7% Flat Tax for Foreign Pensioners in Greece (Article 5B): New Application Deadline 31 October

28 September 2026 7% flat tax for foreign pensioners in Greece

For several years Greece has been attracting retirees from abroad with a special tax regime: instead of the normal progressive scale, all foreign income is taxed at a flat rate of 7%. This is the regime of Article 5B of the Greek Income Tax Code.

On 25 September 2026 the Greek tax authority (AADE) announced an important change: the application deadline has moved from 31 March to 31 October. People relocating now have seven more months to gather documents and apply. Below we explain how the regime works, who qualifies and which deadlines now apply.

What the 7% regime offers

If you move your tax residence to Greece and are accepted into the Article 5B regime:

tax on foreign-source income is calculated at a flat 7%;
it is paid in a single payment each year, by the last working day of December;
once paid, all tax obligations on that year's foreign income are settled.

The 7% rate applies to all income arising abroad — not only pensions. The exception is where a double taxation treaty or another international agreement provides for an exemption or different treatment.

The regime lasts for up to 15 tax years, provided you remain a Greek tax resident.

Example: with a foreign pension of €30,000 a year, the tax is €2,100. Under the normal progressive scale it would be several times higher.

Greek-source income — for example, rent from a property in Greece — is taxed under the normal Greek rules. After you file your annual return, the tax authority issues a single tax assessment covering both Greek and foreign income.

Who qualifies

Two conditions must be met at the same time:

you were not a Greek tax resident in 5 of the 6 years before moving your tax residence;
you move your tax residence from a country that has an administrative cooperation agreement on tax matters with Greece.

The second condition is especially important for people coming from outside the EU and should be checked before applying.

New deadlines: by 31 October

The deadline depends on when you moved your tax residence to Greece.

If you moved on or before 2 July, you have two options:

the regime from your year of arrival — apply by 31 October of that year;
the regime from the following year — apply after 31 October of your arrival year and by 31 October of the following year.

If you moved after 2 July, the regime is available only from the following year. The application must be filed by 31 October of that following year.

Supporting documents can be submitted by 30 November of the tax year for which you applied, at the latest.

Examples:

moved on 15 March 2026 — to pay 7% already for 2026, apply by 31 October 2026;
moved on 10 September 2026 — the regime is possible from 2027, apply by 31 October 2027.

Important: if you moved on or before 2 July 2026 and want to pay 7% already for 2026, the deadline is 31 October 2026.

The new rules apply to new applications, to applications still under review and to tax assessments for tax year 2025.

Common mistakes

Assuming the regime applies automatically. You must apply on time — otherwise the year is taxed at the normal scale.
Missing the deadline in your year of arrival. If you moved by 2 July but did not apply by 31 October, the regime starts only from the following year.
Applying but not submitting the documents by 30 November.
Not checking in advance whether your country meets the administrative cooperation condition.
Forgetting the annual payment: the 7% tax is due by the last working day of December.

How we help

We are an accounting office in Thessaloniki working in English, Greek and Russian. We check whether you qualify for Article 5B, gather and prepare the documents, file the application and then take care of your annual tax returns and inform you for payment deadlines.