I moved to Greece from Russia four years ago. I was a successful freelancer, and he continued to develop in this direction.
Why Greece and Athens.
I was in Greece twice on vacation for 3-4 weeks. Fell in love with the country, prices, mentality, climate, and soft laws. There is no winter and snow: + 10 ° in January, + 35 ° in August. In the center of the capital, there is not even dust, high humidity. Allergy sufferers, asthmatics, people with jumping pressure feel comfortable here.
Beaches
In Greece, 471 beaches with the "Blue Flag" - a premium that is inherent in beaches with clean water and developed infrastructure. The city beaches are clean and comfortable. I think the swimming season is open in late April and closes in September-October.
Security
Even in the dead of night, I walk without fear. She stopped straining when a crowd of young guys pumped up to meet them. Wine and beer flow like water. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the number of homicides in Greece is 1.5, which is below the OECD average of 4.1 places. Read the report on the organization’s website.
Fresh food and delicious cuisine
The food is always fresh, and the quality of the products is respected. Prices on weekly farmer's markets are 3-4 times cheaper than in hypermarkets. Prices in supermarkets are also nice. In Lidl, for example:
• Gouda cheese, 400 gr. - € 1.83,
• salami, 650 gr. - 4.49 €,
• minced meat, 650 gr. - 2,99 €,
• potatoes, 1 kg - 0.89 €,
• tomatoes, 1 kg - 1.29 €.
Cheap real estate
The cost of apartments during the crisis fell. Now the average price is 800 - 1800 euros per square. It depends on the area and the quality of housing. One-bedroom apartment will cost 35,000 - 50,000 euros.
Work from home is not necessary. A monthly subscription in coworking will cost 100 - 400 euros. The EU Startups website has a list of coworking in Athens.
How to prepare for the move
At least for two weeks. We do not have a single urban architecture or perfect cleanliness. Acropolis and absolute tolerance.
If you liked the city, immediately find a lawyer and a realtor. To rent an apartment in a city with a population of one million people will be accomplished.
When you decide to move for a long time, send a request to the consulate for a visa D. She wants to obtain a residence permit, offspring, and citizenship. To obtain such a visa, you need to confirm an income of 24,000 euros per year or 2,400 per month for a family, for a spouse - another 20% of this amount, for each child + 15%.
Show contracts with customers, statements of accounts and deposits, paper on inheritance or sale of apartments. So far you have received as much money as you need. Official confirmation of securities. Alternatively, you can borrow from relatives and friends, put in a bank to get money and give out debts.
Further help is needed:
• birth certificate with apostille,
• certificate of family composition,
• certificate of good conduct,
• medical certificate for traveling abroad - specify the form in your country,
• a baptismal certificate - not necessarily, but desirable, because
• two color photographs.
I send copies of documents to the consulate and document them with questions. You are scheduled to meet with the consul. And, most likely, within 1-3 days, within the next two weeks from the moment of arrival in Greece.
Collection of booking tickets and arrangements to rent an apartment from a realtor. A lawyer will warn you about such nuances as soon as you start collecting documents. He will be in touch with the consul.
What to do upon arrival
Do not carry the full amount of cash. When you arrive in Greece, open an account, put some amount of money, but you will need to officially transfer 10,000 euros from the bank of your country to Greece, otherwise, the account will not be released.
Then you will be registered with the Greek tax inspectorate, make insurance. After that, you have documents, fingerprints and after 2-4 weeks.
Congratulations! You got a residence permit, the opportunity to ride in Schengen and live legally in Greece. Claim benefits. You pay taxes on telework or online business.