own funds. To be safe, more than €3,600 alone. No age minimum is stated.
How long does the retiree permit last, and can it lead to permanent residence?
The I.8 permit lasts 3 years, renews for equal periods and gives no right to work. Long-term resident status needs five years of lawful continuous residence, income above the minimum wage plus 10% for dependants, full health insurance and a language and history test. We found no official statement that I.8 years count.
What should a retiree know about healthcare in Greece?
The WHO service coverage index is 77 of 100 (2023). Work From Greece says travellers from outside the EU need private health insurance because they are not entitled to the public system. Whether an I.8 permit holder can join the public system is unknown here; ask e-EFKA. Insurance prices are unknown.
How is a pension taxed if I retire to Greece?
Residents are taxed on worldwide income, 9% to 44%. Article 5B sets a flat 7% on a pensioner's foreign income for up to 15 years if you were non-resident in 5 of the last 6 years and come from a tax-cooperation state; whether yours qualifies is unknown. The US still taxes its citizens; Australia has no full treaty.
What do costs and settling in look like for retirees in Greece?
Prices overall are about 0.60 of US prices (World Bank, 2025). Pangrati adverts in Athens asked €1,150 and €1,200 a month; one Thessaloniki advert asked €800. Other costs are unknown. The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Greece 53rd of 163; Expat Insider 2026 does not cover Greece, so expat community data is unknown.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [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).
- [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).
- [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.