# Staying in Crete for Good: Long-Term Residence, Permanent Residence and Greek Citizenship

> After five years in Greece a non-EU resident can apply for EU long-term resident status, and an EU citizen for a permanent residence document; after seven, naturalisation, with a Greek language and civics exam. Here is what each step asks in 2026, which permits count towards it, and where the years quietly stop counting.

- Canonical URL: https://honestcrete.com/buying/long-term-residence-and-greek-citizenship/
- Author: Fotis (Honest Crete, Heraklion)
- Section: Buying property in Crete · Stage: Owning
- Rules verified: October 2026 · Updated: 2026-10-18 · Published: 2026-10-18
- How to cite: "Honest Crete — Staying in Crete for Good: Long-Term Residence, Permanent Residence and Greek Citizenship (rules verified October 2026), https://honestcrete.com/buying/long-term-residence-and-greek-citizenship/"
- Disclosure: Honest Crete does not sell or list property and nobody here is an estate agent. Enquiries sent from this section go to a licensed, registered estate agent, not to us. No article names a developer or a specific property. Adverts on these pages are labelled as adverts and buy no say in the text.
- Sources:
  - Taxheaven, law 5307/2026 article 179 (read October 2026) — the current text of article 144 of the Migration Code (law 5038/2023): five years' lawful, uninterrupted residence; stable income not below a minimum-wage earner's annual pay plus 10% per dependant; full health insurance; integration under article 145; study counts half; absences under six consecutive months and ten in total allowed: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5307/2026/arthro/179
  - Taxheaven, law 5038/2023 article 145 (read October 2026) — integration met by Greek language and history knowledge (article 160) or by family-of-a-Greek and ethnic-Greek cards; application to the authority that issued the last permit; police opinion; decision within six months, extendable by three; status permanent: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5038/2023/arthro/145
  - Taxheaven, law 5038/2023 article 160 (read October 2026) — proof of Greek: a certificate at B1 or above, or A2 plus a Greek history and culture certificate, the PEGP, Greek school or university qualifications, or twelve years' lawful residence; exam fees payable: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5038/2023/arthro/160
  - Taxheaven, law 5038/2023 article 143 (read October 2026) — long-term status not open to students, people under temporary or other protection, pending asylum applicants, holders of a 'temporary residence status' and diplomats: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5038/2023/arthro/143
  - Taxheaven, law 5275/2026 article 36 (read October 2026) — the amended article 148: long-term status is lost after 12 consecutive months outside the EU, after six years outside Greece, by fraud or on public-order grounds: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5275/2026/arthro/36
  - Taxheaven, law 5038/2023 article 171 (read October 2026) — fees: €150 for the long-term resident permit «Μ.1»; no fee for Μ.2 holders moving to Μ.1 or for Μ.1 renewals: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5038/2023/arthro/171
  - Decentralised Administration of Attica (November 2023, under the previous law 4251/2014, possibly outdated) — long-term resident application: €150 fee (code 2107) plus €16 for the card; passport pages for five years, EFKA insurance record, tax clearance, proof of housing, proof of Greek: https://apdattikis.gov.gr/en/?p=1451
  - Powergame (1 April 2026) — the gross monthly minimum wage rose to €920 from 1 April 2026: https://www.powergame.gr/asfalisi/1328889/katotatos-misthos-se-efarmogi-i-nea-afxisi-poio-einai-to-katharo-poso/
  - mitos.gov.gr, registration certificate for economically inactive EU citizens (updated 28 September 2026) — required for stays over three months; sufficient resources and full health insurance; at the police aliens office in person; €0.50 stamp; indefinite validity: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%92%CE%B5%CE%B2%CE%B1%CE%AF%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%B5%CE%B3%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AE%CF%82_%CF%83%CE%B5_%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%88%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BD_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD_%CE%95%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B1_%CF%89%CF%82_%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AC_%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%AC_%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%B1
  - mitos.gov.gr, permanent residence document for EU citizens (read October 2026) — five years' continuous legal residence (PD 106/2007 art. 14); Hellenic Police; €0.50 stamp; in person; indefinite validity: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%88%CE%B3%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%BF_%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%AF%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%BC%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AE%CF%82_%CF%83%CE%B5_%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%88%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BD_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD_%CE%95%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B1
  - mitos.gov.gr, naturalisation of foreign nationals (updated 1 October 2026) — seven years' lawful and permanent residence with a listed permit (long-term resident, EU citizen's certificate, investor and property-owner permits, UK Withdrawal Agreement permit among them), three for EU citizens and spouses of Greeks with a child, twelve with any other permit; PEGP; economic integration; €550 fee (€100 for EU citizens); about a year; oath within a year of the decision: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94%3A%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8E%CE%BD
  - mitos.gov.gr, the PEGP exams (updated 28 July 2026) — Ministry of Interior with the Ministry of Education, twice a year; 20 knowledge questions on geography, culture, history and institutions, written and oral language tests; pass marks 20, 40 and 70 overall: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%95%CE%BE%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%AC%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82_%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%A0%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D_%CE%95%CF%80%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%82_%CE%93%CE%BD%CF%8E%CF%83%CE%B5%CF%89%CE%BD_%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1_%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7
  - mitos.gov.gr, PEGP exam application (updated 14 October 2026) — €150 fee (code 2158), online on the Ministry of Interior platform, valid residence permit and passport required: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%91%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%A3%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%87%CE%AE%CF%82_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%82_%CE%B5%CE%BE%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%AC%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%A0%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D_%CE%95%CF%80%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%82_%CE%93%CE%BD%CF%8E%CF%83%CE%B5%CF%89%CE%BD_%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1_%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%28%CE%A0%CE%95%CE%93%CE%A0)
  - Ministry of Interior (4 June 2026) — PEGP statistics May 2022 to April 2026: 40,592 candidates sat, 20,585 passed (50.71%); April 2026 59.34%, November 2025 44.52%: https://www.ypes.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260604-StatistikaPEGP-2022-2026A.pdf
  - Capital.gr (12 September 2026) — the announced rise of the transfer tax from 3% to 15% from July 2027 for non-EU buyers without long-term resident status: https://www.capital.gr/tax/4016291/pote-tha-energopoiithoun-oi-nees-meioseis-foron-sta-akinita/

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Owning a house in Crete gives you no right to stay in it, and the permits that do are temporary. The way to stop renewing is a status that does not expire: EU long-term residence after five years for non-EU nationals, a permanent residence document after five for EU citizens, and Greek citizenship after seven for those who want the passport. As checked in October 2026 against the Migration Code (law 5038/2023 as amended), PD 106/2007 and the Ministry of Interior's own procedures, the route is real, slow, and built for people who actually live here.

I am not an immigration lawyer, and this is not legal advice. An immigration lawyer should check your own residence history before you file.

**Staying for good in one minute.** **Non-EU:** after **five years** of lawful, uninterrupted residence, **EU long-term resident status** (permit «Μ1», **law 5038/2023, art. 144**), permanent. It asks for income of at least a minimum-wage earner's annual pay (**€920 a month** gross since April 2026) **plus 10% per dependant**, full health insurance, and Greek at **B1**, or **A2** plus a history certificate. Absences: under **six consecutive months**, **ten** in total. Lost after **12 months** outside the EU. **EU citizens:** register for stays over **three months**, permanent residence document after **five years**, **€0.50** stamp. **Citizenship:** **seven years** with a listed permit (three for EU citizens and spouses of Greeks with a child, twelve with any other), the **PEGP** exam (**€150**, about half pass), a **€550** application, about **a year** to decide.

## Five years first: EU long-term resident status

The status non-EU residents work towards is the one the Migration Code calls long-term resident, issued as permit «Μ1». Its conditions, in the version of article 144 as amended by law 5307/2026, are five years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Greece immediately before the application; stable, regular income for yourself and your family, not from the welfare system and not below the annual pay of a minimum-wage earner, plus 10% for each dependant; full health insurance; and integration. Study years count for half. Absences do not break the five years if each is under six consecutive months and they add up to no more than ten.

The income line moves with the minimum wage, which rose to €920 a month gross from 1 April 2026; the annual figure depends on whether the office counts twelve or fourteen monthly payments, roughly €11,000–12,900 for a single applicant, so ask which it applies. It is far below the €3,500 a month of the [sufficient-means permit](https://honestcrete.com/buying/moving-to-crete-from-outside-the-eu/), and that difference is the point: long-term status rewards residence, not wealth.

You apply to the authority that issued your last permit. It asks the police for a public-order opinion and must decide within six months of a complete file, extendable by three. Article 171 of the Migration Code sets the fee at €150. A page of the Decentralised Administration of Attica, written under the previous law, adds €16 for the card and lists passport pages for the five years, an EFKA insurance record, a tax clearance and proof of housing; treat both as possibly outdated and check with your office. Once granted, it is permanent, but article 148, as amended in 2026, takes it away after twelve consecutive months outside the EU or six years outside Greece.

## Which years count, and which may not

Article 143 shuts long-term status to students, people under temporary or other protection, asylum applicants and holders of a "temporary residence status", without saying which permits that phrase covers. Whether years on a [Golden Visa](https://honestcrete.com/buying/golden-visa-crete/), the sufficient-means permit or the [digital nomad visa](https://honestcrete.com/buying/digital-nomad-visa-greece-crete/) count is the first question to put to a lawyer, before you rely on them. The years must also be lawful and uninterrupted, so a lapse between permits matters.

A Golden Visa asks for no minimum stay; long-term status and citizenship measure time actually spent here, and the 183 days that make you a [Greek tax resident](https://honestcrete.com/buying/tax-residency-greece-183-days/) arrive long before the fifth year.

## The Greek: B1, or A2 plus history

Integration under article 145 is usually shown under article 160, which accepts a Greek certificate at B1 or above; an A2 certificate together with a certificate in Greek history and culture; the PEGP naturalisation certificate described below; Greek school or Greek-taught university qualifications; or twelve years of lawful residence. For most owners the realistic route is a certificate earned over the five years.

## EU citizens: register at three months, permanent at five

None of the above applies to citizens of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. Anyone staying longer than three months registers with the police for a registration certificate — before the three months are up, under article 8 of PD 106/2007, although the state's procedures registry, mitos.gov.gr, says after them, so ask the aliens office which it applies — showing sufficient resources and full health insurance if they do not work; it is granted on application for a €0.50 stamp. After five years of continuous legal residence they can ask the same police service for a [permanent residence document](https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%88%CE%B3%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%BF_%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%AF%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%BC%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AE%CF%82_%CF%83%CE%B5_%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%88%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BD_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD_%CE%95%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B1) under PD 106/2007, again for €0.50, valid indefinitely. British residents covered by the Withdrawal Agreement hold a permit of their own, covered in [buying in Crete as a British citizen](https://honestcrete.com/buying/buying-in-crete-as-a-uk-citizen-after-brexit/).

## Citizenship: seven years, the PEGP and a year's wait

Naturalisation is a separate application to the Ministry of Interior. Its [procedure page](https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94%3A%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8E%CE%BD), updated on 1 October 2026, asks for seven years of lawful and permanent residence while holding one of a listed set of titles: the long-term resident permit, EU citizens' certificates, family-of-a-Greek cards, refugee and second-generation permits, investor and property-owner permits and the UK Withdrawal Agreement permit, among others. The sufficient-means and digital-nomad permits are not on the list; with any title that is not, the requirement is twelve years. EU citizens, spouses of Greek citizens with a child, and parents of Greek children born in Greece need three.

You must also show economic integration, Greece as the centre of your livelihood, with five years of tax and insurance records on the seven-year route, and a clean record. The application goes to the regional citizenship directorate in person, through a lawyer or by post; the fee is €550 (€100 for EU citizens and a few other groups); the ministry gives about a year for a decision; and the oath must be taken within a year of the decision's publication, or it is revoked.

## The PEGP exam

The Certificate of Sufficient Knowledge for Naturalisation is an exam the Ministry of Interior runs twice a year with the Ministry of Education. It has 20 knowledge questions on history, institutions, geography and culture, written Greek with a short composition, listening and a speaking test. The pass marks are 20 on knowledge, 40 on language and 70 overall; candidates over 62 get preparation time and an oral exam. The fee is €150, paid online. It is not a formality: the ministry's [own figures](https://www.ypes.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260604-StatistikaPEGP-2022-2026A.pdf) show 50.71% of candidates passed between May 2022 and April 2026, with sessions ranging from 40.83% (November 2023) to 59.45% (November 2024); 44.52% passed in November 2025 and 59.34% in April 2026.

## The honest downside

None of this is quick, and none of it comes with the house. Five years must be lawful and unbroken, the Greek real, and citizenship adds two more years, an exam roughly half of candidates fail, and a year's wait. The law moves too: articles 144 and 148 were both amended in 2026 alone, and whether time on the most common foreign-owner permits counts is not written plainly. Past the paperwork, permanence means Greek tax residency, the Greek health system and Cretan winters. One possible reward: the 15% transfer tax announced for non-EU buyers from July 2027 is reported to exempt long-term residents, but in October 2026 it was an announcement, not a law.

*Disclosure:* Disclosure: Honest Crete does not sell or list property. Enquiries sent from this section go to a licensed estate agent, not to us; the full statement is below. Nothing in this article names a developer, a property, a lawyer, a language school, a visa consultancy or any other professional, and it never will.

**The verdict.** **Worth it if** you already live in Crete most of the year on a permit, intend to stay, and are willing to learn Greek to B1: long-term status ends the renewals, and citizenship is a realistic next step. **Skip it if** you spend a few months a year here: the clocks in this article count residence, not ownership, and a holiday home will not start them.

## Quick answers

**How long do I have to live in Greece to get permanent residence?**

Five years. A non-EU national with five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence can apply for EU long-term resident status under article 144 of the Migration Code (law 5038/2023), which is permanent. An EU citizen with five years of continuous legal residence can ask the police for a permanent residence document under PD 106/2007, for a €0.50 stamp.

**What are the requirements for EU long-term resident status in Greece?**

Five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, stable income not below a minimum-wage earner's annual pay plus 10% for each dependant, full health insurance, and proof of integration. Integration usually means a Greek certificate at B1, or A2 plus a Greek history and culture certificate. Absences of under six consecutive months, and no more than ten in total, do not break the five years.

**Does time on a Golden Visa or a financially independent permit count towards long-term residence in Greece?**

The Migration Code excludes holders of a 'temporary residence status' from long-term status without listing which permits that covers, so whether years on a Golden Visa, sufficient-means or digital-nomad permit count should be checked with an immigration lawyer before relying on them. For citizenship, the Ministry of Interior lists investor and property-owner permits among the titles for the seven-year route; the sufficient-means and digital-nomad permits are not on that list.

**How many years until I can apply for Greek citizenship?**

Seven years of lawful and permanent residence for most non-EU nationals holding a listed permit, such as the long-term resident permit; three years for EU citizens and for spouses of Greek citizens with a child; twelve years with any other residence title. The application costs €550 (€100 for EU citizens) and the Ministry of Interior gives about a year for a decision.

**What is the Greek citizenship exam (PEGP)?**

The PEGP is the Certificate of Sufficient Knowledge for Naturalisation, an exam the Ministry of Interior runs twice a year. It has 20 questions on geography, culture, history and the political system, written and oral Greek tests, and a pass mark of 70 overall. The fee is €150, and 50.71% of candidates passed between May 2022 and April 2026.

**Can I lose long-term resident status in Greece?**

Yes. Under article 148 of the Migration Code as amended in 2026, the status is lost after 12 consecutive months outside the EU, after six years outside Greece, if it was obtained by fraud, or on public-order grounds. A long-term resident who wants to spend long periods away should count those months as carefully as the first five years.