Destination Guides
Taxes in Greece for Americans: What to Know Before You Move
Understand Greek tax residence, continuing US filings, pensions and the separate newcomer tax regimes before moving to Greece.
Americans moving to Greece need to consider two tax systems. If you become a Greek tax resident, Greece may tax your income from both Greek and foreign sources. At the same time, U.S. citizens generally remain subject to U.S. tax filing rules while living abroad.
Greece also offers special tax regimes for some newcomers, including relief for qualifying workers and an alternative tax for certain investors. These can be valuable, but neither is automatic. Your income, immigration arrangements, tax residence and U.S. obligations all need to be considered together.
The rules and figures below reflect information available as of October 2026. Because the outcome depends on your circumstances, consult professionals familiar with both U.S. and Greek taxation before relocating.
Do Americans living in Greece still file U.S. taxes?
U.S. citizens living abroad generally remain subject to the same federal filing requirements as citizens living in the United States. If you meet the applicable filing threshold, you ordinarily file Form 1040 and report worldwide income, even if you also file a Greek tax return.
Filing does not necessarily mean you will owe U.S. income tax. Foreign tax credits and other provisions may reduce your U.S. liability, depending on your income and circumstances.
You may also have to report financial accounts or assets outside the United States. Two requirements to understand are the FBAR and Form 8938.
When is an FBAR required?
The Foreign Bank Account Report, or FBAR, is filed separately from your U.S. income tax return.
It generally applies if you have a financial interest in, or signature authority over, qualifying foreign financial accounts whose combined value exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. The threshold applies to the aggregate value of the accounts, not just one account.
For example, opening a Greek bank account may create an FBAR obligation when its balance is considered together with any other reportable non-U.S. accounts.
What is FATCA Form 8938?
Form 8938 is used to report specified foreign financial assets when the applicable threshold is met. The threshold depends on your filing status and whether you qualify for the rules for taxpayers living abroad.
Form 8938 and the FBAR are separate requirements with different rules. Some assets or accounts may need to be reported on both forms, while other situations may require only one or neither.
When do you become a Greek tax resident?
Greek tax residence depends on the facts of your situation, including your presence and connections in Greece. A visa, a property purchase and tax residence are related but separate matters: receiving a visa or buying a home does not, by itself, answer every tax-residence question.
A person who becomes a Greek tax resident is generally subject to Greek tax on taxable income arising both in Greece and abroad, subject to applicable treaty provisions and special regimes.
Before moving to Greece, ask an adviser to assess your expected arrival date, where you will live, your personal and professional ties, and the time you expect to spend in each country. The timing may matter if you are planning a pension withdrawal, property sale or other significant financial transaction.
What are Greece’s income tax rates?
Greece’s ordinary income tax rates are progressive. For 2026, the general scale for employment, pensions and business income ranges from 9% to 44%, although the rates applicable to an individual can be affected by factors including age and dependent children.
A progressive scale means that higher rates generally apply to portions of income within the relevant brackets—not necessarily to all of your income. Different categories of income, such as dividends or rental income, may be taxed under different rules.
The rate range alone cannot tell you what you will owe. Your taxable income, deductions, income sources, treaty position and eligibility for any special regime all affect the calculation.
Does the U.S.–Greece tax treaty prevent double taxation?
The U.S.–Greece income tax treaty provides rules intended to help address double taxation, but it should not be treated as a guarantee that all income will be taxed in only one country.
The outcome depends on the type and source of income, your tax residence, citizenship and the applicable treaty provisions. Foreign tax credits may also reduce tax in one country when qualifying tax has been paid in the other, but credits are subject to conditions and limits.
A practical review should consider each income source separately: employment earnings, Social Security, private pensions, investment income and rental income do not necessarily receive the same treatment.
Is U.S. Social Security taxable only in the United States?
Do not assume that U.S. Social Security is always taxable exclusively in the United States under the U.S.–Greece treaty.
The treaty contains provisions concerning government-service pensions and private pensions, but the material provided does not establish a general rule that all U.S. Social Security benefits received by a Greek resident are taxable only in the United States. The treaty and the individual’s circumstances require careful review.
U.S. Social Security benefits may be taxable on a U.S. return depending on the recipient’s total income and filing status. Before retiring in Greece, ask a cross-border specialist how both countries would treat your particular benefit and any other pensions you receive.
Can digital nomads receive a 50% Greek tax exemption?
Greece has a tax regime under Article 5C that can exempt 50% of qualifying income from employment or business activity earned in Greece for up to seven tax years.
The important distinction is that the relief is a tax regime, not an automatic benefit attached to a digital nomad visa. Holding the visa does not by itself establish that your work arrangement or income qualifies.
Who may qualify for the 50% exemption?
Greek tax authority guidance lists conditions that include:
- Not having been a Greek tax resident for five of the six years before transferring tax residence.
- Transferring tax residence from an eligible country.
- Meeting the rules for qualifying employment in Greece or individual business activity.
- Declaring an intention to remain in Greece for at least two years.
Employment arrangements require particular care. The tax authority’s guidance refers to qualifying services provided through a Greek entity or a Greek permanent establishment of a foreign company, as well as qualifying sole-proprietor business activity. An American working remotely for a U.S. employer should not assume the arrangement automatically meets those rules.
The exemption applies to qualifying income, not necessarily to all worldwide income. Ask a Greek tax adviser to review your work structure and the application process before relying on the benefit.
How does Greece’s €100,000 non-dom tax regime work?
Greece offers a separate alternative tax regime under Article 5A for certain individuals who transfer tax residence to Greece and meet the investment and other eligibility requirements.
Under this regime, a qualifying taxpayer can generally pay €100,000 per year on foreign-source income for up to 15 tax years. It is not a flat tax covering all worldwide income: Greek-source income is generally dealt with separately under applicable Greek rules.
The Greek tax authority’s published guidance includes an investment requirement of at least €500,000 in qualifying Greek investments, subject to the applicable conditions. It also states that the annual amount increases by €20,000 for each family member included in the regime.
For a U.S. citizen, the Greek lump sum is only part of the calculation. Ask both Greek and U.S. advisers how the regime would interact with your U.S. filing obligations and whether any Greek tax paid would be eligible for U.S. foreign tax credits in your circumstances.
Are there tax options for retirees moving to Greece?
Greece also has a separate Article 5B regime for qualifying individuals who receive a pension from abroad and transfer their tax residence to Greece. It is distinct from both the worker exemption and the €100,000 investor regime.
If you are considering retiring in Greece, ask a specialist whether you qualify, which income it would cover and how it would interact with U.S. taxes. Do this before choosing a regime based solely on its advertised rate.
What about Social Security contributions if you work in Greece?
Income tax and Social Security contributions are separate issues. If you work in Greece, you may need to consider whether contributions are due to the Greek system, the U.S. system or another arrangement.
The United States and Greece have a Social Security agreement intended in part to prevent dual coverage for the same work. The outcome depends on the facts—for example, whether you are self-employed, hired in Greece or temporarily sent there by a U.S. employer.
Discuss the arrangement with your employer and an adviser before moving. Do not assume that permission to work remotely answers the question of where Social Security contributions are payable.
Financial steps to take before moving to Greece
A review before your move can help you understand the combined effect of Greek and U.S. rules while you still have time to plan.
Prepare a list of:
- Your expected moving date and time spent in each country.
- Employment or self-employment income.
- U.S. Social Security and other pensions.
- Investment income and foreign financial accounts.
- Rental income and property you own.
- Any employer arrangements for working from Greece.
- The Greek tax regime you may wish to investigate.
Then ask advisers familiar with both countries to assess your tax residence, likely filing obligations, treaty treatment and potential eligibility for relief. Have them model the combined U.S. and Greek result before making a decision based on a single advertised rate.
If you’re planning a move to Greece and want help identifying the tax and financial questions to address before you go, contact Vantage Point Europe to discuss your plans and be connected with an appropriate independent specialist.
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