Visa-free travels for Greece passport holders

4 types of countries for travellers with a Greece passport

We can divide all countries into four types, depending on entry conditions for Greek citizens: Visa Free Countries, Visa on Arrival Countries, Electronic Travel Authorisation Countries, and Consulate Visas Countries.

Greece Golden Visa Program

Visa Free Countries — 140. Greece passport holders can visit these countries without a visa at all. In the Schengen Area, they have freedom of movement and are granted a 90-day stay every 180 days. Greeks often do not need an ID or passport to enter Schengen countries. Conditions for non-Schengen Area countries can differ: at least you must take a passport to visit them. 

Visa on Arrival Countries — 36. In this case, Greek citizens get visas at the destination country airport or online through an official website. This type of visa requires paying a fee: its amount varies from country to country, but it is usually less than a fee for a visa received through a consulate.

Electronic Travel Authorisation Countries, or eTA Countries — 10. This type is almost the same as Visa on Arrival — you fill out the questionnaire online and activate the entry permission when crossing the country's border. 

Consulate Visas Countries — 41. Greeks can get permission to visit these countries by submitting an application directly to the Consulate or Embassy and passing an interview.

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Please note that the Greece visa-free countries list and entry requirements are constantly changing due to geopolitical changes, international relations and agreements between countries. 

All the countries available visa-free to Greece passport holders

Europe

Americas

Asia

Middle East 

Oceania

Africa

Caribbean

Most popular directions for travel from Greece

In spite of a wide range of available destinations, Greece citizens mostly prefer to visit the nearest countries in Europe. In 2021, 2 million Greeks travelled abroad. 

The most popular destinations for outbound tourism from Greece are: 

Germany

Bulgaria

Italy

North Macedonia

Cyprus 

Turkey 

United Kingdom 

France

Australia

The highest international travel payments in 2021 were in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, France, Turkey, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, the United States, Bulgaria, Egypt, Poland, and the Czech Republic. 

USA entry. Greek citizens can enter the USA with eTA or ESTA — an electronic visa. The process of obtaining this visa is called “mail-in”. For application, you need to register with Global Support Service: the entire procedure is described on the U.S. Embassy website.  

UK entry. For travel to the United Kingdom, you do not need a visa, in spite of Brexit. The allowed period of stay is 90 days out of 180.

How to get a Greece Passport

You can get a Greek passport even if you aren’t ethnic Greek. For example, you can get it if you marry a Greek citizen. But there is one more way if you have no wedding plans: you can obtain a passport through a Golden Visa and naturalisation.

PT90M

About 6 months

Obtain a residence permit by investment

Obtain a residence permit by investment

Make €250,000+ contribution to the country’s economy.

In 5 years

Apply for permanent residence

Apply for permanent residence

You are eligible if you have lived in Greece for five consecutive years and maintain the investment.

In 2 years

Apply for citizenship

Apply for citizenship

You can get citizenship by naturalisation for a 7-year permanent living in Greece. Moreover, you must pass an exam and prove your knowledge of Greek at a B1 level.

Greece Golden Visa Program and its benefits for investors

The Greece residence permit program, or the Golden Visa program, allows you to take a first step on your pathway to citizenship. The main idea of this program is simple: you get an RP in Greece in return for your contribution to the country’s economy.

Greece Golden Visa Program

The minimum investment amount is €250,000, and the decision waiting period is 3 months. Under this residence program, you can buy a property in Greece, rent a hotel or tourist residence, purchase a land plot for construction or agriculture, get a timeshare, inherit or get as a gift real estate, buy securities or open a bank deposit. 

The most popular option is buying real estate: it allows participation with minimal investments, and the property can be sold in 5 years — after obtaining permanent residency. 

Immediately after receiving a residence permit, you get travel freedom in Europe — you can visit all 27 Schengen countries without a visa:

And one more benefit of the Greece residence permit: if you become a tax resident, you can expect tax optimization.  

Instead of a conclusion

1. The Greece passport in 2023 allows travelling visa-free in 186 countries.  
2. You can get a Greek passport through naturalisation, and obtaining a residence permit is the first step toward citizenship.  
3. Greece residence permit can be acquired by investing €250,000 or more in the country's economy. This program is also called “Golden Visa”. The most popular investment option is purchasing real estate.  
4. You can get into the Greece Golden Visa program with legal assistance from Immigrant Invest. 

Frequently asked questions