Note from the webmaster:  All links and information, unless otherwise noted as official,  lead to general information that would be sent to you if you were to call The American Embassy in Athens, Greece, and request information.  This page is not official, but is made by a private citizen, and covers issues not addressed in the official pages of the  U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece.   This page is meant for your convenience, and although the pages ARE copied verbatim from non vital documents issued by the Embassy, is not to be taken as official.  Thank You.   

An American who wishes to live in Greece running his/her own business must submit in advance a formal request to the Greek Consulate in the U.S.  The request must describe the type of business and the amount of funds to be invested.  documents may be requested to support the request.  The Consulate will forward the request for approval to the appropriate Greek Government Ministries (National Economy, Finance, Commerce, Labor, etc. and in all cases the Ministry of Public Order).  If the approvals are granted, the person will be informed by the Greek consulate that he/she may enter Greece and start the business.

Americans who wish to exercise a licensed profession (i.e. doctors, architects, engineers, etc.) must also turn first to the Greek Consulate for permission.  In addition to meeting the same requirements as those establishing a business, they must also obtain professional licensing form the appropriate Greek professional association.  It is normally required that the requester's degrees be recognized by a special office of the Greek Ministry of Education that makes decisions on the equivalency of foreign degrees.

A person already in Greece in some other status (working for an offshore "Law 89" company, for example), cannot change status while in the country, unless he/she is of Greek origin or married to a Greek citizen.

The process of obtaining work and residence approval is long and often frustrating. We advise hiring a Greek attorney to handle the matter, and to press the Ministries for action on the request.  Unfortunately, the Embassy does not have the staff to assist tin individual cases.

Residence and work permits are not always approved; working in Greece without them is a criminal offense and will render you subject to arrest and deportation from Greece.

Finally, please not that those who derive an income in Greece must comply with all Greek tax and insurance requirements.  All American citizens are also required to file Federal income tax returns for any year in which they receive an income of over approximately $7,500;  Americans residing abroad may qualify for exemptions, but must file a return even if no tax in due.

The information above was provided by Greek Government offices in November 1996.