The recent years more and more Omilo students, mostly nationals of non-EU-countries, seem to be interested in moving to Greece or become residents of Greece.
From 2020 also UK-nationals are included in the interested individuals. We have heard various personal reasons for considering taking that step, for example:
Not happy with the politicians in my country, and hoping the Greek democracy works better…
Not happy with my social life back home, and hoping to make many friends in Greece and having fun…
Not happy with the many cold and wet days, and hoping to sit in the Greek sun every single day…
Not happy with the covid-19 situation back home, and hoping on a Greek island the situation is far better…
Not happy staying in hotels while visiting Greece, so buying a 2nd home in Greece and hoping to live mostly there when I retire…
Not happy with my commuting back home, so looking forward to become a « digital nomad »or working online from Greece...
And we are sure there are many more reasons!
Actually, it is not a bad idea at all, from the moment you have secured an income from abroad! If you are dependent on also looking for a job in Greece, then it is another story…unless the reason is related to the « love of your life »:)
If you are an EU-resident, staying or working in Greece for a longer time period is easier, but if not, you will need to ask for information on how to acquire Greek citizenship or residency. Sometimes you will need to learn Greek in order to apply for the process of naturalization.
Of course, at Omilo, we can help you to learn Greek, but apart from that, we are not specialists on this subject!
You most likely will need to get advice from the Greek Ministry or a good lawyer. Be aware, that also the Greek, as well as EU-laws, constantly change.
However, out of interest, here is some general information for you. Click below to learn more about:
- How to Become Greek
- Citizenship vs. Residency
- Born Greek
- The process of naturalization
- Greek means being a European as well!
- Honorary Greek citizenship
- Having Greek roots (Greek-American, Greek-Australian..)
PS. Some people already made it!
In July 2020, Victoria Hislop was granted honorary Greek citizenship for promoting modern Greek history and culture through her bestselling literary work. The majority of her books are based in Greece and are set against the backdrop of the Greek historical events, including the novels The Island, The Thread, Cartes Postales from Greece, Those Who Are Loved, One August Night, and the essay collection One Cretan Evening and Other Stories.
Click here to read more about one of Hislop’s most famous books, which also became a very popular TV series.
Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson also became honorary citizens of Greece earlier this year, for their help to the victims of the wildfires that hit Mati, a resort town very close to Athens, in July 2018.
Even since he got married to Wilson, who is half Greek, Hanks is a big admirer of everything Greece-related and has been visiting the country for years. The couple even has a house on the Cycladic island of Antiparos, only 2 hours away from our own favorite Syros island, where the Omilo summer courses take place! Hanks and Wilson also co-produced the big cinema hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which introduced international audiences to the peculiarities of growing up in a Greek-American family in the USA.
