Willsue

I am a retired Brit and living in Italy.
I am I'm possession of a permanent residence card, will this help me to get residency in Greece as it is a member state ?
I read about it somewhere but I have forgotten where
Many thanks

Rosemary

As you have this question on the Portugal forum as well you will probably gain similar answers. Which of the two countries do you really favour?

Rosemary

JeenaG

Greece is a country that I am interested in. Is there a folder anywhere on this website for Greece information and expats?

Moses2013

There is no specific folder for Greece. I always fancied Greece or specifically Crete many years ago but I'd say the crisis and other problems over the years have put a lot of people off.
It all comes down to location and there are still enough wealthy foreigners with 2nd homes across the various islands, though I'd say it's not really the retirement destination for your average Brit.
Most average retired look at healthcare services, infrastructure, climate, access from UK, language and general cost of living, so Portugal and Spain just offered more when it comes to that.


Some info here:EU citizens can live and work in EU countries other than their own. But what if you don't have EU citizenship? Can you move around the EU as freely? The answer depends on why you are moving, for how long and the category of non-EU citizens you belong to.

For example, to be free to move around for up to 3 months within the Schengen area, non-EU citizens need to have a valid residence permit or visa. For longer periods, EU legislation covers mobility rights for the following groups: long-term residents, students, researchers, highly-qualified workers, family members of EU citizens and intra-corporate transferees. In case of mobility for work, EU countries also have the right to control the number of non-EU citizens coming to their labour market and restrict access if necessary. Also, some EU countries (such as Denmark and Ireland) have opted out of some of these schemes.

In general, non-EU citizens covered by EU laws can move within the EU, but with more requirements than EU citizens. For example, long-term residents can move and take their family members with them, but must apply for a residence permit in the new country. Highly-qualified workers may move to a second EU country only after 18 months and have to reapply for a Blue Card, but they can do it there and their family members may join or follow them. The EU is working on a new law that would give these workers even more rights. There are also new rules expanding the rights of students and researchers.

You can find out how to register your non-EU family members on a European Commission interactive website.

JeenaG

Thank you very much for this Moses, it is very helpful. I can see why Greece might not be a first choice for many, it's hard to beat Spain when it comes to proximity to England. I'm sure Greece has changed a lot since my late husband and I were there 40 years ago, but I would love to spend several months travelling from Greek island to island.

Gordon Barlow

Good luck to you, Jeena! My wife and I stopped over in Mykonos in 1965, and slept up on the roof of the place we were staying. Years later, we planned to retire to Crete - specifically the caves of Crete, which were reputed to be the home of a hippie community. We weren't hippies, but we thought it would be good fun to live with them in a Kombi van. We bought the van all right, but belatedly realised it wouldn't work with a baby on board. I've told some of the story in my "Back in the Day" thread in BE's "Rest of the World" forum, if you're interested. The closest we got was three months in a camping ground in Corfu, catching our breath before accepting that the dream was just a dream. Sigh... If I were a few years younger, I'd offer to come with you! I really do hope you make it. All the best.

JeenaG

Thank you Gordon for such a lovely message. I'll have a read through what you've written in "Back in the Day".