Somewhere over the rainbow.
It is a dream that a lot of people in Northern Europe have, normally on
the Monday morning commute to work; move to the sun for a better life...
Greece is a member of the European Community, so if you are coming from
another member state it is quite easy to move to Greece. As a EU resident,
you can have your pension paid here, you can also drive on a EU driving
license, even work here and transfer to the Greek Income Tax system. Most
people that move to this area buy a property, either as a summer home
or a permanent residence, the good news is that it is easy to do.
All buyers must have a Greek tax number. This is issued by tax offices,
it is free and issued immediately. Foreigners buying property in Greece
must show where the money has come from. Anyone who buys property and
does not already file income taxes in Greece must do so in the following
year to declare the amount spent in purchasing the property, on taxes
and other pertinent fees. If the buyer cannot justify the amount of money
they have spent, the Greek tax authorities will say it is unreported income
and the buyer will have to pay income tax. The buyer also pays the transfer
tax, it must be paid before the purchase, the same with property tax which
depends on the value of the property. Buyers may also be subject to pay
an annual tax. The buyer may qualify for a tax exemption if it is their
first home. A notary public fee has to be paid by the buyer. All real-estate
transactions must be carried out before a Notary and must go on public
record in the appropriate land registry. The Notary will not authorise
any sale without making sure that all the appropriate tax papers and deeds
are in order. Always use a Lawyer to make sure everything is in order.
The lawyer and notary fees are generally about 1-2 percent of the amount
listed in the notarial deed of sale. If you are coming from another EU
country you don't have to pay income duty on your household goods, so
bringing your belongings with you is also easy.
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| Since most Greeks have medical insurance for all health
care, it is advisable to do the same, even though basic health care is
available at the local Health Centre for free. This service is available
to visitors who have filled the E111 in the UK or equivalent papers. The
common practice in Greece if the illness or injury isn't too serious is
to go to the local pharmacist, who can give advice and certain drugs,
even antibiotics.
It is even possible to bring your pets into Greece, as long as they have
all the proper inoculations and paperwork. Micro-chipping of dogs is becoming
law very soon in Greece, so it is best to have this done before coming.
There are different risks here for your pets from ticks and flies, so
it is best to seek professional advice about protecting your pets.
Some of the bigger supermarkets offer a good range of foreign foods, but
sometimes it takes a while to find what you need, but the shop owners
are always more than happy to help, if you try and describe what it is
you're looking for. Most people shop on a daily basis, and a lot of local
produce is for sale, this make the vegetables seasonal as there is very
little imported.
But before you give up the day job, you have to remember that this is
Greece and there will be drawbacks, and sometimes it is hard if you don't
speak the language, but if you speak to most ex-pats here, they don't
regret it for a moment, and don't want to go back home.
P.S. There is of course, satellite TV available! |