* Details on how to acquire a Digital Nomad Visa available here
According to Greek law (4251/2014) by decision of the Secretary General of the Decentralized Administration, a residence permit in Greece (Digital Nomad Visa) is granted for two (2) years to a third country national, provided a) she/he has received a special entry visa and b) has sufficient resources, at a level of a fixed annual income to cover living expenses.
However, this type of residence permit did not provide the holder with access to the labor market in Greece.
The solution to this issue came to be given by the Greek legislation with Law 4646/2019 concerning the Non-Dom tax status a.k.a Digital Nomads. COVID-19 has provided a catalyst for digitalization of firms, as well as a transition to a new dynamic in working arrangements.
Working from home is being exercised wideworld and many are also considering whether remote working could be rolled-out to them being based further afield and possibly more permanently. Certain countries as well as tourism operators have begun to court those that can and who are looking to swap their home working arrangements for temporary “workcations” and/or longer-term Digital Nomad arrangements.
The Minister of Immigration and Asylum a few days ago revealed that Greece will soon introduce the digital visa: “Today, in order to be competitive, we must take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. We can not rely on the natural wealth and geographical location of the country, as unique incentives to attract. We have to create an organized and at the same time attractive environment for the mass arrival of people who choose this technologically advanced form of work. That is why we will bring before the Parliament, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a new special purpose residence permit, a digital visa. The new visa will be combined with tax incentives that will lead to more permanent investments. At the same time, it is inextricably linked to the forward-looking digital transformation we are undertaking in state institutions and services. Our country is adapting to the new digital age and facing transnational competition based on an active policy of attracting legal immigration. Our country has definitively left behind the role of observer of developments. “
Greece is stepping into an era of digital evolution that is poised to change the future of work as we know it.
