Greek Residence Permit for a Couple Living in a Civil Partnership

Sergey and Irina from Vladivostok have been co-owners of a business for over 10 years and live in a common-law marriage. The couple has a seven-year-old son, as well as Irina’s twenty-year-old daughter from her first marriage, who is a third-year student at Moscow State University (MSU).

In March 2021, they approached us with a request to obtain a residence permit in one of the European Union countries with the goal of relocating. Their business was generating a decent income, but they couldn’t withdraw too large a sum from the operating capital.

After assessing the situation, we suggested Sergey and Irina consider options for obtaining a residency permit in Greece or Portugal through real estate investment.

The couple chose Greece, and the reason was simple: obtaining a Greek residence permit was less expensive.

Application Process

After signing a cooperation agreement and conducting a preliminary background check on the applicants, our lawyers suggested that Irina be the main applicant. It turned out that Sergey had a criminal record from his youth for causing a traffic accident. He had served a prison sentence, which could negatively affect the decision on granting a residence permit in an EU country.

Although Sergey and Irina were not officially married, they could still apply for a residence permit through the investment program as a married couple.

Documents confirming the couple’s common-law marriage were gathered, including:

• joint registration at the same address;
• receipts from both partners for jointly owned items (furniture, car, real estate);
• contracts in the names of both de facto spouses;
• their child’s birth certificate.

In addition to these documents, the couple was required to draft a marriage agreement with a lawyer in Greece.

Irina’s daughter also participated in the residence permit application process along with the family. However, she did not plan to relocate, as she still had three years left in her studies. This wasn’t a problem, as a Greek residence permit does not require continuous residency in the country.

In April, a real estate agent presented several properties to the clients. The couple visited Greece on a Schengen visa and quickly decided on their new home. They liked a two-level apartment in a central area of Athens, just five minutes from the Attiki metro station, priced at €250,000.

Afterward, Irina and Sergey signed a marriage agreement with a notary and returned to Russia.

A lawyer, acting on behalf of the clients, obtained a foreign taxpayer identification number for them.

They did not open a local bank account since it is not a mandatory requirement for obtaining a Greek residence permit.

The investment amount for the apartment was transferred directly from Irina’s bank account in Russia to the seller’s account after the property had been checked for "cleanliness" (i.e., no financial encumbrances, debts, potential heirs, etc.).

The real estate purchase transaction was completed at a notary’s office, and the signed contract was attached to the collected documents. The next day, the lawyer submitted the residence permit application to the Greek Migration Department.

In June, our Moscow office received a positive response to the application. Irina and all family members were scheduled for biometrics, with the waiting period lasting one and a half months.

In August, the clients returned to Greece. Accompanied by a lawyer, they completed their biometrics and submitted the original documents to the Migration Service.

The couple stayed in Athens while the residence permits were processed, as they were working on securing a school for their son. The older daughter returned to Moscow to continue her studies.

Case Outcome

In September, the couple personally received their residence permit ID cards at the Greek Migration Service, accompanied by a lawyer. Their daughter’s card was sent to her in Moscow via DHL.