Greece taxes foreign pensioners who move here at a flat 7% on all their foreign income, for 15 years. For a single pensioner with a mid-sized pension, that can save several thousand euros a year compared with the normal scale. The rules changed in 2026: the application deadline is now 31 October of the tax year, not 31 March as older guides still say. This guide covers who qualifies, what it saves, the treaty traps and the rest of the move: residence, healthcare and the first-year admin.
The short answer
- 7% flat on all foreign-source income (pensions, but also foreign rent, dividends and interest) for 15 tax years, under Article 5B of the Income Tax Code.
- Conditions: a pension from abroad, not Greek tax resident in 5 of the last 6 years, and a move from a country with a tax cooperation agreement with Greece (EU states and most countries with a tax treaty with Greece; check yours).
- New deadline: apply by 31 October of the year you want the regime for; documents by 30 November; pay by the last working day of December, in one go.
- Not automatic for couples: each spouse qualifies and applies separately.
- Government pensions (UK civil service, German Beamte) usually stay taxable in the country that pays them.
Who qualifies
Article 5B is open to individuals who:
- Receive a pension from abroad, proven by a document from the foreign pension provider;
- Were not Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years;
- Move their tax residence to Greece from a state with which Greece has an administrative cooperation agreement on tax.
The law sets no nationality requirement and no minimum pension amount. The 5-of-6-years test is the same one used for the 50% tax break under Article 5C, which is for people who come to work. There is no family add-on: a spouse with their own foreign pension must qualify in their own right, and a spouse without one does not qualify; any foreign income they have is taxed under the normal rules.
What the 7% covers and what it does not
The 7% applies to all foreign-source income, not only the pension: foreign rent, dividends, interest and capital income are included. Paying the 7% settles your Greek tax on that foreign income for the year. Tax already paid abroad can be credited, but only up to the Greek 7%; any excess is not refunded.
What stays outside:
- Greek-source income (Greek rent, a Greek job, Greek bank interest) is taxed under the normal rules.
- Income a tax treaty exempts or taxes differently follows the treaty. The common case is government pensions; see below.
- Inheritance and gift tax are not affected.
Note that the 7% applies even where income would otherwise be taxed lower. Foreign dividends, normally taxed at 5% in Greece, fall under the 7% too. If you still work or have large investment income, compare the other regimes in Article 5C vs the non-dom regime.
What it saves: a worked example
Single pensioner, foreign pension of €30,000 a year, tax year 2026:
| Normal Greek scale | Article 5B | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax on €30,000 | €5,500 (9% / 20% / 26% bands) | €2,100 (7%) |
| Pensioner tax credit | −€417 | – |
| Tax due | ≈ €5,083 (≈ 17%) | €2,100 (7%) |
That is about €3,000 a year, or roughly €45,000 over 15 years at a constant pension. The benefit grows with the pension. For smaller pensions it shrinks fast: a couple with €15,000 each pays about €2,370 together on the normal scale and €2,100 under 5B, a saving of only around €270 a year. Run your own numbers before you apply, because the decision is hard to undo (see below).
The 2026 changes: deadlines and payment
Law 5313/2026 and AADE (the Greek tax authority) decision A.1192/2026 reworked the procedure. Older pages online still show a 31 March deadline; that no longer applies.
- Application: by 31 October of the tax year you want the regime for, through myAADE (AADE’s online portal, under “My Requests”), by post or in person at the competent tax office.
- Which year: if you moved your tax residence to Greece on or before 2 July, you can choose that year (apply by 31 October of that year) or the following year. If you moved after 2 July, only the following year.
- Documents: a tax residence certificate from your former country (or the treaty residence form where one applies) and proof of your pension from the foreign provider; foreign documents with an apostille. Missing documents can follow until 30 November.
- Payment: the 7% is paid once a year by the last working day of December. There are no instalments. If you miss the payment, you are out of the regime from that year on and taxed on your worldwide income under the normal rules.
- Leaving the regime: you can revoke by 31 October of a tax year, but a revocation is final; you cannot come back in.
- Annual return: you still file a Greek income tax return (E1) every year, usually from mid-March to 15 July, declaring Greek and foreign income.
Treaty pitfalls: which pension is taxed where
The 7% only bites on income Greece is allowed to tax. Each country’s treaty with Greece decides that:
- UK: private and occupational pensions are taxed in Greece, and the UK State Pension is generally treated the same way; you claim UK exemption with HMRC’s DT-Individual form (a ‘No Tax’ code stops UK deductions). UK government pensions (civil service, armed forces) stay taxable in the UK. More in our UK guide.
- Germany: the statutory pension (gesetzliche Rente) is taxed only in Greece; civil servant pensions (Beamtenpensionen) stay taxable in Germany. More in our Germany guide.
- United States: the treaty’s saving clause lets the US keep taxing its citizens, who file in both countries; the Greek credit for US tax is capped at the 7%. Non-US citizens receiving US Social Security face US withholding, since Greece is not on the US list of treaty exemptions.
- Canada: Canada may also tax private pensions at source, capped at 15% of the gross payment once annual payments exceed CAD 15,000; check how CPP and OAS are treated. Anything above the Greek 7% is not credited.
- Australia: there is no tax treaty with Greece, so double taxation is a real risk and the credit is capped at the Greek 7%.
- Netherlands, Scandinavia and other state pensions: check the specific treaty; some state pensions remain taxable at source.
Residence and healthcare
EU citizens need no visa; staying longer than three months without working requires sufficient funds and health insurance, and you register with the police aliens department.
Non-EU citizens, including the British, need a national (type D) visa first and then a residence permit. The usual route for retirees is the financially independent person permit: at least €3,500 a month in stable income, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child (€4,200 for a couple), full health insurance, no right to work, valid three years and renewable. The Golden Visa (€800,000 in high-demand areas, €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 for conversions) is the investment alternative. A residence permit does not by itself make you tax resident; see the 183-day rule.
Healthcare: UK and EU state pensioners can usually request an S1 form from their home country, get an AMKA (Greek social security number) and register the S1 with the Greek public health system (EOPYY; in practice often through your local EFKA office); the home country then pays for Greek public healthcare. The S1 can only be registered once you live here, so non-EU retirees usually bridge the first months with private cover, which the visa requires anyway. Pensioners with only a private pension, and those from the US, Canada, Australia and others, need private insurance.
Your first-year checklist
- AFM (Greek tax number), online via myAADE; see what the AFM is.
- Residence permit or EU registration, and the move of your tax residence to Greece.
- AMKA and S1 registration (if eligible), or private health insurance.
- Greek bank account; see opening a bank account.
- Article 5B application by 31 October, with the residence certificate and pension proof.
- DT-Individual or equivalent in your home country, so the pension is not taxed twice.
- If you buy a home: E9 (property register declaration) and ENFIA (the annual property tax); see AFM for property buyers.
- Every year: E1 return, usually mid-March to 15 July; 7% payment by the end of December.
Common mistakes
- Assuming 7% always wins. On small pensions the saving is minimal, and foreign dividends are taxed at 7% instead of 5%.
- Assuming the spouse is covered. Each spouse must qualify in their own right.
- Treating the deadlines as soft. A late application, a missed December payment or a hasty revocation cannot be fixed afterwards.
- Relying on old guides that still show the 31 March deadline.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 7% tax regime for pensioners in Greece?
Under Article 5B of the Greek Income Tax Code, pensioners who move their tax residence to Greece can pay a flat 7% on all their foreign-source income for 15 tax years, instead of the normal progressive scale of 9% to 44%. Greek-source income is still taxed normally.
Who qualifies for the 7% flat tax in Greece?
People who receive a pension from abroad, were not Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years, and move their tax residence to Greece from a country that has an administrative tax cooperation agreement with Greece, which covers EU states and most countries with a tax treaty with Greece. A spouse has to qualify in their own right.
What is the deadline to apply for the 7% regime?
31 October of the tax year you want the regime for, with documents by 30 November. Tax residence moved to Greece by 2 July: that year or the next. Moved later: only the next year.
When is the 7% tax paid?
Once a year, in one payment, by the last working day of December. No instalments; a missed payment takes you out of the regime from that year on.
How taxomade can help
We check whether the 7% regime pays off in your case, prepare and file the Article 5B application and your annual Greek tax return, and handle the Greek side of the treaty paperwork, such as having your DT-Individual form certified by the Greek tax office. If you also earn income in Greece, see our ongoing bookkeeping. Send us a message with your pension details for a free check.
Rules reflect Greek law and AADE decision A.1192/2026 as of October 2026. Treaty outcomes depend on the type of pension and your nationality.