Greece vs Turkey

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 company is a Limited Şirket (limited liability); registration is via the Trade Registry (through MERSIS) and a notary, and a tax number is obtained. Foreigners can own companies fully in most sectors.

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.

Turkish banking is modern and digital. Foreigners can open accounts, usually needing a passport, a Turkish tax number and proof of address; many banks also ask for a residence permit (ikamet), though some open one without it. The CBRT and BDDK regulate 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.

Türkiye actively courts foreign investment through the Investment Office of the Presidency, granting foreign investors national treatment. There is no general FDI screening; incentives include the regional investment-incentive scheme, free zones and technology development zones. Capital and profits repatriate through banks, subject to central-bank foreign-exchange rules.

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.

Türkiye's taxes are run by the Revenue Administration (GİB): income tax, corporate tax and VAT (KDV). Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and high inflation means thresholds are revised frequently.

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.

Foreigners need a work permit to work in Türkiye, which also serves as a residence permit; the Ministry of Labour and Social Security issues it, usually on the employer's application. A Turquoise Card suits qualified professionals.

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.

Studying in Türkiye normally combines three things: university admission, an entry visa or exemption status, and a student residence permit obtained after arrival. One structural limit to plan around — the student residence permit cannot exceed the length of the education programme itself. Exchange schemes such as Erasmus, Mevlana and Farabi are named in the residence-permit framework. Student work rights are limited and need separate work-permit checks.

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.

Entry to Türkiye depends on nationality: some travellers enter visa-free or on a national ID, while others apply through the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-Visa portal. The e-Visa is valid for touristic and trade purposes only — work or study travel uses different visa channels — and stays beyond 90 days generally require a residence permit rather than a tourist visa.

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.

Turkey grants a long-term (indefinite) residence permit after eight years of continuous legal residence, giving rights close to citizens' apart from voting and public office. A faster alternative is Turkish citizenship by investment. Applications go through the Presidency of Migration Management.

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.

Turkey grants citizenship by naturalization after 5 years of continuous residence, with basic Turkish, good moral character, lawful means and no threat to health or security. A faster, separate route is Turkish citizenship by investment (for example a qualifying property purchase). Turkey permits dual nationality. The decision is by presidential decree via the Ministry of the Interior.

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.

Turkish employment under Labour Law No. 4857 sets a national minimum wage, a 45-hour week, annual leave of 14-26 days by service, and severance pay (kıdem tazminatı) of roughly one month per year for eligible employees. Social security is via the SGK, and most disputes need mandatory mediation before the labour courts.

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.

Turkish trade clears through the Ministry of Trade's customs using the BILGE electronic system. Türkiye is in a customs union with the EU, so most industrial goods move duty-free with an A.TR certificate; other imports carry customs duty plus VAT (KDV, 20% standard). Some goods need permits and standards approval.

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.

Turkish trademarks are registered with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT). You search the register, file under Nice classes, and after examination the mark publishes in the Official Trademark Bulletin for a two-month opposition period. A Turkish trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; Türkiye is a Madrid Protocol member.

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.

Türkiye's official employment agency is İŞKUR, which runs job matching alongside private platforms and direct employer hiring. The structural point for foreign candidates is that a work-permit decision is scored against published criteria that examine the employer as much as the applicant — the company's profile and the pay attached to the role type both feed into it — so a well-qualified candidate can still be refused because the hiring company does not meet the conditions. Student residence permit holders have separate and narrower work rights.

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.

Türkiye has a national minimum wage, but high inflation makes any wage reference time-sensitive — official minimum-wage tables should be read as dated figures rather than durable salary benchmarks. There is also a structural reason the minimum matters even to higher earners: foreign work-permit salary thresholds are set as multiples of the current gross minimum wage for some roles, so when the minimum moves, those thresholds move with it. Use official wage and labour-statistics sources first.

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.

Türkiye's flagship scholarship is Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları), a comprehensive government program run by the Presidency for Turks Abroad (YTB) that covers tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, flights and a year of Turkish-language study. Apply through the single online system by the annual 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 Türkiye you apply to the university (some require the YÖS exam or a recognised equivalent), then, once admitted, apply for a student visa at the Turkish consulate and, after arrival, obtain a student residence permit from the Presidency of Migration Management. Explore the university sites 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 buy property in Turkey, subject to limits (no purchases in military/security zones and an overall area cap per person). Renting deposits are typically one month, under the Code of Obligations. Buying is registered at the Land Registry (Tapu office), which issues the title deed (tapu), with a title-deed fee of around 4%. Buying above a set value can also qualify for Turkish citizenship by investment.

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.

Türkiye combines public social-security healthcare through SGK / Genel Sağlık Sigortası with a large private hospital market, especially in major cities. The point that catches people out is that insurance is an immigration requirement: residence-permit applications require valid health insurance, which can be SGK/GSS coverage or qualifying private insurance. Verify enrolment, waiting periods and private-policy wording before relying on cover for either immigration or treatment.

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.

In Türkiye, insurance planning usually starts with residence-permit health insurance rather than with your own risk assessment. Private health insurance is commonly used for first permit applications when SGK/GSS coverage is not yet active — so it functions as a bridge. The trap is duration and wording: the policy should cover the full requested permit period and match Migration Management requirements, so a cheaper short policy can sink the application. Employer social-security and workplace obligations are separate from private buying.