MStR Law Firm
The decision of an individual to transfer his or her tax residence to Greece is not a simple administrative change. It is often a decision with personal, professional, asset-related and investment implications. It concerns the place where a person chooses to organise his or her life, manage his or her assets, develop his or her professional activity or settle after years of residence and taxation abroad.
Greece now offers special tax regimes addressed to different categories of new tax residents: high-net-worth individuals, foreign pensioners, employees, executives, professionals and entrepreneurs who choose to transfer the centre of their life or activity to the country. The regimes under Articles 5A, 5B and 5C of the Income Tax Code are not merely tax incentives. They are planning tools that must be assessed with precision, care and a full understanding of the facts of each individual case.
Our team provides comprehensive legal and tax support to individuals considering the transfer of their tax residence to Greece or their inclusion in one of the special tax regimes. Our approach begins before the filing of the application: with the mapping of the interested person’s personal, family, professional and asset situation, in order to determine whether the transfer of tax residence is feasible, appropriate and safe.
In such matters, reality carries more weight than intention. It is not sufficient for a person simply to declare that he or she wishes to become a tax resident of Greece. The person must be able to demonstrate, consistently and adequately, that the centre of his or her vital interests, residence, work, family or economic establishment is now connected with Greece, always depending on the specific regime under which he or she seeks to be included.
Within the framework of Article 5A of the Income Tax Code, we support high-net-worth individuals who wish to transfer their tax residence to Greece and be included in the special regime for the alternative taxation of foreign-source income. We examine the eligibility conditions, the investment dimension, the structure of income and assets, as well as the possibility of extending the regime to relatives, where this is provided for.
Under Article 5B of the Income Tax Code, we provide support to foreign pensioners who choose Greece as their new place of tax establishment. Inclusion in this regime requires careful review of the source of pension and other income, previous tax residence, applicable double taxation treaties and the reporting obligations undertaken by the taxpayer in Greece.
Under Article 5C of the Income Tax Code, we guide employees, executives, professionals and entrepreneurs who transfer their tax residence to Greece and derive income from employment or business activity in the country. In such cases, the correct chronological sequence is particularly important: the assumption of employment, commencement of activity, establishment, residence and application for inclusion must be clearly and demonstrably connected with one another.
At the same time, we handle cases involving a change of tax residence, either to Greece or from Greece to another country. This procedure is not always formal or self-evident. It often requires a combination of Greek and foreign documents, tax residence certificates, proof of residence, employment documentation, evidence of family establishment, economic activity and any other evidence demonstrating where the taxpayer’s centre of life and interests is actually located.
Our experience in tax residence matters shows that success is determined by detail. A document that has not been properly issued, an inconsistency in dates, insufficient documentation or a poorly prepared application may lead to delays, challenges or tax risks. For this reason, we treat each case not as a mere filing of supporting documents, but as an organised tax establishment file.
Our objective is for the interested person to know from the outset where he or she stands, what options are available, which regime genuinely serves his or her interests and which steps must be followed. We do not treat tax relocation as an isolated application, but as an overall transition process affecting income, assets, work, family organisation and future planning.
For many individuals, Greece may become a new centre of life, work, investment or retirement. Proper tax establishment, however, requires more than an intention to settle. It requires preparation, documentation and strategy.
Our team stands by those who choose to take this step, providing clear, practical and secure guidance, so that the transfer of tax residence and inclusion in a special regime are carried out in an organised, lawful and functional manner, aligned with each client’s actual needs.