Greece's Welfare System: Overview

Greece's system is mainly insurance-based. Employees and the self-employed pay contributions to the single social insurance fund e-EFKA (Ηλεκτρονικός Εθνικός Φορέας Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης). It pays pensions and sickness and maternity benefits, and gives you the right to public health care through EOPYY. For private-sector employees the main-pension contribution alone is 20% of pay: 6.67% from the employee and 13.33% from the employer (2026). Other contributions come on top. Unemployment, parental-leave and some maternity benefits are paid by the public employment service DYPA (ΔΥΠΑ). Tax-funded allowances for families, housing and low incomes are paid by OPEKA (ΟΠΕΚΑ). The minimum wage is €920 a month from 1 April 2026.

Your status matters. Most insurance benefits depend on days worked and contributions paid. Many tax-funded allowances also require years of legal and permanent residence: for child benefit, 5 years for Greek and EU citizens but 12 years for third-country nationals (2026). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are covered by the EU coordination rules.

First registrations for newcomers:

• Tax number (ΑΦΜ): free, online through myAADE (with a video call) or at a tax office. You also get TAXISnet codes, which you need for almost every online service.
• Social security number (ΑΜΚΑ): your number for work, insurance and health care; free.
• Personal doctor (προσωπικός γιατρός): register online with your AMKA and TAXISnet codes; visits are free.
• DYPA register: sign up if you lose your job or need a parental or maternity benefit.

The areas at a glance

• Health: EOPYY care through e-EFKA insurance; a free personal doctor; usually 15% co-payment on referred tests.
• Pension: full pension at 67 with 15 years of insurance; a tax-funded national pension of up to €436.40 a month (2025).
• Unemployment: benefit for 5 to 12 months, up to €565 a month; minimum guaranteed income after that.
• Family: child benefit from €28 to €140 a month per child, depending on income; birth allowance from €2,400.
• Tax: progressive income tax, with rates cut from 2026 (20% to 44% above €10,000); returns from 15 March to 15 July.
• Housing: leases are registered with the tax authority; a housing allowance of €70 to €210 a month for low incomes.
• Education: compulsory from age 4 to 15; free public schools and universities; free university textbooks and, within income limits, free student meals.
• Parental: 119 days of maternity benefit, then up to 9 months at the minimum wage; 14 working days of paternity leave; 2 paid months of parental leave.

Things to watch

• Almost everything runs online through gov.gr with TAXISnet codes. Many local offices (KEP) help in person.
• The 12-year residence rule for third-country nationals excludes many newcomers from child benefit and housing allowance. It no longer applies once you become Greek.
• Deadlines are strict: for example, the birth allowance must be claimed within 3 months of the birth.
• Several programmes are changing, including a pilot unemployment benefit. Check the official page before you apply.

Official guidance: Ministry of Labour: minimum wage 2026, Ministry of Labour: contributions, e-EFKA, OPEKA: child benefit, Mitos: tax number, Mitos: AMKA, Personal doctor (prosopikos.gov.gr)

Health Care in Greece (ΕΣΥ and ΕΟΠΥΥ)

Public health care in Greece combines the National Health System (ΕΣΥ), which runs public hospitals and health centres, with the national health-care organisation EOPYY (ΕΟΠΥΥ). EOPYY pays for care from contracted doctors, laboratories and clinics. Your right to EOPYY care comes from your social insurance with e-EFKA: contributions are deducted from your pay. Your spouse and children can be covered as dependants.

Who is covered and how to enrol

• Insurance cover (ασφαλιστική ικανότητα): e-EFKA grants it to insured workers, pensioners and their dependants. Since 1 January 2020 an employee needs at least 50 working days in the previous calendar year or in the last 12 months.
• AMKA: your social security number is the key to every health service. Third-country nationals with a residence permit get it free of charge.
• Dependants: register family members with e-EFKA using their AMKA numbers and civil-status documents.
• EU travel: if you have active cover, you can get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). It is valid in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, but it does not replace travel insurance.

Personal doctor and referrals

• Everyone aged 16 and over is invited to register with a personal doctor (προσωπικός γιατρός), a general practitioner or internist who is your first point of contact. Children are registered with a personal paediatrician.
• Register online at prosopikos.gov.gr with your TAXISnet codes and AMKA, or in person at a public primary-care unit. You can change doctor up to twice a year.
• Visits to your personal doctor are free, whether the doctor works in a public unit or has a contract with EOPYY. Free phone line for appointments and information: 1566.
• Your personal doctor refers you to specialists and for tests. You can also book appointments with EOPYY-contracted doctors on the EOPYY website.

What you pay

• Referred diagnostic tests: usually a 15% co-payment on the EOPYY price (EOPYY benefit rules, 2025). Some chronic illnesses and preventive tests are exempt. Tests in public hospitals and health centres have no co-payment.
• Private contracted laboratories: you pay an extra €1 per referral for lab tests and €3 per referral for imaging (Law 5102/2024), on top of the 15%.
• Hospital care: treatment in public hospitals is covered. In private clinics using EOPYY beds, you pay the co-payment set in EOPYY's benefit rules.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Cover depends on days of insurance. After a gap in work, or a job with few insured days, check your status with e-EFKA before you need care.
• Without an AMKA you cannot register with a personal doctor or use e-prescriptions. Get it early.
• Private doctors who have no contract with EOPYY charge their own fees, and EOPYY does not pay them.
• The EHIC is only for temporary stays in other European countries, not for moving abroad.

Official guidance: EOPYY, EOPYY: co-payment FAQ, Personal doctor FAQ, Mitos: insurance cover, Mitos: EHIC, e-EFKA

Pensions in Greece (σύνταξη γήρατος)

The public pension is run by the single social insurance fund e-EFKA. It is a pay-as-you-go system under Law 4387/2016 and has two parts. The national pension (εθνική σύνταξη) is paid from the state budget. The contributory pension (ανταποδοτική σύνταξη) depends on the earnings you paid contributions on (counted from 2002), your years of insurance and the accrual rates. A compulsory auxiliary pension is added on top. Voluntary occupational funds form a further pillar.

Contributions and pension age

• Contributions (2026): for private-sector employees the main-pension contribution is 20% of gross pay: 6.67% from you and 13.33% from your employer. It is charged on pay up to €7,761.94 a month, the ceiling since 1 January 2026.
• Full old-age pension: at least 15 years of insurance (4,500 days) and age 67.
• Reduced pension: from age 62 with 15 years of insurance. Private-sector employees also need recent insurance.
• Long career: 40 years of insurance (12,000 days) and age 62 give a full pension.
• National pension: the full amount is €436.40 a month (since 1 January 2025). You get it in full with at least 20 years of insurance and 40 years of residence in Greece; otherwise you get less.
• Annual support: from 2025, e-EFKA pensioners aged 65 or over receive €250 a year if family income is no more than €14,000 (single) or €26,000 (married) and property limits are met.

Auxiliary and occupational pensions

• Auxiliary pension (επικουρική σύνταξη): compulsory for all employees in the public and private sectors. It is paid by the auxiliary branch of e-EFKA or by TEKA (Ταμείο Επικουρικής Κεφαλαιοποιητικής Ασφάλισης). TEKA is a funded scheme of defined contributions (Law 4826/2021). An auxiliary old-age pension needs at least 15 years of insurance.
• Occupational funds (ΤΕΑ): voluntary, funded schemes set up by employers or professions (Law 3029/2002).

Pensions across borders

• EU coordination: within the EU, EEA and Switzerland, your insurance periods in each country count towards the minimum periods. Each country pays its own part of your pension.
• Bilateral agreements: Greece has 15 bilateral social security agreements. The 12 standard ones cover Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, the USA, Uruguay, Venezuela (signed but not applied in practice), Canada, Quebec, Australia, Serbia, Egypt and Moldova. Three special agreements (Libya, Syria, Ontario) cover narrower matters. The standard agreements give equal treatment, add insurance periods together and allow pensions to be paid abroad.
• For countries outside the EU rules and these agreements, your Greek pension depends only on your Greek insurance record.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• The full national pension needs 40 years of residence in Greece. People who arrive as adults usually receive a reduced amount.
• Gaps in insured work lower both the contributory pension and the national pension. Check your record (insured days) online with e-EFKA every year.
• Undeclared work earns no pension. Make sure your employer reports your days and pay.
• If you worked in a country with no agreement, those years do not count in Greece. Ask that country's pension authority about your rights.

Official guidance: Ministry of Labour: main pension, Ministry of Labour: auxiliary pension, Ministry of Labour: contributions, Bilateral agreements, Occupational pensions, e-EFKA

Unemployment Benefits in Greece (τακτική επιδότηση ανεργίας)

Unemployment insurance is run by the public employment service DYPA (formerly OAED) and funded by employees' social insurance contributions. The main benefit is the regular unemployment benefit; after it, a small long-term benefit and the means-tested minimum guaranteed income may follow.

Who qualifies

• You were an employee and your contract was ended by the employer or expired; people who resign voluntarily get nothing.
• You are unemployed, able and available to work, and registered with DYPA.
• First claim: at least 125 days of insured work in the 14 months before the job ended, not counting the last 2 months. Or, if you do not meet that, 200 days in the 2 years before. In both cases you also need 80 days of work in each of the 2 previous years.
• Later claims: 125 days in the 14-month period, and no more than 400 daily benefits in the previous 4 years.
• Deadline: apply within 60 days after the job ends, online through DYPA e-services or at a DYPA office. If you apply in the first 7 days, payment starts on the 7th day after the job ended.

How much and how long (2026)

• Amount: it depends on your average gross monthly pay in the last 6 months. With €493.09 or more you get €22.60 a day, €565.00 a month; with lower pay, €423.75 or €282.50 a month. Each dependent family member adds 10%. A month is 25 daily benefits, and Christmas and Easter bonuses are added.
• Duration: 5 to 12 months, depending on the days worked: 125–149 days give 5 months, 250 days or more give 12 months.
• Back to work: if you find a job early, a work benefit pays 50% of your benefit for the rest of the period.
• Pilot scheme: since 2025 a new benefit is being tested on a randomly chosen group of claimants. It is linked to your pay and years of work, gives more support in the first months and can last up to 24 months. It may later apply to everyone.

After the benefit ends

• Long-term unemployment benefit (επίδομα μακροχρονίως ανέργων): €200 a month for Greek and EU citizens aged 20–66 who received the full 12-month benefit and have been unemployed for 12 months without a break. Family income must be no more than €10,000 a year, plus €586.08 for each child under 18. Apply within 2 months of the end of the regular benefit.
• Minimum guaranteed income (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα), paid through OPEKA: a means-tested top-up for households living legally and permanently in Greece. The guaranteed amount for a single person is €216 a month: the 6-month income limit is €1,296 (2026). It is higher for larger households, up to €5,832 for 6 months, and there are property limits.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Resigning voluntarily costs you the benefit. Keep written proof that your employer ended the contract or that it expired.
• The 60-day deadline is strict. Register with DYPA as soon as the job ends.
• You must keep reporting to DYPA and accept suitable job offers. If you do not, the benefit can be stopped.

Official guidance: DYPA: unemployment benefits, Mitos: regular unemployment benefit, Ministry of Labour: pilot benefit, Mitos: minimum guaranteed income

Family Benefits in Greece

Most family benefits in Greece are tax-funded and means-tested. They are paid by OPEKA, and you apply online through gov.gr with your TAXISnet codes. Eligibility depends on equivalised family income (ισοδύναμο οικογενειακό εισόδημα), the family's income adjusted for its size, and on your residence history. Maternity and parental leave pay are covered under parental benefits.

Child benefit (Επίδομα παιδιού)

• Who: Greek, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, ethnic Greeks, refugees, stateless persons and other foreign nationals with a valid residence permit.
• Residence: permanent residence in Greece for the last 5 years; 12 years of legal and permanent residence for nationals of other (non-EU) countries.
• Amounts (2026), per month, by equivalised family income:
  • up to €6,000: €70 each for the 1st and 2nd child, €140 for each further child
  • €6,001–10,000: €42 each for the 1st and 2nd child, €84 for each further child
  • €10,001–15,000: €28 each for the 1st and 2nd child, €56 for each further child
• Children counted: unmarried children up to 18 (19 if still in secondary school), and students or children with a disability of 67% or more up to the year they turn 24. School-age children must attend school.
• Payment: you apply each year with form A21. The benefit is tax-free, cannot be seized and is paid in 6 instalments, every two months.

Birth allowance (Επίδομα γέννησης)

• A one-off allowance for every child born alive in Greece. The amount depends on the number of children in the family after the birth: €2,400 for 1 child, €2,700 for 2, €3,000 for 3 and €3,500 for 4 or more (OPEKA). It is paid in two equal instalments.
• The mother applies within 3 months of the birth, at the maternity clinic together with the birth registration, or online at epidomagennisis.gr.
• Equivalised family income must be no more than €40,000 a year. The mother (or the person with custody) must live legally and permanently in Greece; since 2024 third-country nationals need the last 12 years of such residence.

Childcare

• Kindergarten (νηπιαγωγείο) is compulsory and free from age 4. Parents enrol their child online through gov.gr for the next school year (the round for 2026–27 has closed).
• "Neighbourhood Nannies" (Νταντάδες της Γειτονιάς): a subsidised scheme for care at home for children aged 2 months to 2½ years. It is open to working parents, unemployed mothers registered with DYPA, mothers who are students, and fathers with sole custody, within income limits (ntantades.gov.gr).
• Nurseries and infant centres (βρεφικοί and βρεφονηπιακοί σταθμοί) care for children from 2 months to 4 years; attendance is optional and there is no legal right to a place. Ask your municipality about public places.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Because of the 12-year rule, many third-country nationals cannot get child benefit for years. Naturalisation removes it.
• Child benefit is based on your last tax return. File your return on time each year, even if your income is low.
• The 3-month deadline for the birth allowance is strict, and late claims are rejected.
• If a child misses too much school without a valid reason, the benefit can be stopped.

Official guidance: OPEKA: child benefit, OPEKA: birth allowance, Mitos: child benefit, Mitos: Neighbourhood Nannies, Kindergarten enrolment (gov.gr)

Taxes in Greece

Income tax in Greece is collected by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (ΑΑΔΕ). It uses a progressive scale for wages, pensions, farming and business income. For employees and pensioners, the employer or pension fund withholds tax every month. Everyone then files an annual return, and the final tax is settled with it. To use the tax system you need a tax number (ΑΦΜ) and TAXISnet codes, which you get through myAADE.

Income tax rates (from tax year 2026)

A tax reform cut the rates from tax year 2026; employees and pensioners have paid less since the January 2026 payroll. The rates for a taxpayer without children are:

• up to €10,000: 9% (unchanged)
• €10,000–20,000: 20%
• €20,000–30,000: 26%
• €30,000–40,000: 34%
• €40,000–60,000: 39% (new band)
• above €60,000: 44%

Lower rates apply in some cases:

• Children: in the €10,000–20,000 band the rate falls to 18% with one dependent child, 16% with two and 9% with three. With four or more children, income up to €20,000 is taxed at 0%. In the €20,000–30,000 band the rate falls by 2 points per child (24%, 22%, 20% and so on).
• Young people: up to age 25, income up to €20,000 is taxed at 0%; from 26 to 30, the €10,000–20,000 band is taxed at 9%.
• Rental income has its own scale: 15% up to €12,000, 25% from €12,000 to €24,000 (new from 2026) and 35% above that.

Tax residence and filing

• Tax residence is based on where you live, such as your permanent home and the centre of your life, not on your nationality. If you move abroad, you must ask your tax office (ΔΟΥ) to change your tax residence (form Α110). You prove your move with documents, for example that you spent at least 183 days in the new country.
• Annual return (E1): filed online on myAADE between 15 March and 15 July of the following year. For tax year 2025 the deadline was extended to 24 July 2026. You must declare all your income, from Greece and from abroad.
• Property: if you own property in Greece on 1 January, you must declare it on the property statement (Ε9), filed online. You then pay the annual property tax ΕΝΦΙΑ. ENFIA on a main home in a village of up to 1,500 inhabitants (outside Attica) is cut by 50% in 2026 and abolished from 2027.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• File a return every year, even with a low income or no income. Many benefits, such as child benefit and housing allowance, are calculated from your last return.
• Foreign income and foreign bank interest must be declared. Greece has tax treaties with many countries to avoid double taxation, so keep your foreign tax certificates.
• The reduced rates for children depend on the dependent children declared on your return, so list them correctly.
• If you leave Greece, apply to change your tax residence with form Α110 and the required proof. Applications made by 31 December of the year after you left are accepted without penalties.

Official guidance: Ministry of Finance: 2026 tax reform, Mitos: income tax return, Mitos: change of tax residence, AADE

Housing in Greece

Most newcomers in Greece rent from private landlords. Leases are registered electronically with the tax authority AADE. This registration matters because the state's housing support (the housing allowance, the yearly rent rebate and student housing aid) is checked against the registered lease.

Renting a home

• The e-lease: the landlord declares the lease to AADE (Δήλωση Πληροφοριακών Στοιχείων Μίσθωσης) online by the end of the month after the lease starts or changes. You, as tenant, then accept the declaration in your TAXISnet account. It must also record the energy performance certificate (ΠΕΑ) where the property needs one.
• Contract terms: rent, duration, deposit and who pays building charges are agreed in the written contract. Get receipts or pay by bank transfer, and keep a record of the flat's condition when you move in.
• Rent rebate: in November 2025 about 887,000 tenants received one month's rent back from the state (€199.5 million in total). The rebate is based on rent that has been declared, so make sure your lease is registered and accepted.

Housing allowance (Επίδομα Στέγασης)

Paid monthly by OPEKA to low-income households that rent their main home, under a registered e-lease (2026):

• Amount: €70 a month for the applicant plus €35 for each other household member, up to €210 a month. Single-parent families get €70 more for the first child.
• Income limit: €7,000 a year for a single person, plus €3,500 for each other member, up to €21,000.
• Assets: property up to €120,000 in taxable value for a single person (more for larger households); savings up to €7,000, plus €3,500 per extra member.
• Residence: at least 5 years of legal and permanent residence. Third-country nationals (except ethnic Greeks and EU citizens) need 12 years.
• Apply online yourself, or through your municipality or its Community Centre (Κέντρο Κοινότητας).

Students and low-income households

• Student housing allowance: €1,500 a year for university students who rent a home in another city to study. Family income must be no more than €30,000, plus €3,000 for each dependent child after the first. Students must be Greek or EU citizens and must have passed half of the previous year's courses. Applications run from 1 to 30 June.
• Minimum guaranteed income: very low-income households can also get the minimum guaranteed income (see unemployment). Your municipality's Community Centre can advise on other local help.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• If the landlord does not declare the lease, or you do not accept it online, you cannot get the housing allowance or the rent rebate.
• Rent paid in cash without a registered lease leaves you with no proof of tenancy in a dispute.
• The housing allowance uses the income on your last tax return, so file a return even with low income.
• Check that the e-lease shows the right rent and dates; corrections need an amended declaration from the landlord.

Official guidance: OPEKA: housing allowance, Mitos: housing allowance, Mitos: lease declaration, Mitos: student housing allowance, Ministry of Finance: rent rebate

Education in Greece

Education in Greece is run centrally by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. The Constitution (Art. 16) makes education at all levels of state institutions free of charge and sets compulsory schooling at no fewer than nine years. Today compulsory education lasts 11 years, from kindergarten to the end of lower secondary school. Children without Greek citizenship attend public schools too.

Compulsory schooling

• Kindergarten (Νηπιαγωγείο): compulsory for two years, from age 4. Before that, nurseries and infant centres for children from 2 months to 4 years are optional.
• Primary school (Δημοτικό): six years, for ages 6–12. A child starts in the year they turn 6 by 31 December, at the school for your address.
• Lower secondary (Γυμνάσιο): three years, ages 12–15, the last compulsory stage.
• Upper secondary (Λύκειο): general (ΓΕΛ) or vocational (ΕΠΑΛ), three years from age 15. It is not compulsory.

Public schools are free, and enrolment costs nothing. You enrol online through gov.gr with TAXISnet codes, or at the school. You need proof of address, the child's health card (ΑΔΥΜ) and vaccination record. Foreign pupils can enrol at any time during the school year. Children coming from schools abroad join the class that matches their schooling and age.

Higher education

• Public universities are free for first-degree (undergraduate) students. Some master's programmes charge fees, set by each university. The Hellenic Open University also charges fees.
• Entry to public universities is mainly through the national exams (Πανελλαδικές εξετάσεις) at the end of the general Lykeio.
• Non-state universities, run as non-profit institutions, are now allowed by law. They set their own tuition fees.

Student support

• Free textbooks: undergraduate students choose their textbooks each semester in the Eudoxus (ΕΥΔΟΞΟΣ) system and receive them free.
• Free meals: university students get free meals if family income is up to €45,000 a year (with one child; more for larger families), or own income up to €25,000 for unmarried students over 25.
• Student housing allowance: €1,500 a year for students who rent in another city, within income limits. It is only for Greek or EU citizens and is applied for from 1 to 30 June.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Kindergarten from age 4 is compulsory, not optional. Child benefit can be stopped if a school-age child is not enrolled or misses too much school.
• Bring certified, translated school reports from abroad; they help the school place your child correctly.
• Greek is the language of teaching. Ask the school what Greek-language support it offers; there are also intercultural primary schools.
• The student housing allowance is closed to third-country nationals until they become Greek or EU citizens.

Official guidance: Eurydice: Greece overview, Eurydice: higher education funding, Mitos: primary school enrolment, Mitos: free student meals, Ministry of Education

Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave in Greece

Leave around a birth in Greece is paid in layers. e-EFKA pays the maternity benefit for the weeks around the birth. The employment service DYPA pays a special maternity leave, a top-up to full pay and the paid part of parental leave. Most benefits are for employees with enough insured days, and several are linked to the minimum wage (€920 a month from 1 April 2026).

Maternity leave and benefit

• Maternity benefit (επίδομα μητρότητας): 119 days in total, 56 days before and 63 days after the birth. It is paid by e-EFKA to insured employees who stop work.
• Condition: at least 200 days of insurance in the 2 years before the birth. Non-Greek mothers (EU citizens and third-country nationals) must live legally and permanently in Greece.
• Apply online with e-EFKA within 8 months of the birth.
• Top-up (συμπληρωματική παροχή μητρότητας): DYPA pays a one-off top-up. It covers the difference between the e-EFKA benefit and the pay you would have earned. You need at least 10 days of actual work with your employer before the leave, and you apply within 3 months of receiving the e-EFKA benefit.

Special maternity protection leave

• After maternity leave, employed mothers can take a special maternity protection leave (ειδική άδεια προστασίας της μητρότητας) of up to 9 months.
• DYPA pays a monthly benefit equal to the minimum wage, with a share of the holiday bonuses. It is half that amount if you worked part-time for up to 4 hours a day or 13 days a month on average. You stay insured for pension and health while on leave.
• You must still be employed, and you apply to DYPA within 60 days of the start of the leave.
• The mother can transfer up to 7 months of this leave and benefit to the father if he is an employee. The official register notes that these rules are being revised, so check DYPA before you plan.

Paternity and parental leave

• Paternity leave: employed fathers have 14 working days of paid paternity leave at the birth (Law 4808/2021).
• Parental leave (γονική άδεια): each working parent can take up to 4 months until the child turns 8. You need 1 year with the same employer. Your employer records the leave in the ERGANI system (form Ε.14).
• Parental leave benefit: DYPA pays the first 2 months at the level of the minimum wage, plus a share of the bonuses, after each month of leave.
• Contribution relief: women who have a child pay 50% less of the employee's social insurance contribution for one year.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• The 200-day insurance condition counts only declared work. Undeclared or partly declared work can leave you without maternity pay.
• Deadlines differ by benefit: 8 months for the e-EFKA benefit, 60 days for the special leave, 3 months for the top-up. Keep a calendar.
• Self-employed people and public-sector staff have different rules. Ask your insurer or your employer's HR office.

Official guidance: Mitos: maternity benefit, Mitos: special maternity protection, Mitos: parental leave benefit, Mitos: paternity leave, Ministry of Labour: minimum wage, e-EFKA