A passive-income route to living in Greece — built on stable, legally-acquired resources rather than a large lump-sum investment. Honest figures, clear stages, no guesswork.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against Greek Immigration Law 5038/2023 settings.
Free Greece FIP Eligibility Assessment — passive-income test (pensions, rent, dividends, portfolio income), 3-year residence permit, Schengen travel, dependant uplifts.
Get Assessment| Greece Financially Independent Person (FIP) Residence Permit | |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Article 163(8), Greek Immigration Law 5038/2023 |
| Governing authority | Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum |
| Income test | Approx. EUR 3,500/month passive income (single); +20% spouse/partner, +15% per child |
| Permit validity | 3 years, renewable for further 3-year terms |
| Presence for renewal | Roughly 183 days per year (about half the year) in Greece |
| Pathway | Long-term residence eligibility at 5 years; citizenship eligibility at 7 years (language + integration) |
| Status / As of | OPEN — June 2026 |
Program figures are set by the Greek authorities and are subject to change. Cosmos-side costs are confirmed only after an assessment — [fees confirmed after assessment].
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. The FIP suits retirees, remote earners with passive portfolios, and families who want a European base without buying property or running a business in Greece.
Our role is to turn the Law 5038/2023 rules into a clear, executable file — then coordinate submission through the right authorised professionals in Greece.
The Greece FIP visa requires roughly EUR 3,500 per month in stable passive income for a single applicant, under Law 5038/2023. That figure rises by 20% if you bring a spouse or partner and by a further 15% for each child. The income must be passive — pensions, rental income, dividends or investment-portfolio income — not a salary.
That threshold replaced the earlier framework, which sat near EUR 2,000 a month. Salary or active business income earned inside Greece does not count, and the visa does not permit you to work or run a business there. The most common reason a file stalls is mixing active earnings into the income evidence — so the first thing we do is test whether your income is genuinely passive and well-documented. Find out where you stand — free assessment.
The honest note. Some sources mention a lump-sum bank deposit as an alternative to monthly income, often quoted near EUR 126,000. That deposit route is not written into Law 5038/2023 — minimum sums vary by consulate and authority discretion, so treat any figure as an approximate range, never a promised amount. We confirm the documentation route that actually fits your case during the assessment, with exact figures verified for your consulate.
The FIP is an income-based residence permit, while the Greece Golden Visa is investment-based — you qualify for the Golden Visa by placing capital (commonly EUR 250,000 to EUR 800,000 in property or other approved assets), whereas the FIP asks you to prove ongoing passive income rather than buy anything.
In practice the FIP is the lower-cost passive-income alternative for people who have stable resources but do not want to tie up a large lump sum. The trade-off is that the FIP carries a real presence expectation — about 183 days a year in Greece for renewal — while the Golden Visa has historically had lighter residence demands. Which one fits depends entirely on your money, your mobility and your timeline. We map both honestly so you choose on facts, not marketing.
The Greece FIP residence permit is now issued for 3 years and renews for further 3-year terms, after a mid-2024 change that increased it from the previous 2-year card. To renew, you are expected to spend a minimum of roughly 183 days per year — about half the year — physically in Greece.
That presence rule is the part many applicants underestimate. The FIP is designed for people genuinely making Greece their base, not a paper residence held from abroad. If you can keep your passive income documented and meet the presence expectation, the renewal cycle is straightforward — and at five years of continuous residence you become eligible to apply for long-term resident status. We build the file with renewal in mind from day one. Message us on WhatsApp.
Cosmos Immigration provides structured eligibility review, documentation preparation and case management for the Greece FIP. Applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network in Greece; Cosmos coordinates eligibility, documentation and case-management throughout. Greece sits outside the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand regulators, so the Greek-side filing is handled by the appropriate authorised professionals there.
The Greece FIP permit grants short-stay travel within the Schengen area, but it does not give you the right to live or work in other EU countries — your residence rights stay confined to Greece. After 5 years of continuous residence you may become eligible for long-term resident status, and citizenship eligibility opens at 7 years subject to a Greek language exam and integration assessment.
The FIP is a residence permit, not citizenship-by-investment — so Indian renunciation, passport surrender and OCI rules are not triggered by it. What does matter is how you move money. If you stake funds abroad (for example, building a bank balance for the discretionary deposit route) or remit money to evidence resources, the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme applies — currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year. Proving existing overseas passive income (pension, dividends, rent) is generally cleaner than a large lump-sum remittance.
This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
Criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
← View all long-term residency visa pathways on the residency hub page.
You need roughly EUR 3,500 per month in stable passive income for a single applicant under Law 5038/2023, plus 20% more for a spouse or partner and 15% more per child. The income must come from pensions, rent, dividends or investments — not salary. A lump-sum deposit is sometimes accepted but is discretionary, not fixed in law.
No. The Financially Independent Person permit is for people who support themselves from passive income and do not take salaried employment or run a business inside Greece. Active income earned in Greece does not count toward the income test, and the permit does not authorise work there.
The residence card is issued for 3 years and renews for further 3-year terms, after an increase from the previous 2-year validity in mid-2024. For renewal you are expected to spend roughly 183 days per year — about half the year — physically in Greece.
It can, over time. After 5 years of continuous residence you may become eligible for long-term resident status, and citizenship eligibility opens at 7 years. Citizenship is conditional on a Greek language exam and an integration assessment, so it is never guaranteed or automatic.
The permit allows short-stay travel within the Schengen area, but it does not grant the right to live or work in other EU countries. Your residence rights are confined to Greece, which is also where the 183-day presence expectation applies for renewal.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014. For the Greece FIP, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network, while Cosmos coordinates eligibility, documentation and case-management. You can verify our standing on the official regulators' public registers. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the Greek authorities and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether the Greece FIP fits your income and plans — even if the answer is no.
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