Without valid status in Greece: the ended 7-year route, remaining exceptional permits, return and penalties
Greece removed the seven-year continuous stay ground for an exceptional-reasons permit through Law 5226/2025. The permit remains for parents of a Greek minor. It is granted once for three years. Humanitarian ad hoc permits remain at the Minister's discretion. Otherwise the law provides for return decisions with 7 to 14 days for voluntary departure, entry bans of up to 10 years, and criminal penalties for staying without the legal formalities.
Moving to Greece
Practical facts for newcomers, from official sources Finance Living
Finance
3
Currency
Euro
EUR
Euro
Cost of living
66
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
9–44%
Income tax (national)
VAT 24%
2026 scale for employment/pension/business income: 9%, 20%, 26%, 34%, 39% (EUR 40,000-60,000), 44% above EUR 60,000; lower rates for families and under-30s.
Living
1
Happiness
#83 of 145 countries
World Happiness Report 2025
Eligibility
Who it’s for: People in Greece without a valid residence permit, or whose renewal window has closed.
Seven-year stay ground removed
Sign in to check this route against your profileArticle 29 of Law 5226/2025 deleted the seven-year route. Do not rely on older guidance.
Type A.6 for parents
Sign in to check this route against your profileA Secretary of the Decentralised Administration may grant it to third-country nationals who are parents of a Greek minor and prove the parental link. It gives labour market access.
Type A.1 ad hoc permit
Sign in to check this route against your profileThe Minister may grant it on humanitarian grounds to people in Greece, in particular victims and key witnesses of crimes, victims of domestic violence or racist crime, victims of work accidents, people in an approved addiction treatment programme, and people who risked their lives in acts of social virtue.
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Places to visit in Greece
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Other routes to Greece
- Visit & tourismSchengen tourist & business visa
- StudyNational long-stay visa (type D) for studies, followed by a residence permit for studies
- Work permitsEU Blue Card - residence permit for highly qualified employees
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