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From Greece to Cyprus

Greece charges €100,000 a year to skip foreign tax. Cyprus charges nothing.

Greece's HNW regime costs €100,000 a year, locks in a €500,000 investment, and only covers foreign income. Top income tax still runs 44%. Cyprus answers with a 60-day residency route, no entry fee, and 0% on dividends for 17 years.

Calculate my savingBook a free call

€100,000/yr

Greek HNW flat tax

44%

Greek top income tax

0%

Cyprus non-dom on dividends

17 yrs

Cyprus non-dom window

  • Cyprus lawyers + auditors, one team
  • Founders from 12+ countries
  • Fixed-fee written scopes
  • Paphos · Limassol · Nicosia

Step 1 · Greece today

What you actually pay living in Greece

Here’s the headline tax burden a Greek founderfaces in 2026 — income tax, tax on dividends and investment income, wealth or property-style taxes, and anything due on the way out. Regional and social-security add-ons are included where they materially change the number.

Income tax bands9% to €10k, rising to 44% above €40k (full scale announced for 2026)
Withholding tax on dividends5%
Tax on interest15%
Tax on share gains15% (small listed holdings under 0.5% are exempt)
Corporate tax22% flat; banks pay 29%
Combined on distributed profitsAround 25.9% effective (22% corporate plus 5% dividend withholding)
CryptoA 15% rate has been legislated, but the implementing decision is still pending — in practice not yet applied on normal disposals
Property taxMain ENFIA on Greek real estate every year (roughly 0.05–0.8% of assessed value); the supplementary layer for individuals was abolished from 2022 and replaced by a surcharge on high-value portfolios
HNW / inbound regimesThe €100,000/year HNW regime for new residents (15 years, €500,000 Greek investment required); a 7% pensioner flat regime; and a 50% inbound salary/self-employment exemption for 7 years

Step 2 · Side by side

Greece vs Cyprus, line by line

Tap any row for the full “why this matters” explanation. The two columns are the two sides of the decision — what you pay today versus what you’d pay with Cyprus non-dom.

What matters
Greece
Cyprus

Interactive · 30-second estimate

See what a move to Cyprus is worth for you

Enter your annual distributed dividend income below. The calculator shows what you’d pay today in Greeceversus what you’d pay as a Cyprus non-dom, with a live side-by-side.

€

Assumes the full amount is distributed as dividends (or equivalent investment income) and the Greece withholding on dividends of 5% applies. Cyprus side assumes non-dom status plus the capped 2.65% health contribution. Real numbers depend on your full picture — we confirm on a free call.

Greece today

Tax paid

€12,500

You keep

€237,500

Cyprus non-dom

Tax paid

€4,770

You keep

€245,230

Your estimated saving

€7,730/ year

Over the 17-year Cyprus non-dom window: €131,410

3.1% of income back

Book a free callSee relocation pricing

Step 3 · Why the move

The structural issues driving Greek founders out in 2026

44% top tax + roughly 26% on distributed profits

The Greek top rate of 44% still bites above €60,000 despite the 2026 band cuts. A Greek company pays 22% corporate tax and another 5% dividend withholding on distributions — around 25.9% effective on distributed profits. Cyprus non-dom running the same business pays 15% corporate tax and 0% on the dividend — around 17.5% all-in. On €500,000 distributed, that's about €42,000 a year back.

Property tax on any meaningful Greek portfolio

If you own Greek real estate, ENFIA runs every year — a main charge on each property plus, for high-value portfolios, a surcharge on top. Cyprus has no annual recurrent property tax since 2017 — just transfer fees when you buy and modest municipal rates. If you hold a Greek portfolio, this line alone can fund the move.

The €100k flat tax isn't what it looks like

Greece's HNW regime is a flat fee of €100,000 a year for 15 years — but it requires a €500,000 investment in Greece within three years and only covers foreign income. Greek-source income (including the salary you draw from a Greek company) still pays progressive tax up to 44%. Below around €1–2m of annual foreign income, Cyprus non-dom — no entry fee, no locked capital, 17 years — wins outright.

Step 4 · The Cyprus answer

Cyprus in one screen

The simplest founder tax position in the EU after the 2026 reform: low corporate rate, zero tax on dividends for non-doms for 17 years, no wealth tax, no inheritance tax. Six numbers tell most of the story.

Corporate income tax

15%

Flat; IP Box effective ≈3%

SDC on dividends (non-dom)

0%

For 17 years

Top personal tax

35%

First €22,000 at 0%

CGT on non-RE shares

0%

Only Cyprus real-estate shares are taxed

Wealth / net worth tax

None

No annual wealth levy

Inheritance / gift tax

None

Abolished decades ago; not coming back

Step 5 · Life in Cyprus

Beyond the tax math — why founders actually stay

Tax moves people in. Life keeps them here. Nine practical reasons families settle, beyond what the spreadsheet says.

Climate

340+ sunny days — #1 climate globally

More than 340 sunny days a year. Winter lows rarely below 13–15°C on the coast; sea swimmable April–November. WhereNext ranks Cyprus #1 for climate in 2026.

Safety

Among the 15 safest countries in the world

Ranked 13th globally by Global Finance 2026. Homicide rate 0.4–0.8 per 100,000. Low violent-crime environment — families notice within weeks.

Language

English + common-law legal system

English is the default business language; courts and contracts run in English. The legal system is inherited from the UK — familiar for founders from UK, US, Ireland and the Commonwealth.

Healthcare

Universal GESY since 2019 + strong private

Public healthcare covers everyone at ~2.65% of income. Cyprus has one of the EU's lowest death-rates from preventable causes. Private insurance adds €150–€300/adult/month — half of Western Europe.

Schools

British, American and IB schools across the island

British curriculum (IGCSE, A-Levels), American, and International Baccalaureate options across Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos — with long waitlists filled by children of relocating founders.

Connectivity

Two airports, Europe and Gulf in 4 hours

Direct flights from Larnaca and Paphos to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Milan and Barcelona. Most of Europe, the Gulf and the Levant inside a 4-hour flight radius.

Step 6 · Your right to live in Cyprus

As an EU citizen you don't need permission. You just register.

Your right to live in Cyprus comes from being an EU citizen. The paperwork simply records that — it doesn't grant anything. Two stages: the Yellow Slip on arrival, upgraded to permanent residence after five years.

Yellow Slip

Your EU registration certificate

Filed once you’ve moved, within four months of arrival. Cheap, fast, and valid for life. You show what you’ll be doing in Cyprus (working, running a business, living off income, or joining a spouse) and that’s it.

Deadline

4 months after you arrive

Processing

About a month

Validity

Indefinite

Read the full Yellow Slip guide →

After 5 years

Permanent residence, automatically

Stay five years and your registration upgrades to unconditional permanent residence. Short trips don’t interrupt the clock, and your right can’t be lost unless you leave Cyprus for more than two years straight.

Step 7 · Becoming a Cyprus tax resident

Two ways in: 183 days, or just 60

Cyprus lets you become tax resident either by being here most of the year, or — if you’re mobile — by spending as little as 60 days a year here and meeting a few extra conditions. The second route is the one mobile founders use.

183

The 183-day rule

Spend more than 183 days of the calendar year in Cyprus and you’re a Cyprus tax resident — full stop, no other conditions. The day you arrive counts, the day you leave doesn’t. This is for people who genuinely live here most of the year.

60

The 60-day rule

All three of these need to be true in the same year (the 2026 reform removed the older fourth condition):

  1. 1You spend at least 60 days in Cyprus
  2. 2You don't spend more than 183 days in any other single country
  3. 3You have a home in Cyprus (owned or rented) and you run a business, work or hold a directorship here — kept active through the end of the year

In plain English: a Cyprus home, a Cyprus company or role, and 60+ days a year on the island. Dual-residency conflicts are now resolved through the tax treaty with your other country rather than by a blanket "not resident elsewhere" test. How the 60-day rule works in practice →

Step 8 · Non-dom status

17 years of 0% tax on your dividends, interest and rent

Cyprus keeps a simple promise for newcomers: as long as you’re not domiciled here, worldwide dividends, interest and rental income skip the defence contribution that Cypriots pay. That’s a 17-year window where your investment income effectively sees a 0% line on the Cyprus side.

Dividends

Domiciled: 5% + small health levy

Non-dom: 0% + small health levy

Interest

Domiciled: 17% + small health levy

Non-dom: 0% + small health levy

Rental income

Domiciled: Progressive income tax

Non-dom: Progressive income tax

How long does non-dom last?

You get 17 years of non-dom status as standard. Under the 2026 reform, two additional 5-year extensions are available at €250,000 each, taking the window up to 27 years in total. Deemed-domiciled residents can instead elect a flat €50,000/year contribution for 5 years in lieu of the variable defence contribution. Enacted and in force. Non-dom, plain English → · What happens after year 17 →

Step 9 · Leaving Greece

Leaving Greece cleanly

Moving to Cyprus only works if Greecestops claiming you for tax at the same time. The steps below are the ones that actually matter — the rest is paperwork your lawyer handles.

  1. 1

    Transfer your tax residence out of Greece

    Greece treats you as resident if you have a permanent home there, a habitual abode, the centre of your life there, or you spend more than 183 days there in any rolling 12-month window. The formal step is filing a residence-transfer application at the tax office for non-residents, with a Cyprus tax residency certificate alongside. Move the whole household to make it stick.

  2. 2

    No exit tax — a rare easy win

    Greece does not impose an exit tax on individuals. When you change tax residence, there's no deemed sale of shares, crypto, or other personal assets. Compared with Germany, France or Spain, this is a material simplification — you keep the timing of disposals entirely in your own hands.

  3. 3

    Decide what happens to any Greek property

    ENFIA continues on Greek real estate after you leave — it's a tax on the property, not on you personally. If you plan to keep the property, factor in the annual cost. If you plan to sell, a genuine move to Cyprus usually means the capital gain on the shares of a property-holding company (if used) sits with Cyprus under the treaty rules, but direct real-estate sales stay taxable in Greece.

  4. 4

    Decide what happens to the Greek company

    Your Greek company stays Greek-tax-resident wherever you live. Usual options: keep it and distribute dividends to your Cyprus holding (EU rules can take withholding to 0% where your Cyprus side has real substance); put a Cyprus holding on top and restructure; or wind it down. Which one fits depends on ongoing Greek operations and clients.

Step 10 · Your relocation, month by month

From decision to non-dom, in five stages

The whole thing is usually a three-to-four month project for the paperwork, plus the time it takes you to physically relocate. See the relocation package →

  1. 1

    Before you move

    Get the exit side right

    The biggest relocation mistakes happen at home, not in Cyprus. Confirm when your home-country tax residency actually ends, sort out any exit-tax exposure on company shares, and decide what happens to any existing business. This is where most of the money is made or lost.

  2. 2

    Month 1

    Set up the Cyprus side

    If you plan to use the 60-day rule, you need a Cyprus company and a role in it. We handle the incorporation, registered office and tax registrations so it's ready before you arrive. About 5–10 business days.

  3. 3

    Month 2

    Move and file your Yellow Slip

    You arrive, rent or buy a home, and file the Yellow Slip within four months. It's inexpensive, quick, and confirms your right to be here on paper.

  4. 4

    Month 2 onwards

    Build up your Cyprus days

    Whichever route you use — 60 days with ties, or 183 days — the important thing is to track presence properly from day one. A simple log, boarding passes, and receipts are enough. We tell you when you've crossed the line.

  5. 5

    Year 1

    First Cyprus tax return, non-dom locked in

    At the end of your first tax year we file the return that formally registers you as a Cyprus tax resident and non-dom. From that point forward, your dividends come to Cyprus on the 0% line for the next 17 years.

Step 11 · What it’s worth

Worked example: a Greek founder with €400k of dividends and some Greek property

Athens resident, 100% owner of a Greek company distributing €400,000 a year, plus roughly €800,000 of Greek real estate attracting annual property tax. Compared against moving to Cyprus as a non-dom while keeping the Greek company.

Today, in Greece

  • Company profit€513,000
  • Corporate tax (22%)€112,860
  • Distributable€400,140
  • Dividend withholding (5%)€20,007
  • Annual Greek property tax~€7,000
  • Take-home net~€373,133
Cyprus

After the move

  • Cyprus Ltd profit€513,000
  • Cyprus corporate tax (15%)€76,950
  • Distributable€436,050
  • Non-dom tax on dividend€0
  • Health contribution (capped)~€4,770
  • Property tax on Cyprus assets€0
  • Take-home~€431,280

Annual net saving

~€58,000 per year

Over the 17-year non-dom window: ~€986,000 over the 17-year non-dom window

Free consultation

See your Greece → Cyprus savings in writing

A 30-minute call with a licensed Cyprus lawyer, followed by a written scope of work and fixed-fee quote within 24 hours.

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Step 12 · Common questions

FAQs from Greek founders

Do I need a visa for Cyprus?
No. As an EU citizen you move freely. Within four months of arriving you register with a Yellow Slip — inexpensive, valid for life. Greeks usually find Cyprus the softest EU move to make: common language, compatible legal traditions, and direct flights make the day-to-day transition straightforward.
The Greek €100k flat tax sounds good. Why leave?
Three reasons. First, it requires a €500,000 investment in Greece within three years — capital locked. Second, it's a flat €100,000 whatever your foreign income, so at €300k of foreign income the effective rate is 33% — worse than Cyprus non-dom at 0%. Third, the Greek regime only covers foreign-source income: Greek-source income (including salary from your Greek company) stays on the full progressive scale up to 44%. Cyprus non-dom runs 17 years, no entry fee, and dividends come in at 0% whether the source is Greek, Cypriot or elsewhere.
What happens to my Greek property if I keep it?
Annual Greek property tax continues — it's a tax on the property, not on you. If you plan to hold long-term, factor in the yearly cost. If you plan to sell eventually, the capital gain mechanics differ depending on whether you sell the property directly (stays taxable in Greece) or via a holding company (more room to plan). Cyprus itself has no annual recurrent property tax, so any property you buy there doesn't add a Cyprus annual bill.
Will Greece's 15% crypto rate catch me on the way out?
No. Greece doesn't have an exit-tax rule on individuals, so changing residence doesn't trigger a deemed sale. The 15% rate has been legislated but the implementing rules are still pending, so in practice it isn't applied on normal disposals right now. Either way, if you simply hold through the move, the gain isn't taxed in Greece when you leave. In Cyprus, a personal investor is typically outside Cyprus tax on crypto gains; frequent trading is treated under business rules — we confirm the precise position on instruction.
How does the Greece-Cyprus tax treaty work in practice?
The treaty runs an ordinary residence tie-breaker: permanent home first, then centre of vital interests, then habitual abode, then nationality. Once you're clearly Cyprus-resident, dividends from Greece to you as a Cyprus resident carry a 5% Greek withholding tax; Cyprus doesn't charge outbound withholding. For intra-group flows, EU rules can take the Greek side to 0% where the Cyprus parent has real substance.
How long does a Greece-to-Cyprus move take?
Usually 3 to 4 months. A couple of weeks for the Cyprus company and tax residence, a few weeks for the Yellow Slip once you've moved, and the Greek side — residence transfer, tax-office notifications, property management — running in parallel. If you own a Greek company, add a month or two of corporate planning.

Find your fit

Which relocation package fits your Greece move?

Four quick questions — we’ll tell you which package fits and why, so your free consultation starts from a concrete plan instead of a blank page.

Package Finder

Answer 4 quick questions

Non-EU vs EU citizenship, days in Cyprus, Cyprus company needed, family composition — the same checks a lawyer would run on a first call.

Keep reading

Related guides for a move to Cyprus

Non-dom status, explained simply

The 17-year window of 0% on dividends, interest and rent — what it is and who qualifies.

Read guide →

The 60-day rule in practice

How mobile founders hold a stable Cyprus residency while still travelling most of the year.

Read guide →

Cyprus taxes 2026 — the full picture

Every Cyprus tax a founder actually pays, in one place, with the 2026 reform built in.

Read guide →

Will my home country still tax me?

The honest answer — when the move stops the clock at home, and when it doesn't.

Read guide →

Cyprus holding company — when it's worth it

Why many relocating founders interpose a Cyprus holding, and when they shouldn't bother.

Read guide →

The 50% salary exemption for new residents

If you're earning over €55,000 into Cyprus, half of it can come out of the tax base for 17 years.

Read guide →

Ready to price the move? Relocation package pricing · Cyprus company registration · Ongoing accounting

Official references

Page last reviewed April 2026. Estimates only — not legal, tax or financial advice. No solicitor-client relationship is created by reading it. Book a free consultation for written advice on your situation.

Ready to move from Greece?

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