Financially Independent Person Visa (FIP) (Greece): Requirements
Greece residence route
Financially Independent Person Visa (FIP)
Retirees with substantial stable passive income who want the 7 percent tax regime.
- Income threshold
- $3,815 / month
- For a couple
- $4,578 / month
- Minimum age
- None
- Validity
- The national visa permits entry; the residence permit issued afterwards now runs three years.
- Permanent residence
- Five years of legal residence gives long-term resident status.
- Processing
- 5 to 10 months to a residence card
The legal basis
Law 4251/2014 as amended, on residence for financially independent persons.
The financial test in detail
A stable monthly income of at least 3,500 euros, increased by 20 percent for a spouse and 15 percent for each dependent child. Alternatively you may show a deposit sufficient to sustain the requirement across the permit period, commonly cited as around 126,000 euros for three years.
Savings
A lump sum of roughly 126,000 euros is accepted in place of the monthly income stream by most consulates.
What the status gives you
- Renewal
- Renewable for successive three-year periods on continuing proof of means and insurance.
- Work rights
- No. The FIP prohibits employment and self-employment in Greece. It does not prohibit receiving foreign passive income, which is the whole point of the category.
- How much time you must spend there
- You must not be absent for more than six months in any year, and long-term resident status later requires more consistent presence.
- Citizenship
- Seven years of legal residence, with a Greek language and civics examination. Greece permits dual citizenship.
- Government fees
- Visa: 180 EUR. Residence permit: 1,000 EUR. The national visa fee is around 180 euros. The FIP residence permit fee is substantial, commonly around 1,000 euros for the three-year permit, plus a card fee.
- 1 Get a Greek AFM tax number Obtainable through a Greek consulate or a representative in Greece. Required before you can rent, buy or open a bank account.
- 2 Secure accommodation A lease or property deed in Greece. Consulates generally want to see where you will live.
- 3 Document the income Twelve months of statements plus award and pension letters showing at least 3,500 euros a month arriving, or evidence of the alternative deposit.
- 4 Authenticate and translate Apostille U.S. documents, then translate into Greek. Greece requires translation by the Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Greek lawyer certified to translate, or a sworn translator.
- 5 Apply at the Greek consulate Greece has consulates in Washington, New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta and Tampa. Jurisdiction by state of residence.
- 6 Enter Greece and file for the residence permit File with the Directorate of Immigration Policy or the regional aliens office. A blue receipt (bebaiosi) is issued that protects your status while the card is produced.
- 7 Elect the 7 percent tax regime The election is made to the Greek tax authority AADE by a statutory deadline, generally 31 March of the year following your transfer of tax residence. Missing the deadline costs you a year.
Your action Documents and authentication Government processing
Your document checklist for this route
13 documents in total, of which 6 need authentication: 2 through the U.S. Department of State and 4 through a Secretary of State. All authenticated documents also need certified translation into Greek.
- U.S. passport Identity and the physical book the visa is placed in. Lead time: Routine renewal takes weeks; check current published times
- Passport-format photographs Every application. Specifications differ by country and are enforced strictly. Lead time: Same day
- National long-stay visa application form The core filing. Almost always country-specific and often only valid if printed from the consulate portal. Lead time: Same day
- FBI Identity History Summary (background check) U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (federal) Apostille Almost every retirement and long-stay residence visa requires a national-level police clearance. For Americans that means the FBI Identity History Summary, not a local police letter, because consulates want a federal record covering all 50 states. Lead time: 1 to 10 days to obtain, then federal authentication
- Certified birth certificate Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Proves identity, nationality and, where relevant, family relationships for dependants. Lead time: 3 to 20 days depending on state
- Certified marriage certificate Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Required whenever a spouse is included as a dependant, and to prove joint income or joint savings. Lead time: 3 to 20 days
- Social Security benefit verification letter U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (federal) Apostille The single most-used proof of "guaranteed lifetime pension" for pensionado-style visas. Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador all key on it. Lead time: Same day online
- Private pension, annuity or 401(k)/IRA income letter Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Used where Social Security alone does not meet the threshold, or where the visa requires a lifetime guaranteed payment. Lead time: 5 to 20 days
- Bank and brokerage statements Proof of savings or liquid assets, used either instead of income or alongside it. Lead time: 1 to 10 days
- Proof of accommodation in the destination country Italy, France, Spain and Greece in particular want to see where you will actually live. Lead time: Varies
- Private international health insurance certificate Nearly universal. Schengen countries usually require a minimum of EUR 30,000 of coverage valid across the zone; other countries set their own floor. Lead time: 1 to 3 days
- Medical certificate or health declaration Secretary of State for the issuing state Apostille Required by Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and several Latin American programs; usually a simple statement that you are free of specified communicable diseases. Lead time: 3 to 14 days
- Certified translation of the authenticated set Non-English-speaking destinations require the document and its apostille translated by a translator they recognise. Lead time: 2 to 7 days
Why applications on this route fail
- Missing the tax election deadline. The 7 percent regime must be applied for and it has a hard date.
- Assuming public healthcare will be available. FIP holders need private insurance and generally use private care.
- Choosing a small island without checking winter ferry schedules and the nearest hospital.
- Using a translation not produced by a route Greece recognises.
Apply here
- Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum Residence permit categories and in-country filing.
- Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visas National visa requirements.
- AADE (Greek tax authority) AFM registration and the alternative taxation regimes.
- 1 Obtain the record Order certified copies from the issuing authority. Do not use photocopies, scans or hospital souvenir certificates.
- 2 Notarise if required Letters and affidavits need a notary acknowledgement before any state can authenticate them. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk (some states) A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or legalise Hague Convention destination: an apostille finishes the chain. Non-Hague destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate for legalisation. For Greece the apostille ends the chain.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille. Translating first means paying twice.
- 7 File with the consulate Book the appointment at the consulate with jurisdiction over your state of residence and bring originals plus copies.
The expensive mistake: translating before the document is authenticated. The apostille or legalisation certificate is itself part of what the receiving government reads, so it has to be inside the translation. Do it the other way round and you pay for the same translation twice.
Financially Independent Person Visa (FIP): common questions
How much income do I need for the Financially Independent Person Visa (FIP)?
The published threshold is about $3,815 a month for a single applicant and $4,578 for a couple. A stable monthly income of at least 3,500 euros, increased by 20 percent for a spouse and 15 percent for each dependent child. Alternatively you may show a deposit sufficient to sustain the requirement across the permit period, commonly cited as around 126,000 euros for three years.
Do I need savings as well as income?
A lump sum of roughly 126,000 euros is accepted in place of the monthly income stream by most consulates.
Can I work on this visa?
No. The FIP prohibits employment and self-employment in Greece. It does not prohibit receiving foreign passive income, which is the whole point of the category. This is the field applicants most often misread, and in several countries remote work for a U.S. employer counts as work performed locally.
What documents need an apostille?
For this route we count 6 documents needing authentication: 2 federal, through the U.S. Department of State, and 4 state-issued, through the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Greece is a Hague Convention country, so an apostille completes the chain.
How long does it take?
5 to 10 months to a residence card Consular decision and then the in-country residence card production are both variable.
How much time must I spend in the country?
You must not be absent for more than six months in any year, and long-term resident status later requires more consistent presence.
Does it lead to permanent residence?
Permanent residence: Five years of legal residence gives long-term resident status.. Citizenship: Seven years of legal residence, with a Greek language and civics examination. Greece permits dual citizenship..
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: migration.gov.gr, www.aade.gr
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This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Immigration rules, income thresholds, fees and processing times change frequently and often without notice, and consulates apply them differently. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific consulate that has jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence before you act. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
