Greece vs Italy

The common form is an IKE (private company) or the larger AE; registration is via the General Commercial Registry (GEMI), often through a one-stop service. A Greek tax number (AFM) is required.

The common form is an SRL (limited liability company), set up by a notarial deed and registered with the Business Register (Registro delle Imprese) via the Chambers of Commerce. A tax code and VAT number are obtained too.

Greek banking is EU-integrated and increasingly digital. Opening an account usually needs an AFM (tax number), ID and proof of address; the Bank of Greece supervises banks within the ECB framework.

Italian banking includes large banks, cooperative banks and online banks. Opening an account usually needs a codice fiscale (tax code), ID and proof of address; non-residents can open dedicated accounts. The Bank of Italy supervises banks.

Greece courts foreign investment through Enterprise Greece, with EU free movement of capital and no exchange controls. A strategic-investments (fast-track) framework speeds up major projects, and the development law and EU-funded programs offer grants and tax incentives; profits repatriate freely.

Italy welcomes foreign investment through the Italian Trade Agency (Invest in Italy), with free movement of capital. Investments in strategic sectors (defence, energy, telecoms, critical tech) can be screened under the 'golden power' rules; incentives include R&D tax credits, transition plans and special economic zones in the South.

Greece taxes personal income progressively, corporate profits and VAT (FPA), run by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Residents are taxed on worldwide income; special regimes target new residents.

Italy taxes personal income (IRPEF, progressive), corporate profits (IRES), regional and municipal surtaxes, and VAT (IVA), run by the Agenzia delle Entrate. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income.

Non-EU nationals need a work-authorising residence permit; EU citizens work freely. Routes include employed work, the EU Blue Card and a digital-nomad visa. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum handles residence permits.

Non-EU work visas are mostly tied to the annual Decreto Flussi quota; EU citizens work freely. Other routes include the EU Blue Card, intra-company transfers, self-employment and a digital-nomad visa. Applications involve the employer, the immigration desk (Sportello Unico) and consulates.

Non-EU students accepted by a Greek institution obtain a national (D) visa first and then a student residence permit — two stages, not one. A confirmed place at a recognised institution is required, and applicants show funds, health cover and accommodation. Accommodation is the item most often left out of the plan. The residence permit is renewed while studies continue.

Student visas for Italy depend on course type, duration, nationality and consular assessment. For university study, non-EU applicants normally coordinate admission and pre-enrolment through the institution and Universitaly before the visa step — but note Universitaly's own caveat: pre-enrolment validation supports visa issuance, it does not guarantee it. After arriving, long-stay students must request a residence permit, normally within eight working days.

Greece is in the Schengen Area, so many nationalities visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Nationals who do need a visa apply for a Schengen short-stay visa at a Greek consulate. Tourist stays do not permit work or long-term residence.

Whether you need a visa for Italy depends on your nationality, country of residence, length of stay and Schengen rules. The official MAECI 'Visa for Italy' portal is where you check the requirement and the exact document list for your case. Where a visa is required, a Uniform Schengen Visa covers short stays up to 90 days and is applied for at the Italian mission for your residence area.

Greece grants the EU long-term residence permit after generally 5 years of continuous legal residence, with income, health-insurance and Greek-language/integration requirements. It gives near-equal rights to nationals; separately, the Golden Visa offers residence through real-estate or other investment.

Italy grants the EU long-term residence permit (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) after generally 5 years of continuous legal residence, with an income test and an Italian-language test. It is effectively permanent and leads toward Italian citizenship (often after 10 years).

Greece grants citizenship by naturalization after 7 years of legal residence, requiring Greek-language ability and knowledge of Greek history, geography, institutions and culture (the Panhellenic naturalization exam). Greece permits dual nationality.

Naturalization by residence normally requires 10 years of legal residence (4 years for EU citizens, 3 years by Italian descent, and via marriage 2–3 years). You must show Italian at B1 level. Italy permits dual nationality, so you generally need not renounce your original citizenship.

Greek employment sets a national minimum wage, at least 20 working days' paid holiday (rising with service), and dismissal that generally requires notice and severance. Social insurance is via EFKA, and disputes go to the labour inspectorate (SEPE) and the courts.

Italian employment is shaped by national collective agreements (CCNL), which set minimum pay by sector — there is no statutory minimum wage. Employees get at least four weeks' holiday, accrue TFR severance, and enjoy dismissal protections. Social security is via INPS, and disputes go to the labour judge (Giudice del Lavoro).

Greek trade with non-EU countries clears through the customs service of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) with an EU EORI number, often via the major port of Piraeus. You classify goods in TARIC to find duty and import VAT (24%). Declarations use the ICISnet system; intra-EU trade needs Intrastat and dual-use exports need a licence.

Italian trade with non-EU countries clears through the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) with an EU EORI number. You classify goods in TARIC to find duty and import VAT (22%). Declarations are electronic; regular exporters can use the plafond/VAT-warehouse schemes, intra-EU trade needs Intrastat and dual-use exports need a licence.

Greek trademarks are registered with the Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation (OBI) and the Trademarks Directorate. You search the register, file under Nice classes, and after examination it publishes for a three-month opposition period. A Greek trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO, and copyright arises automatically.

Italian trademarks are registered with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM). You search the register, file under Nice classes, and after examination on absolute grounds it publishes for opposition. An Italian trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO, and copyright arises automatically.

Greece has a public employment agency, DYPA, but most vacancies circulate through private job boards, recruiters and direct employer hiring, so DYPA is best treated as a registration, benefits and training service rather than the main place to find work. The structural point for non-EU nationals is that Greece does not issue work rights as a standalone document: the right to work rides on a residence permit that allows it, so the permit category you hold decides what employment you may accept. EU and EEA citizens have free access to the labour market.

Italian job search runs across private employers, regional employment centres and national public portals — Cliclavoro is the labour ministry portal for labour-market information and services, and SIISL and the regional services matter for offers, training and employment support. Two things are distinctive: public-sector hiring normally follows separate competition and portal rules, and non-EU candidates must keep job search, employment start date and residence-permit basis aligned with the immigration route.

Greece sets a national statutory minimum wage by government decision, revised periodically, and sector agreements sit alongside it. The figure is the legal floor for full-time work, so a part-time arrangement has to be assessed proportionally rather than compared against the headline directly. Registered pay carries both social-security contributions to EFKA and tax withholding, so build any net estimate from those two deductions.

Italy has no single statutory national minimum wage. Pay floors come instead from the applicable national collective labour agreement, the CCNL — and the CCNL does far more than set pay: it can govern hours, leave, probation and notice too. So the single most valuable thing in an Italian employment contract is the exact CCNL it names. Use ISTAT for official wage statistics rather than proprietary salary tables, and note that net pay depends on region, municipality and family circumstances as well as tax and contributions.

Greece's public scholarships for international students are offered mainly through the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), alongside bilateral programs and individual university awards. Options are more limited than in some countries, so check IKY, your home-country agreements and each Greek university's site, and apply by the deadline.

Italy's main government scholarships for international students are the Italian Government Scholarships (run by the Foreign Ministry, MAECI), plus 'Invest Your Talent in Italy' and regional right-to-study (DSU) grants that many students qualify for based on income. Explore options on the Study in Italy / MAECI sites and apply by each deadline.

To study in Greece you apply to the university, then, once admitted, apply for a national (type-D) student visa at the Greek consulate and, after arrival, obtain a student residence permit. A growing number of master’s are in English. Explore the university sites and apply by the deadline.

To study in Italy you pre-enroll through the Universitaly portal and apply to the university; once admitted, you apply for a type-D student visa at the Italian consulate and, after arrival, request a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). Explore options on Universitaly and Study in Italy and apply by the deadline.

Foreigners can buy property in Greece freely (border-area purchases by non-EU nationals may need permission). You need a Greek tax number (AFM). Renting typically requires a deposit of one to two months. Buying goes through a notary, is registered at the land registry/cadastre, and carries a property-transfer tax (about 3%). Buying above a threshold can also qualify for the Golden Visa.

Foreigners can generally buy property in Italy (for non-EU nationals subject to a reciprocity condition that is usually met). Renting uses a registered contract, with a deposit of up to three months and an option to tax rent under the flat 'cedolare secca'. Buying goes through a notaio (notary), is registered, and carries registration tax (or VAT on new builds) plus notary fees.

Greece provides public healthcare through the national system (ESY), funded via social-security contributions to EFKA. Access is not automatic on arrival: insured residents reach public healthcare through EFKA registration, and you affiliate through work or another qualifying status. EU visitors can use the European Health Insurance Card for necessary care, and private insurance and clinics supplement the public system rather than replacing it.

Italy's public system is the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. Access depends on nationality, residence status and the reason for your permit, with registration handled through your local ASL and the tessera sanitaria used for many services. The timing trap: SSN registration and renewal generally follow the residence-permit period, so verify with the ASL before a permit expires. EU short-stay visitors commonly use the EHIC; non-EU short stays may need private cover or tariff payment.

On the private side, Greek insurance is a short list: exactly one line is compulsory — third-party motor insurance, which you need in order to drive — and health, property and life cover are all optional and privately arranged. Private insurers are authorised and supervised by the Bank of Greece, so that is where verification happens rather than at a separate insurance regulator. The public social-insurance side runs separately through EFKA.

Italian insurance combines public social coverage, compulsory motor liability insurance and optional private products — and the distinction worth holding onto is that INAIL workplace accident insurance and INPS social security are separate public systems, not ordinary private policies. Before buying anything private, verify that both the insurer and the intermediary are authorised: IVASS supervises undertakings and intermediaries and publishes registers plus consumer warnings. Private health or travel cover can matter if you are not yet fully covered by the SSN.