Greece extends €10,000 relocation grant to Ioannina and Thesprotia, platform opens October
Greece’s Demographic Development Programme, which began in Evros, is being extended to seven of the eight municipalities of the Ioannina regional unit and to the municipalities of Souli and Filiates in Thesprotia. Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michailidou announced the extension on ANT1 on 17 September 2026, saying the application platform opens in October. Under Law 5322/2026 the grant is set at a flat €10,000 per beneficiary unit, paid in two instalments of €5,000: the first on approval of the application, the second after completing a first year of permanent residence in the destination municipality. An applicant can request the first instalment as an advance, before approval, to cover the costs of moving.
The decisive feature is that participation does not require a job in the destination area. Greek reporting states that teleworkers, pensioners and unemployed people can qualify on that basis, and the minister named Greeks currently living abroad who want to return as a target group. The framework also provides for participation by residents of other EU member states, under conditions still to be specified.
Why this matters
Most relocation and repopulation schemes in Europe are built around a local job, which makes them unreachable if your income comes from somewhere else. This one drops that condition, which is what puts it within reach of someone working remotely for an employer or clients outside the region. If you hold an income that travels, €10,000 towards the move is a material contribution, and the two-instalment structure means half of it arrives before you have proved anything beyond a successful application.
The condition that does bite is permanence. The second €5,000 depends on completing a year of permanent residence in the municipality you moved to, so this suits someone settling rather than someone passing through.
Context
The extension covers areas of Epirus facing sharp population decline, and follows the programme’s first phase in Evros along with regional units including Drama, Florina, Kilkis, Serres, Pella, Kastoria, Kozani and Grevena. Kastellorizo runs a separate scheme worth €5,000 a year, increased by €1,000 per child, open to private-sector workers as well as public servants.
For the wider picture on living and working remotely in Greece, including the tax and residence position, see our Greece country guide.
What to watch
The extension is announced but not yet formalised. A Joint Ministerial Decision is expected within days, and the platform opens only after it is issued. Confirm the final list of eligible municipalities and the conditions for EU-resident applicants against the Joint Ministerial Decision once published, rather than against the announcement, and take questions about your own eligibility to the programme’s own guidance or a Greek adviser.