Greece vs Italy: which is easier to move to?
A straight side-by-side on the eight things that decide it — work routes, study, family, residency, citizenship, cost, healthcare and jobs.
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Southern Europe | Southern Europe |
| Population | 10.4 million | 58.9 million |
| Foreign-born | about 13% of residents | about 9% of residents |
| Language(s) | Greek | Italian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Work Visas | Employment of non-EU workers runs through an invitation system tied to labour shortages, so ordinary sponsorship is limited. The realistic routes are the digital nomad visa, self-employment, the EU Blue Card, and seasonal work in tourism and agriculture. Full guide | Non-EU work visas are rationed through the decreto flussi, an annual quota that opens on published click-days and fills almost instantly. Outside the quota, only specific categories — the EU Blue Card, intra-company transfers, researchers, and the digital nomad visa — remain open. Full guide |
| Student Visas | Study permits are granted for accredited programmes, public university tuition is free or nominal for EU students and modest for others, and a growing number of English-taught programmes exist. Study time counts at half value toward the residence needed for citizenship. Full guide | Study visas sit outside the work quota, tuition at public universities is low and means-tested, and graduates may convert to a work permit within the quota reserved for them. Student time counts toward citizenship, though at reduced weight for some purposes. Full guide |
| Family & Spouse Visas | Legal residents may reunite a spouse and minor children after a qualifying period, with income and housing tests. Family members of Greek and EU citizens are treated under the lighter European regime, and spouses of Greeks may naturalise in three years. Full guide | Family reunification is a right for legal residents who meet income and housing tests, and it sits outside the quota. Family members of EU and Italian citizens are treated under the far lighter European regime. Full guide |
| Permanent Residency | Two paths: the golden visa, a five-year renewable residence permit granted for a qualifying investment with no minimum stay, and the long-term residence permit after five years of actual residence. The financially independent person visa is the route for those with income but no investment. Full guide | After five years of legal residence you may apply for the EU long-term residence permit, which is indefinite and requires an A2 Italian exam. The route in for people with income and no employer is the elective residency visa, which grants residence on condition that you do not work. Full guide |
| Citizenship | Seven years of lawful residence, a B1 Greek language requirement, and the demanding Panhellenic examination in Greek history, geography, culture and politics. Dual citizenship is permitted, but this is the hardest naturalisation in southern Europe. Full guide | Ten years of legal residence for non-EU nationals, four for EU citizens, two or three for spouses of Italians, plus a B1 Italian exam. Citizenship by descent still exists but was sharply restricted in March 2025. Full guide |
| Cost of Living | Greece is the cheapest country in western Europe to live well in, provided you avoid the islands in August. Athens rents rose after 2021 but remain far below Madrid or Lisbon, and the mainland outside Athens is cheaper still. Full guide | Italy divides sharply. Milan is expensive, Rome and Florence are moderately so, and much of the south is among the cheapest living in western Europe — which is precisely where the seven percent pensioner tax regime applies. Full guide |
| Healthcare | Greece has universal public healthcare funded through social insurance, free or low cost at the point of use for residents who contribute or are covered. It was strained badly by the debt crisis, and most foreign residents add inexpensive private cover. Full guide | The national health service covers residents comprehensively for a small or no annual contribution, and outcomes are among the best in the world. The system is administered regionally and quality varies noticeably between the north and parts of the south. Full guide |
| Finding a Job | Greek wages are the lowest in western Europe and unemployment remains above the EU average. Foreigners work mainly in tourism, shipping, technology, teaching, and increasingly in remote roles for foreign employers. Full guide | Italy has low salaries, high youth unemployment, and a labour market that runs on personal networks and Italian fluency. For most foreigners the realistic options are transferring in with a multinational, teaching, or bringing remote income. Full guide |
Neither country is "better". They are better for different people:
the deciding factors are usually your occupation, your age, your language, and how
long you are willing to wait. General information only. Not legal advice. No lawyer-client or consultant-client relationship is created.