Working remotely in Greece has many benefits. Among the benefits, you will have a great quality of life, whether you choose to be a digital nomad in a city like Athens or Thessaloniki, or on a slow-paced Greek island in the Aegean. You will be able to enjoy the beautiful weather in Greece, the healthy Mediterranean diet, and active nightlife with many other young people at tavernas in the evening.
Internet Connection in Greece
In Greece as a digital nomad, you will also find high internet speeds, since fiber-optic technologies are now the norm in many neighborhoods. If you are coming from a non-EU country in Europe, the time change with your home country is likely less than two hours, so you won’t have a problem scheduling calls and meetings.
Life in Greece as a Digital Nomad
To add to the benefits of the Greek quality of life, digital nomads in Greece will feel welcomed to a country with a unique love of strangers. Greeks call this “filoxenia” and you will likely be offered something to eat or drink when you visit a home. English is also widely spoken in many areas of Greece, especially among the young Greeks.
Digital Nomad Visa
Yes, Greece has a special Visa for digital nomads. With the Greece Digital Nomad Visa, you can work remotely for any employer outside of Greece. It also goes by the name “Greece nomadic visa.”
Digital Nomad Visa Requirements
To qualify for a Digital Nomad Visa, you need to fulfill these requirements:
- You must be a non-EU citizen.
- You must prove that you are a digital nomad.
- You must prove that you will work with telecommunications.
- You must be able to show an employment contract with a company that is registered outside Greece.
- Your monthly salary must be at least €3,500.
Greece Digital Nomad Visa Required Documents
You need to show the following documents to apply for the Greece Digital Nomad Visa:
- A valid passport that is valid at least sixth months after your return date.
- Two passport-sized photos.
- A cover letter. You must state in the letter that you will be applying for a digital nomad visa, and also the relevant information about your job, among other things.
- Proof of employment.
- Proof of income. A work contract must show that you meet the minimum salary necessary.
- A clean criminal record.
- Proof of the address where you will be living in Greece.
- Proof of health insurance.
- A return flight ticket. Yes, you need to prove that you will be returning to your home country.
- A medical certificate.
Other documents may be required in addition to these as part of the Digital Nomad Visa application.
Common Questions about the Digital Nomad Visa
How Long Does it Take to Get a Greek Digital Nomad Visa?
Depending on which consulate you apply with, it may take from two weeks to a month. There is no guarantee on delivery time, and the best way to make sure there are no delays is to make sure you submit the correct documents.
How Much Does the Greece Digital Nomad Visa Cost?
To apply for a Digital Nomad Visa, you need to pay a €75 application fee and €150 administration fee.
Can I Bring My Family Members?
Yes, you can bring a spouse or children under the age of 18 who are dependents. They can live in Greece for the same amount of time as you. Note that the salary requirements may increase if you bring your family.
Best Places to Work Remotely in Greece
These locations are chosen because they are places where you won’t get lonely. In some of the smaller islands far from the mainland, the winter can be very quiet and some services close for the low season.
Athens
Athens is arguably the best place in Greece to work remotely, because there is constant good Wi-Fi. Athens has many hip cafes and they encourage working on your laptop (this is more true than in the islands, where mostly in cafes, you will see people chatting.) If you want to find somewhere more consistent, you can also pay to work at a coworking space in Athens.
One of the most popular coworking spaces in Athens is Selina, which features not only working space, but also a coffee shop, a wellness center, and a variety of live music and art events. Stone Soup is another coworking space in central Athens that is popular for entrepreneurs. Lastly, Impact Hub in Athens has private offices and plenty of natural light, with optional workshops for digital nomads.
Rhodes
Rhodes is a popular place for digital nomads because it is a sunny island with visitors from all over Europe. It also has connections with other countries in Europe, making it a good starting point for weekend travels. Rhodes has several coworking spaces in its main towns, and the cafes have good wifi. The beach will be on your doorstep and you will have plenty of activities when you are not working.
Patras
Patras is a lively city with plenty of cafes that are ideal for laptops, and you will have easy access to the coastline of the Peloponnese. Patras also has coworking spaces for as little as 12 euros per day. Patras is a port, so it has links to other islands and countries too, if you want a quick getaway. The Patras Tiny Coworking Space is one of the best workspaces in town.
Crete
Crete is Greece’s largest island with plenty of sights to be explored when you are not working – rocky mountains and charming towns, as well as impressive beaches. The wifi is free is most cafes in Crete, and there are bus services around the island, making it easy to get around. Crete has a “Work from Paradise” program for digital nomads, offering 5G networks across the island.
The top coworking space in Heraklion is Office 12, where you pay a monthly fee to access workspaces, events and workshops, and secure storage for your documents. In Chania, the best coworking space is Workhub, which has amenities like conference areas, meeting rooms, printers, a kitchen, and relaxation areas. One other popular option is Pom in Heraklion, pictured below.
OurEscape: Co-living in Crete
OurEscape thinks of co-working differently. Hosting digital nomads in one of Crete’s prime locations, Plakias on the southern coast, this company lets you fully enjoy life with a community of other digital nomads. The space is ideal for freelancers, remote workers, or business owners who want to work remotely with a community of like-minded people. OurEscape regularly hosts workshops and business-related talks, social dinners and movie nights, as well as hiking activities.
They host digital nomads in Plakias at 2 villas: Villa Hestia and Villa Calliope, which are provided by Notos Real Estate Management. Up to 19 nomads can stay at one point in time, often coming from all over the world – not just from European countries but also from North and South America. The location in Plakias is ideal in the winter because the climate is mild.
Villa Hestia
Villa Hestia, the larger of the two, is where the social activities happen. It has a spacious living room that opens up to a terrace and infinity pool. The outdoor space has a second dining area with a wooden table and chairs for 12 people, a cozy reading corner with a view, a patio with sun loungers facing the swimming pool, and a balcony area.
Villa Calliope
Villa Calliope’s living room has been turned into a shared workspace, outfitted with office chairs, long tables, Starlink WiFi, and a kitchen for preparing lunches. You can even enjoy a view of the infinity pool and the Libyan Sea from the comfort of your desk
These villas are typically rented for the winter season by OurEscape, but in the summer season, Villa Hestia and Villa Calliope are available for short-term rental for your own vacation. Explore rates on Notos’s website.
Notos Real Estate Management
One example of a high-quality property management company is Notos Estate Management. Notos is known for their 5-star service, offering a full villa maintenance and rental management service for private villa owners in the south of Crete. Working with a property management company like Notos can drastically improve your return on investment on your property in Greece.
