Moving To Greece: A Lawyer's Route Map For Visas, Property & Citizenship
- by Aggeliki Vourliotakis
- Friday, 25 September 2026
Let's start with your journey. What inspired you to establish Paterakis Legal, and what kind of clients did you have in mind when you created the practice?
The truth is that the practice grew out of the people I kept meeting. Early in my career in Athens I saw the same scene again and again: someone who had fallen in love with Greece, a remote worker, a retired couple, a family with Greek roots, standing in front of a system they could not read, sometimes quite literally. They did not need a lecture on Greek law. They needed someone to say, in plain English: here is your situation, here is your route, and here is what we do first.
That is the client I had in mind when I created Paterakis Legal: the international who is serious about building a life in Greece and simply needs the system translated and handled. I am based in central Athens and work regularly in Crete and the islands as well, so I live with both versions of the Greek dream, the city and the island.
What makes working with clients from abroad different from working with local clients, and what do international clients value most in a lawyer?
Working with international clients is very different from working with Greek clients, and I mean that in a positive way. When someone is coming to Greece from Toronto, London or anywhere else, they are meeting a completely new language, a different legal and administrative system, and a different way of doing things. They may not know how our public services work or what to expect from the process, so nothing can really be taken for granted.
That is why communication and trust are such an important part of my work. Clients need to understand, in plain English, what is happening with their case, what needs to be done, why it needs to be done and what the next steps are. In many ways my role is also about translating the Greek system into something that feels clear and manageable, breaking the process down into steps, explaining the documents they need and giving them realistic timelines.
They do not want to feel like a case number. They want to know that there is a person who understands their situation and is genuinely there to help them move forward. That matters even more when someone is thousands of kilometres away and has placed their trust in you to handle something important in another country.
What do they value most? Straight answers, consistency and knowing that someone is actually reachable. I answer my own emails and my own WhatsApp, so clients know they are speaking directly to the person handling their case. And although I handle each case personally, I am not working without support. Over the years I have built a trusted network of notaries, accountants, civil engineers, insurance advisers and local partners across Greece, so my clients have one person they can rely on, with trusted professionals working behind the scenes whenever a matter calls for them.
Do your clients need to be in Greece to get started?
Almost never, and this is the thing that surprises people most. With a power of attorney I can act for a client while they are still abroad, and that covers far more than most people expect. I can obtain their Greek tax number, arrange AMKA and Taxisnet access, prepare the ground for a bank account, file applications and attend appointments on their behalf.
Many of my clients have their Greek paperwork substantially in place before they ever land. It also means that when something needs to be sorted out at an authority, there is someone physically present to sort it out, rather than an email sitting unanswered in an inbox five thousand kilometres away.
For someone moving to Greece, it can be tempting to try to handle visas, residence permits and registrations independently. When would you say it is important to have a lawyer involved?
The process in Greece can be quite different from what international clients are used to at home. There are differences in the language, the procedures and even in the way public services operate, so for someone coming from abroad it can be difficult to know where to start, what documents are required or what needs to happen at each stage.
There are certainly steps that people can handle on their own, and when that is the case I will say so from the very first call. But where things go wrong is right at the beginning: choosing the wrong route at the consulate, submitting a document without the required apostille, or discovering too late that an important certificate is still sitting in a drawer in the United States when a Greek authority needs it.
That is why, whenever possible, I prefer to be involved from the very start. When I manage a case from day one, the documents are properly apostilled and translated and everything is ready in Greece before it is actually needed. For documents issued in the United States I work with trusted agents on the ground who obtain apostilles and certificates directly, so my clients do not spend weeks chasing county offices from the other side of the world.
My rule of thumb is simple: if your move, your family or your finances depend on the outcome, it is much better to bring in a professional before you file anything than after something has gone wrong. In this field, prevention is almost always cheaper, and far less stressful, than repair.
You personally handle each case from the initial consultation through to its conclusion. Why was this hands-on approach important to you when building Paterakis Legal?
The cases themselves are much more personal than people realise. For someone applying for Greek citizenship, relocating here or trying to establish their life in Greece, the outcome affects where they live, their family, their work and plans they have been building for years. They need more than a lawyer who understands the law.
I have seen the alternative, where a client meets a lawyer once and then spends the following year communicating mainly with assistants. I deliberately built my practice around doing the opposite.
From the very beginning the process is transparent. We start with an initial conversation, where I can understand the situation and the client can get a sense of how I work. We then communicate by email, so that everything important is clearly documented. If we are a good fit, I provide a Legal Services Agreement setting out the scope of the work, the steps involved and the costs in advance. From that point onwards I take responsibility for the file personally, from the first document through to the final decision. The person who signs the agreement is the person doing the work.
That continuity matters. When someone is trusting you with something that shapes such a significant part of their life, they should never be wondering who is handling their case, whether something has been missed, or what happens next. Relocating to a new country is stressful enough.
Greece has become increasingly popular with people looking to relocate, work remotely or build a new life here. What makes it such an appealing destination?
The lifestyle is probably the biggest reason. There is the climate, the sea, the food and the sense of safety, but there is also something about the way of life here. For much of the year people can spend their time outdoors, enjoy nature, travel around the country and take advantage of everything Greece has to offer.
For someone who has the means to live comfortably here, the quality of life can be remarkable. And for people who work remotely there is an added freedom. You can work from the city, from a cafe by the sea, or from a village in the mountains, while still having access to everything you need.
What people underestimate is how many legal doors Greece has opened. There is a route for almost every situation: remote workers, retirees and people with independent income, investors, employees, students, and members of the Greek diaspora reconnecting with their roots through citizenship. And the international community here is genuinely organised, platforms like XpatAthens being the best proof, so newcomers find their people quickly.
Relocating to Greece, applying for residency or citizenship, or purchasing property? Get in touch with Nikos Paterakis to discuss your individual circumstances and explore the options available to you. For enquiries, contact him at info@paterakislegal.com, +30 694 760 1994, or via LinkedIn.
With several different immigration and residency routes available, how can someone understand which option is right for their particular situation?
I always start with the person, not with the permit. On the first call I usually ask three simple questions: where does your income come from, who is coming with you, and what is your timeline?
Someone working remotely for a foreign employer may look at the Digital Nomad Visa, while someone living on a pension or independent income may be better suited to the Financially Independent Person route. An investor may consider the Golden Visa, and someone who has been offered employment in Greece will have work visa or employer-sponsored options. There are specific routes for family members of Greek and European citizens, and for people with Greek roots, citizenship by descent or naturalisation may be relevant. There are even more specialised categories, such as the Z17 route for British lawyers who wish to work in Greece following Brexit.
But choosing a route is not simply about knowing what permits exist. Each one has different income requirements, different documentation and, crucially, different rights. One of the things I explain very carefully is whether someone is actually allowed to work in Greece under a particular permit, because that single detail can completely change which route fits their life.
That is why I strongly recommend speaking with a lawyer before relocating or submitting an application. If you choose the wrong pathway at the beginning, you may face a rejection, unnecessary delays or complications that could have been avoided.
Two of those routes, the Digital Nomad Visa and the FIP permit, seem to be the most popular. How does someone know which of the two is right for them?
They look similar from the outside and they are very different underneath. The Digital Nomad Visa is built for people who earn from work, but work performed for employers or clients outside Greece. The Financially Independent Person permit is built for people whose income does not depend on working at all, typically pensions, rental income, dividends or investment returns. So the first question is not how much you earn. It is where the money comes from, and whether you will still be working once you are here.
The second question is what you want to be allowed to do after you arrive, because these permits do not carry the same rights. That matters enormously if you might want to take on work in Greece later, or if your partner might. The third is family, because the income you need to demonstrate changes once a spouse and children are included, and the documents change with it.
I have seen people choose between these two simply because a friend recommended one of them, and then spend a year unwinding that choice. Getting it right is a short conversation at the beginning, and it saves months at the end.
For someone considering the Golden Visa, what should they understand before choosing a property?
The Golden Visa is often described as a simple transaction: you buy a property, you get residence. In practice, the permit is only as sound as the property behind it. The investment thresholds now differ depending on where the property is and what kind of property it is, so a purchase that looks perfectly attractive can fail to qualify for reasons that have nothing to do with its price.
Before anyone commits, I check that the specific property actually satisfies the category the investor is relying on, that its title and planning position are clean, and that the sum being paid can be evidenced in the way the authorities expect. I also plan the family side from the very beginning, because a spouse, children and in certain cases parents can be included, and that shapes the paperwork from day one.
Done properly, the purchase and the residence application move forward together, and the family ends up with a permit that will not need to be defended later.
Many people in the diaspora suspect they may be entitled to Greek citizenship but have no idea where to begin. What is actually possible?
Citizenship by descent is the part of my work I find most rewarding, because it is rarely only a legal question. People come to me with a grandparent's name, a village they have never visited and a folder of documents in two alphabets, convinced that the trail has gone cold. Very often it has not.
Greek civil records survive in more places than people realise: in municipal registers, in consular archives abroad, and in older records that were never digitised. A large part of my job is knowing where to look and how to rebuild a line when a document is missing or a surname was spelled differently in every country it passed through. I recently worked on a file where a family was certain their grandfather's records had been lost, and the entry was found in a municipal register under a spelling nobody in the family had ever used.
What matters most is starting with an honest assessment. I would rather tell someone early that their line is difficult, and explain exactly what would be needed to prove it, than let them spend two years discovering that for themselves. And when the line does hold, what they are recovering is not just a passport.
Once someone arrives in Greece, there are a number of practical administrative steps. What are some of the things newcomers often do not realise they need to arrange?
One of the things that surprises newcomers is how interconnected the administrative systems are here. The first thing I tell clients to arrange is a Greek mobile phone number. It sounds like a small detail, but many services and online procedures require a Greek number, and that number often has to be registered in the relevant systems. Without one you can end up waiting for appointments or dealing with authorities in person, which costs a great deal of time.
Beyond that, the Greek tax number, the AFM, is the foundation for almost everything else you will need to do here. Depending on their circumstances, clients may then need an AMKA for social security, access to Taxisnet, a Greek bank account and the proper registration of their lease. These can feel overwhelming when you are new to the country, which is why I often arrange AFM, AMKA and Taxisnet access for clients, sometimes before they even arrive, through a power of attorney.
Another common surprise is the paperwork people bring with them from home. Foreign documents usually need to be apostilled and officially translated, and the order in which this is done matters. If they are not prepared correctly, a Greek authority may simply not accept them.
Finally, I always advise clients to understand exactly what they are entitled to do while an application is pending. Your ability to travel in and out of Greece, for example, can depend on the specific certificate you hold at that stage. It is much better to know that before booking a flight than to discover it at the airport.
Buying property in Greece is a major step for many international residents. What should a foreign buyer know before purchasing, and why is independent legal advice so important?
The most important thing for an international buyer to understand is that having an independent lawyer on your side is essential. The seller wants to sell, the estate agent wants the transaction to go through, and the developer, if there is one, has their own interests. My role is different: my job is to protect the buyer and make sure they understand exactly what they are purchasing before they commit to it.
Before any deposit is paid I carry out the necessary legal due diligence. That means checking the property's ownership and title, whether there are mortgages, debts or other encumbrances, its position in the Land Registry or Cadastre, and whether there are any legal issues that could affect the purchase. These are things a buyer coming from abroad may not know to look for, and I have seen situations where important information was never properly communicated to the buyer.
The legal side is only part of the picture. You also need to know that the property is technically in order, which is why I work with trusted civil engineers who inspect the property and identify planning or construction issues, unauthorised alterations or other technical matters. That becomes particularly important if someone is buying with the intention of renovating or making structural changes. Before you purchase, you need to know what can lawfully be done.
I think of a couple who had already paid a deposit on a beautiful house before anyone had looked at it properly. The building had alterations that had never been legalised, which meant the renovation they
had planned, the entire reason they were buying, could not lawfully be carried out. That is discoverable in a morning, if someone looks before the money moves.
I also work with trusted estate agents, notaries and professionals in Athens, Crete, the Cyclades and Northern Greece, so the process is coordinated properly from the legal and technical due diligence through to completion. And for international buyers it is not necessary to be physically present for every step. With the appropriate power of attorney, much of the process can be handled remotely. Where the investment qualifies, the purchase can also be combined with a Golden Visa application, so the home and the residence move forward together.
One thing I would add is that the mistakes I am asked to fix are almost never about the price. They are about what was signed, and when. Someone pays a deposit on a handshake, or signs a preliminary agreement that binds them before anybody has looked at the title, and by the time I am called the room to negotiate has already closed. The most useful thing a buyer can do is to let a lawyer and an engineer look at the property before any money moves. At that stage it costs very little, and it is the difference between choosing whether to proceed and discovering that you no longer have that choice.
You work between Athens and Crete. How does that give you a different perspective on what international residents are looking for when they choose where to settle?
I was raised in Chania and left for my studies, so I have a very personal understanding of the difference between living in Crete and living in Athens. There are really two different Greek dreams, and I have had the opportunity to experience both.
For someone who chooses Crete, the appeal is often a slower and more relaxed way of life, being close to the sea, having more space, living in a smaller community and enjoying a stronger connection with nature. I see it particularly with people looking to retire, work remotely or simply have a calmer quality of life.
Athens attracts a different type of international resident. There are more professional and investment opportunities, a larger business community, international schools and universities, better access to services and infrastructure, and of course a much more active social and cultural life.
And then there are the islands, particularly the Cyclades, where the attraction is often the lifestyle itself: the sea, the beauty, the smaller communities and that very distinctive Greek island experience. I spend time in the Cyclades throughout the year, so I understand the practical differences between living there and living in a larger city.
Working between these different parts of Greece has taught me that choosing where to settle is really a lifestyle decision. People need to think about what they want their everyday life to look like, and then we can look at how the legal and practical side can support that choice.
Finally, for someone thinking about moving to Greece, applying for residency or buying property but unsure where to start, what would you recommend they do first?
My first piece of advice would be this: start early, and do not start with the forms. Start with a map. Before you book anything or sign anything, lay your situation out with someone who does this every day. Your income, your family, your timeline, your goals. From that, the right route usually reveals itself.
From there the path is structured. We speak, we confirm everything by email, I provide a Legal Services Agreement setting out the scope, the steps and the costs before we begin, and then I take over: documents, apostilles, translations, applications, appointments, from the first day to the final decision, in English throughout.
Greece rewards the well-prepared and punishes improvisation. My role, quite simply, is to make sure my clients arrive as the well-prepared.
And if you are unsure which route fits you, send me a short email telling me where your income comes from, who is moving with you and when you hope to arrive. That is usually enough for me to tell you which pathway makes sense.
Thank you, Nikos, for sharing your insights with us and for giving us a closer look at what it really takes to navigate the process of moving to and building a life in Greece.
For anyone considering relocating to Greece, applying for residency or citizenship, or purchasing property, you can get in touch with Nikos Paterakis to discuss your individual circumstances and explore the options available to you. For enquiries, contact him at info@paterakislegal.com, +30 694 760 1994, or via LinkedIn. His office is located at 64 Panepistimiou Street, 3rd Floor, 106 77 Athens.
LIFE & CULTURE
