All residence permits are now codified under clear categories (E, Z, O, B, H, A, M, N, I, P, Y, D). The framework entered into force on 1 June 2025, replacing the previous structure of Law 5038/2023.
To ensure continuity, the law introduces transitional provisions (Art. 177 Law 5038/2023). These provisions determine whether your existing permit:
- remains valid as is,
- will automatically be renewed under the new code, or
- requires you to switch to a new category immediately.
1. Who can simply wait for renewal
If your permit exists in the new Code, you don’t need to take action now — the transition happens upon renewal.
Examples:
- Blue Card (E.1) – fully retained.
- Digital Nomads (Z.1 / I.8) – integrated without changes.
- Family Reunification (O.1) – continues under the same structure.
- Real Estate Investors (B.5) – still available, with the new higher thresholds.
➡️ In these cases, no proactive application is needed before renewal.
2. Who needs to switch categories now
If your current permit no longer exists under Law 5187/2024, you must apply for a change of status.
Examples:
- Independent Economic Activity – no longer a stand-alone category; must switch, usually to M.2 (long-term resident) or I.8 (financially independent).
- Permanent Residence Card (under Law 4251/2014) – abolished; holders must transfer to M.2.
➡️ Holders of such permits should initiate conversion immediately to avoid gaps in legal stay.
3. Special cases to monitor
- Family Members of Investors: Spouses and children of B.1–B.5 investors fall under O.1, but the exact pathway depends on the investor’s category (e.g. O.1 by virtue of B.5).
- Second-generation residence permits: Previously issued under Law 4251/2014 now fall under M.2, with different renewal rules.
- Exceptional and Humanitarian cases: Consolidated into Category A, with some subcategories requiring reassessment.
4. Practical Decision Path
- If your permit type is explicitly listed in the new Code → Wait for renewal.
- If your permit type is abolished → Apply to switch now (common paths: M.2 or I.8).
- If you are an investor → Check whether your investment falls under B.1–B.6 and confirm family coverage accordingly.
Below is an overview of the residence permit types :
🔹 CATEGORIES OF RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR THE PROVISION OF DEPENDENT WORK (TYPE E’)
Ε.1 – Highly Skilled Workers (EU Blue Card)
• Target Group: University graduates with high-skill job offers.
• Salary Threshold: At least 1.6 × national gross salary.
• Duration: 2 years, renewable.
Ε.2 – Intra-corporate Transfer
• Key Conditions: Employment within the same undertaking or group of undertakings.
• Duration: 1 year, renewable until 3 years.
E.3 – Special Purpose Employment
• Target Group: Executives and employees of companies under special agreements, executives of hydrocarbon extraction companies, executives and employees of companies governed by special legislation, technicians of mines and industries of law 448, athletes and coaches, officials of well-known religions, foreign press correspondents, members of foreign archaeological schools, teachers
• Duration: 3 years, renewable.
E.4 – Standard Employment
E.5 & E.6 – Seasonal or Sector-Specific Employment
🔹 RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS HOLDING A NATIONAL VISA (TYPE Z’)
Z.1 – Digital Nomads
• Target Group: Remote workers with income ≥ €3,500/month (net).
• Proof: Remote employment or self-employment for foreign entity; health insurance.
• Duration: 2 years, renewable.
• Family: Allowed, with increased income thresholds.
Z.2 – Members of artistic groups
Z.3 – Intellectual creators
Z.4 – Third-country nationals transferred by a company established in an EU or EEA member state for the purpose of providing a service
Z.5 – Third-country nationals transferred by a company established in a third country for the purpose of providing a service
Z.6 – Leaders of organized tourist groups
Z.7 – Athletic training
Z.8 – Third-country national students in higher education participating in paid internship programs
Z.9 – Australian citizens participating in the youth mobility program (Work and Holiday Visa)
Z.10 – Flight, technical, and administrative personnel entering the country to meet wildfire-fighting needs during the fire season
Z.11 – Scholars of the American Educational Foundation of Greece (Fulbright Foundation)
Z.12 – Third-country nationals applying for admission (i) to study or explore monastic life in Mount Athos or (ii) to explore monastic life in general
🔹 RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR FAMILY REASONS (TYPE O’)
O.1 – Family Reunification
• Target Group: Spouses, minor children of legal residents.
• Key Conditions: Adequate income, housing, and insurance.
• Duration: same with the main applicant’s residence permit.
O.2 – Independent Residence Permits for Family Members
O.3 – Family Members of Greek Citizens
• Eligibility: Non-EU spouses, minor children, parents of Greek nationals.
• Duration: 5 years, renewable.
• Right to Work: Yes.
🔹 INVESTMENT-BASED RESIDENCE PERMITS (TYPE B’)
B.1 – Strategic investors (natural persons – board members, shareholders)
• Target Group: Up to five (5) third-country nationals, members of the management and/or shareholders of a foreign legal entity, being the vehicle of a strategic investment.
• Recommendation by the Directorate of Direct Foreign Investments of the Ministry of Development regarding the designation of the investment as strategic and the advisability of granting a residence permit.
• Duration: 5 years, renewable.
• Includes Family: Yes (spouse, children under 21).
B.2 – Residence permit for making an investment through the establishment and operation of a business (natural persons – board members, shareholders/partners)
• Key Conditions: Implementation of an investment of a minimum amount of five hundred thousand euros (€500,000.00) that will have positive effects on national development and the economy.
• Recommendation by the Directorate of Direct Foreign Investments of the Ministry of Development regarding the designation of the investment as strategic and the advisability of granting a residence permit.
• Duration: 5 years, renewable.
• Includes Family: Yes (spouse, children under 21).
B.3 – Executives of companies established in Greece, subsidiaries of foreign companies established in Greece engaged in commercial activity (shareholders/partners, board members, managers, legal representatives)
• Target Group: 1. Third-country nationals who either participate with at least thirty-three percent (33%) ownership in the capital of a Greek company, having personally contributed in cash an amount of at least five hundred thousand (€500,000), or participate in a Greek company whose shares are traded on regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities operating in Greece, and the nominal value of the securities (shares) they hold amounts to five hundred thousand (€500,000), 2. Third-country nationals who are members of the boards of directors, legal representatives, and managers of Greek companies, as well as legal representatives of branches of foreign companies that lawfully conduct commercial activity in Greece and have assets or a turnover of at least four million (€4,000,000.00) euros in the most recently closed fiscal year.
• Includes Family: Yes (spouse, children under 21).
B.4 – Financial investments
• Categories: a. capital injection, of at least five hundred thousand euro (€500.000), into a company, b. capital injection of at least five hundred thousand euro (€500.000) to a Real Estate Investment Company (REIC), c. capital injection of at least five hundred thousand euros (€500.000) to a Closed–End Investment Company for the acquisition of shares or to a Closed-End Mutual Fund for the acquisition of shares, d. purchase of Greek Government Bonds, with acquisition value of at least five hundred thousand euros (€500.000) and remaining time to maturity, at the time of purchase, at least three (3) years, through a Credit Institution established in Greece, that constitutes the bond’s depositary as well, e. time deposit of at least five hundred thousand euros (€500.000), in a domestic Credit Institution, of a minimum duration of one (1) year, with a standing renewal order, f. purchase of shares, corporate bonds or Greek Government Bonds listed for trading or that are being traded in regulated markets or Multilateral Trading Facilities (MTFs) operating in Greece at acquisition value of at least eight hundred thousand euros (€800.000), g. purchase of shares, of at least three hundred fifty thousand euros (€350.000) in Mutual Fund established in Greece or another country and its purpose is to invest exclusively in Greek State’s shares, corporate bonds or/ and Greek Government Bonds listed for trading or being traded in regulated markets or Multilateral Trading Facilities (MTFs) operating in Greece, h. purchase of stocks or shares, worth at least three hundred fifty thousand (350.000) euros, in an Alternative Investments Fund, which is established in Greece or in another EU Member State whose purpose is to invest exclusively in real estate in Greece.
• Key Conditions: A certification, issued no earlier than two months prior, by the competent department of the Ministry of Development, confirming the implementation and retention of the investment.
• Duration: 5 years, renewable.
• Includes Family: Yes (spouse, children under 21).
B.5 – Investments in real estate (permanent residence permit for investors)
Threshold: 1. for the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki in the Region of Central Macedonia, the Regional Units of Mykonos and Thira in the South Aegean Region, and for islands with a population of over three thousand one hundred (3,100) residents according to the latest census, the minimum acquisition value of real estate at the time of its purchase is set at eight hundred thousand (€800,000), 2. for all other areas of the country, the minimum acquisition value of real estate at the time of its purchase is set at four hundred thousand (€400,000), 3. in cases of investment through the purchase of real estate where the main premises are converted into a residence, the minimum acquisition value at the time of purchase is set at two hundred fifty thousand (€250,000) (the conditions of the first paragraph also apply to investments involving the purchase of real estate consisting of an industrial building or part of one, or containing an industrial building, only if for at least the past five (5) years, no industrial activity has been established and operating within it), 4. in cases of investment through the purchase of real estate consisting of a listed (preserved) building or part of one, or where a listed building is located, intended for restoration or reconstruction, the minimum acquisition value at the time of purchase is set at two hundred fifty thousand (€250,000).
• Duration: 5 years, renewable.
• Includes Family: Yes (spouse, children under 21).
N E W B.6 – Investments in start-up companies
By decision of the Minister of Migration and Asylum, issued following certification by the Directorate of Direct Foreign Investments of the Ministry of Development regarding the implementation of the investment provided for herein, a residence permit in Greece is granted to third-country nationals who contribute at least two hundred fifty thousand (€250,000) to the capital of a company registered in the National Registry of Startups, for the purpose of acquiring shares through a capital increase or bonds through the issuance of a bond loan.
a) In the case of an investment made by a Greek legal entity, a residence permit in Greece may be granted to a third-country national, provided that they hold all of its company shares.
b) In the case of an investment made by a foreign legal entity, a residence permit in Greece may be granted to up to three (3) third-country nationals, depending on the size of the investment, provided that they each hold at least thirty-three percent (33%) of the capital of the foreign legal entity.
🔹 ADMISSION OF THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH, STUDIES, INTERNSHIP, AND VOLUNTARY SERVICE (TYPE H’)
H.1 – Education
H.2 – Voluntary Service
H.3 – Research
H.4 – Internship
H.5 – Vocational Training
H.6 – Right of residence for employees of a company established in a third country or an EU/EEA member state who participate in study programs at colleges that exclusively provide studies based on validation and franchising agreements with foreign higher education institutions recognized by the competent authorities in their home country
H.7 – Residence permit for scholarship holders – participants in special programs
H.8 – Right of residence for students of foreign higher education institutions participating in summer study programs, according to Article 90 of Law 4692/2020
H.9 – Residence permit for attendance at Schools and Special Schools of the Armed Forces, Security Corps, and the Coast Guard – Hellenic Coast Guard, or at Academies and Schools of the Merchant Navy, training schools for operators, engineers and cabin crew members of passenger aircraft, at the Athoniada Ecclesiastical Academy of Mount Athos, music educational institutions, for learning Greek language at a Teaching Center or affiliated Higher Education Institution
H.10 – Acquisition of medical specialty
🔹 RESIDENCE FOR HUMANITARIAN AND EXCEPTIONAL REASONS (TYPE A’)
A.1 – Ad Hoc Residence Permit
A.2 – Victims of Human Trafficking
A.3 – Third-country nationals who were employed either under particularly exploitative working conditions or as minors
A.4 – Persons unable to manage their own responsibilities
A.5 – Minors hosted in boarding facilities
A.6 – Residence permit for exceptional reasons with the right of access to the labor market for third-country nationals who have resided in the country for at least seven (7) consecutive years
A.7 – Admission of third-country nationals & victims of human trafficking or illegal migrant smuggling
🔹 LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMITS (TYPE M’)
M.1 – Long-term Resident Status
M.2 – Ten-year Resident Permit
🔹 RESIDENCE TITLES FOR EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS (TYPE N’)
🔹 RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR OTHER REASONS (TYPE I’)
I.1 – Residence Permit for the Service of the Public Interest
I.2 – Family Members of Diplomatic Staff
I.3 – Residence Permits for Employees as Private Servants of Members of Diplomatic Missions
I.4 – Residence Permit for Receiving Medical, Nursing, and Palliative Care
I.5 – Residence Permits for Canadian Citizens Participating in the Youth Mobility Program
I.6 – Residence Permits for Foreign Press Correspondents
I.7 – Residence Permit for Study or Acquaintance with the Monastic Life
I.8 – Residence Permits for Third-country Nationals with Sufficient Means (Financially Independent Persons)
• Target Group: Income ≥ €3,500/month (net).
• Duration: 3 years, renewable.
• Family: Allowed, with increased income thresholds.
🔹 RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR REASONS OF INTERNATIONAL AND TEMPORARY PROTECTION (TYPE P’)
P.1 – Residence Permit for Refugees
P.2 – Residence Permit for Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection
P.3 – Residence Permit for Temporary Protection
🔹 RESIDENCE PERMITS FOR ETHNIC GREEKS (TYPE Y’)
Y.1 – Residence Permit for third-country nationals who held residence permits or alien identity cards
Y.2 – Procedures for the regularization of ethnic Greeks from Albania, Turkey, and countries of the former USSR
Y.3 – Residence Permit for third-country nationals who are family members of ethnic Greeks from countries of the former USSR
🔹 (TYPE D’)
D.1 & D.2 – Residence permit for employees, members of diplomatic missions, consular officials, and staff of international and european organizations in Greece
✅ Key Points from Law 5187/2025:
• All permits from Law 5038/2023 have been reorganized under this new structure.
• Law integrates digital platforms, biometric data, and simplified procedures.
• Permits are now codified with clear codes (Z, E, I, O) for transparency.
• Transition options available for current permit holders.
Our Approach
At Amoiridis Law Services® we guide clients through these transitions, ensuring no lapse of status and identifying the optimal category for each profile. Our team provides tailored advice for:
mapping your existing permit to the new categories,
- preparing conversion applications where required, and
- securing family members’ residence rights.
How We Can Help
At Amoiridis Law Services®, we understand the complexities of the visa and permit process, and our dedicated team is here to provide guidance and support, ensuring your experience in Greece is smooth and hassle-free. For further information and personalized assistance tailored to your needs and profile, contact our legal team.
For any further information and clarifications please do not hesitate to contact our qualified legal team, ready to provide you with further personalized information tailored to your needs and your profile.
You can email us: or call/text us directly at: +306908351705 (WhatsApp/Viber)
Athens, June 2025
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