Can you work in Greece with a Golden Visa? The property-based Golden Visa does not itself authorise employment or self-employment in Greece. It can support a residence plan, but a job offer, a freelance practice and an investment in a company raise different questions.
This guide concerns the permanent investor residence permit under Article 100 of the Migration Code, category B.5. Other investment or employment categories should be assessed on their own terms. Before choosing the Greece Golden Visa programme, describe how you and your family intend to earn income after relocating.
Does the Greece Golden Visa include work rights?
Article 100(9) of Law 5038/2023 excludes access to any form of work for permits granted under that article. Residence in an owned apartment therefore does not turn the investor card into an employment permit.
For planning purposes, separate three questions: where you may live, what work you may perform and how your income will be taxed. Approval of one does not settle the others. Ask an employer to review the actual residence category before agreeing a start date, rather than relying on the words “permanent investor”.
Can a Golden Visa holder own a Greek company?
Company ownership and working for the company are separate matters. Clarification 18 of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's Circular 1 of 21 April 2026 permits company formation and the exercise of corporate rights as a shareholder, partner or non-executive board member, provided the investor does not work for the company. It excludes company legal representatives and executive board members from those permitted capacities.
A business proposal should identify who owns the shares, who represents the company and who performs its daily work. Review those roles before incorporating or accepting an appointment.
How do common investor plans compare?
Use the following examples to prepare questions for a Greek immigration adviser. They describe the B.5 permit alone; a person may have a different, independently established basis for work.
| Proposed activity | What to check |
|---|---|
| Accept a salaried role in Athens | An appropriate work-authorising status is needed. |
| Provide freelance services locally | B.5 does not authorise self-employment. |
| Hold shares without working in the business | Separate corporate ownership rights from operating duties. |
| Become the company's executive director or legal representative | These roles are outside the circular's permitted ownership capacities. |
For example, an investor proposing to fund a consultancy should prepare a role chart before signing company documents. Include the intended director, staff, client-facing responsibilities and decision-making arrangements. Give the adviser the draft documents and an honest description of the intended activity, rather than asking for approval of a job title in isolation.
Can you work remotely for an overseas employer?
Remote work needs a separate assessment. Do not assume that payment into an overseas bank account answers the immigration question. Record where you will physically work, where the employer or clients are established, what services you provide and how long you expect to stay.
Article 68 of the Migration Code establishes a distinct digital nomad framework for qualifying remote work for employers or clients outside Greece. This is a separate route with its own requirements, rather than a benefit automatically attached to a Golden Visa.
Ask your adviser whether that framework or another status fits your circumstances. Ask the employer to review its own payroll and cross-border obligations too. Avoid arranging a relocation solely around an informal statement that “the job is abroad”.
Can your spouse or adult children work in Greece?
A family residence card should not be treated as an automatic employment permission. The Article 100 work restriction applies to permits granted under that article; check each relative's actual permit and any independent status they hold.
Prepare a separate plan for a spouse accepting a job, a child entering university and an adult child considering a business. Their objectives may require different advice. When discussing residency options, explain these plans early so the family's preferred programme is assessed against more than the principal investor's property purchase.
Which permit should someone who wants to work consider?
Start with the proposed activity and then examine the appropriate route. The European Commission's EU Blue Card guidance describes a pathway for qualifying highly skilled paid employment, subject to qualifications, an eligible offer and national conditions. It is not a general self-employment permission.
Other employment or business-related categories may merit review depending on the role. Have the adviser confirm the applicable Greek rules, eligibility, application location and the point at which work can begin. A suitable route on paper is not an approved permit, and a pending application should not be assumed to authorise the proposed activity.
Are work rights and Greek tax residence connected?
Tax compliance does not create immigration permission. Equally, a restriction on employment does not remove the need to assess tax obligations.
The Greek tax authority's July 2025 tax guide explains that residence tests include a permanent or principal home, habitual residence or centre of vital interests. Presence exceeding 183 days within a twelve-month period is another test, with a specified exception for certain private visits.
Give a tax adviser your travel calendar, household arrangements and income details. Do not use “under 183 days” as a complete tax conclusion, or assume that holding the investor card alone determines tax residence.
What should you check before accepting a role?
Prepare a short file that makes the proposed arrangement clear:
- Your passport, residence card and the decision identifying its category.
- A draft offer, service agreement or proposed company appointment.
- A description of actual duties, work location, hours and reporting arrangements.
- Company ownership and representation documents where relevant.
- A separate account of each family member's planned work or study.
- Your expected travel dates and income sources for the tax review.
Request written advice addressing the activity, the required permission and the steps needed before starting. If the plan changes from passive investment to an operating role, revisit that assessment. Capitals28 can help organise the residency discussion and coordinate the questions for the relevant Greek legal and tax professionals.
