Move to Greece
from the UK

Stunning scenery, incredible history, abundant arts and culture, warm and welcoming people, and outstanding cuisine — Greece truly has it all.

Add to this the fact that it is one of Europe’s hottest and sunniest destinations and it’s easy to understand why so many Brits wonder what it would be like to move to Greece either short or long term.

But what’s the reality of living and working in Greece?

Well, for a start, Greece offers British expats roughly 30% lower living costs than the UK, plus 250+ days of annual sunshine, and a quality of life that's hard to match in western Europe.

If you choose to move here, you'll also need the patience of a saint (for the bureaucracy) and a mild tolerance for chaos.

It’s estimated that around 20,000 Brits already accepted the challenge, many drawn by cheap wine, warm seas, and a 7% flat tax on foreign pensions. Post-Brexit, moving here requires much more paperwork than it used to, but it's far from impossible.

In Greece, your money goes further, the weather is reliably excellent for eight months of the year, and the food is simply superb.

As for British expats, they cluster in a few predictable spots: Athens and its leafy suburbs (Kifisia, Glyfada) for those who need international schools and proper infrastructure; Crete - particularly Chania and the Apokoronas region - which has the largest island-based British community; Corfu, which has been attracting Brits since the Durrells; and Rhodes, for sunshine above all else.

More recently, we’ve seen Thessaloniki draw a younger crowd, particularly among the rising wave of digital nomads.

Adjusting to life here takes time. In fact, daily life looks nothing like the UK.

Shops close for the famous afternoon siesta (roughly 2pm–5:30pm), restaurants don't really get going until 9pm, and your 8am meeting mentality will mark you out as foreign in about 7 seconds.

By nature, Greeks are a warm and passion bunch, and often unapologetically loud. The coffee culture is sacred in this part of the world - a frappé can last two hours, and nobody considers this lazy. It’s just the Greek normal.

The produce at the weekly laiki (street market) will make you wonder what you'd been eating from Tesco Express all those years…

Many Brits have a hard-baked assumption that Mediterranean healthcare is inevitably going to mean substandard care.

In Greece’s case, that is definitely unfair.

For a start, the country has more doctors per capita than any other OECD country (although it does shave a maller nursing workforce than many EU peers). The quality of care in Greece is generally very good with many doctors trained in the UK or US.

What does clearly differ from the NHS is how the system is organised, funded, and experienced day-to-day.

Public healthcare (ESY / EOPYY)

If you're working in Greece and paying into EFKA (social security), you get access to public healthcare on the same basis as Greek citizens through your AMKA number.

This means that UK state pensioners can access the system via an S1 form registered with EOPYY. In the shorter term, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) will cover emergency and medically necessary care during temporary stays.

One of the things that Brits often ask us about is wait times - and here, it’s fair to say that Greece is not going to represent a massive improvement on going through the NHS for treatment.

While public hospitals are fairly competent for emergencies and serious conditions, you can expect longer waiting times, some very dated facilities outside Athens, and an ingrained cultural expectation that family members help with basic patient care during hospital stays.

The no-referral-needed system (you can go straight to a specialist) sounds liberating on paper, it does create enormous specialist waiting lists.

If you are based on the islands or in rural parts of Greece, the provision is thinner - to the point where serious cases may require transfer to the mainland.

Private healthcare

Most established British expats use a familiar a hybrid approach to their healthcare: as in, use the public system for emergencies, private for everything routine.

The cost difference from the UK private sector is striking.

Athens has world-class private hospitals - Hygeia, Metropolitan, and IASO - with English-speaking staff, modern equipment, and costs 30–50% below equivalent UK or German private facilities.

Thessaloniki and Crete also have solid private options. But once again, the smaller islands are more limited.

Health insurance

Private health insurance is mandatory for most visa applications (with a minimum €30,000 coverage).

Basic visa-compliant policies start from as little as £130/year but if you look between the lines, they provide minimal actual protection.

For comprehensive coverage, you can expect to pay £1,200-£3,000/year per person depending on age and coverage level, or about £2,500-£5,500/year for a couple aged 50-65.

There are some familiar providers operating in Greece, including Cigna Global, Allianz Care, and the lesser-known local insurer Ethniki Asfalistiki.

Pharmacies, mental health, and emergencies

Greek pharmacies are everywhere - seriously, the country has the highest pharmacists-per-capita in Europe.

How did this happen?

No idea, but you’ll find that many medications that are prescription-only in the UK can be dispensed over the counter.

Most pharmacies will follow siesta hours but some will operate a rota system to ensure there’s something close to 24-hour emergency coverage.

We recommend you bring UK medications in original packaging with a doctor's letter; as you'll need a Greek prescription for ongoing supplies.

Mental health services are…. a mixed bag. This part of the system is developing but it remains limited, particularly outside Athens and in English.

Emergency services are accessed via 112 (English-speaking operators) or 166 (EKAV ambulance - operators may only speak Greek).

If you need emergency care, it’s free for everyone regardless of status. Response times are reasonable in cities but can be slow on remote islands, where helicopter evacuation may be necessary for serious cases.

If you’re moving to Greece from the UK with kids, one of your primary research areas will probably be the state of education in the country.

Unfortunately, educational standards in the public sector are generally not up to par to what most families would expect back home.

So, that leaves international schools.

Outside Athens, your international school options drop from 20+ to almost zero. Thessaloniki has a handful. Crete has two (limited). Corfu, Rhodes, and everywhere else? None.

If your children need English-medium education following a British or IB curriculum, Athens jumps right to the head of the queue with 23 options (including 7 British schools).

International schools worth knowing about

Here are some of the most popular options:

• Campion School, Pallini (Athens) - British National Curriculum through IGCSE and IB Diploma. Around 600 students from 45+ nationalities. €9,200-€15,650/year tuition for 2026–27. COBIS-accredited. The first school most British families investigate.
• St Catherine's British School, Kifisia (Athens) - British curriculum plus IB Diploma for sixth form. Northern Athens suburb with a decent reputation. €9,710-€16,500/year
• Byron College, Pallini (Athens) - British curriculum, IGCSE, and A-Levels (not IB). Roughly 560 students, 50+ nationalities. BSO-accredited. €8,250–€13,750/year.
• Pinewood American International School, Thessaloniki - This school follows an American curriculum with IB Diploma. It’s the main option outside Athens. 270 students.€6,990–€14,300/year tuition for 2026–27. Pinewood currently lists a €3,000 capital levy for new students entering Grades 1–12 and boarding at €11,900.

These fees are roughly half what equivalent schools charge in the UK.

On numbers alone, Athens is one of Europe's most affordable capitals for international schooling.

But if we look at Greece as a whole, the options for expats are not great outside of the capital.

State schools and the language question

Expat kids can attend Greek state schools for free - education is compulsory from age 6, textbooks are provided.

As mentioned though, the quality of education is not exactly world-beating. All instruction is in Greek, making for a particularly difficult transition for older children.

Many Greek families supplement state education with private tutoring (frontistiria), and your child would likely need this too, at least initially.

For others, all roads lead to the international schools in Athens…

Childcare and younger children

There are municipal nurseries which are heavily subsidised (from £60/month) but they have long waiting lists and limited spots.

For private daycare, you can expect to pay around £260–£565/month. Nannies cost £350-£780/month.

The cultural norm in Greece is for grandparents to provide primary childcare - which obviously doesn't help if yours are back home in Derbyshire!

Is Greece good for raising kids?

In some ways, yes.

The country is certainly child-friendly - children are welcomed everywhere, including restaurants at 10pm (which takes some British adjustment).

Safety is excellent; violent crime is low. The outdoor lifestyle, beaches, and sunshine are all wonderful for children's health and happiness. The pace of life allows for a childhood less structured and more free-range than most UK kids might typically experience.

The issue comes back to schooling. There is a limited supply of international schools outside of Athens. And, besides, winter social life on the islands can be very quiet for older kids.

Another point we’d note - some of the casual attitude to rules (seatbelts, helmets, smoking around children) may alarm British parents raised on health-and-safety curtain twitching…

So is Greece all sunshine, ouzo and olives?

Not exactly. It’s a beautiful place to live, but there are some very real drawbacks - particularly for those with young families.

What else do you need to consider before making the move?

Transport

Greece drives on the right - your first roundabout will feel oh-so-deeply wrong. And you’ll already be on edge from some of the… let’s just say, unconventional road manners.

Athens has a fairly efficient metro (3 lines, clean, €1.20 per ride, contactless payment accepted) plus buses and trams. A monthly transport pass costs less than 30 quid, which feels like an absolute steal if you’re coming from London prices.

Taxis are metered and affordable. Beat (shortly rebranding as FreeNow) is the dominant ride-hailing app; Uber works but connects to licensed taxis rather than private cars - a little bit different to the UK.

Your UK driving licence is valid for visits, but once resident, you should exchange it for a Greek one.

The process involves a medical exam and paperwork but no driving test for Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.

Brits who moved after January 2021 may face theory and practical tests.

Elsewhere, inter-island ferries run from Piraeus (connected to Athens by metro): book 2–4 months ahead for summer travel to popular islands.

Phone and internet

Three providers dominate: Cosmote (best coverage), Vodafone, and Nova (cheapest). For contract mobile SIM plans, expect to pay around run £13–30/month. Fixed broadband costs are about £25–28/month; fibre is available in urban areas with speeds up to 1Gbps, but coverage drops sharply on islands and in rural areas. It’s not great.

Elon Musk’s Starlink is increasingly popular for remote locations (yes, really!), priced at £25–35/month (plus the initial hardware).

Banking

You can open a Greek bank account as a British expat, but you'll need your AFM (tax number) first. Expect to visit a branch in person with your passport, AFM, proof of address, and proof of income.

Piraeus Bank is probably the most expat-friendly; Alpha Bank is also a decent option and has a nice app. The process will normally take 1–4 weeks.

In the meantime, Wise is invaluable for transferring money and making local payments. Revolut works well, too, but its non-Greek IBAN can still have problems with rent and tax payments.

Language issues

About 51% of Greeks speak English, and this rises significantly among younger people and in Athens, where you can live for years while skipping your Greek classes.

Tourist islands are similarly well-served.

But it’s a familiar story in government offices, or when dealing with utility companies, medical receptionists in the public system, and rural areas are overwhelmingly Greek-only.

Learning the alphabet and basic conversational Greek is strongly recommended if you want to thrive here long term.

It opens doors socially and practically, not to mention: Greeks deeply appreciate the effort.

The language is classified as moderately difficult for English speakers (harder than Spanish, easier than Arabic).

Property

Can you buy property freely in Greece?

Yes, in most cases it’s the same process as Greek citizens.

However there are some notable exceptions: properties within 20km of the Greek border (parts of Thrace, Evros, and some Aegean islands near Turkey) require Ministry of Defence approval, which adds months (and from initial reports, sounds like a real headache).

Transaction costs can spiral to around 7–10% on top of the purchase price (3% transfer tax, notary, legal, registry fees). Property prices have been rising 7-8% annually but are still far below UK equivalents.

A two-bed apartment in a pleasant Athenian suburb might cost £130,000–£200,000; the same in Crete, £90,000–£150,000.

Brick for brick, you get a much nicer view for your pennies in Greece!

Bringing pets

UK pet passports are no longer accepted post-Brexit.

Sorry, Fido!

You need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an official vet, issued within 10 days of travel. Requirements are: microchip, rabies vaccination (21-day wait after first jab), and the AHC itself - budget £150–300 per pet per trip.

There is no quarantine if paperwork is correct - but that’s a big if. Many expats choose to use a specialist pet export agency to avoid such costly mistakes.

Greece is in the leishmaniasis zone - this sandfly-transmitted disease affects dogs and has no reliable cure. Preventive collars and treatments are essential.