Greece Becoming a ‘Refuge’ for German Pensioners

German business media outlet Handelsblatt is reporting that Greece has become a remarkably appealing destination for German pensioners, highlighting Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s adoption of policies to attract foreign buyers of properties.

As the article notes the mild weather and picturesque beaches are some of the aspects that make Greece a popular choice for a refuge for retirees, stressing the efforts made by the conservative government in bringing the economy back on track.

The plan to attract foreign buyers to boost the Greek economy is working, Handelsblatt writes, touching on the incentives offered by the government like a flat income tax rate of just 7% for anyone who decides to transfer their tax residence to Greece.

As a German expert on migration specializing in Greece told the German media outlet, another important issue for elderly Germans moving to Greece is insurance coverage and healthcare services, which are covered by the Greek Healthcare system.

The article presents the experience of German pensioners who have taken advantage of these economic incentives and moved to Greece. An elderly couple from Munich which moved to the island of Aegina, just off the coast of Attica near Athens, said they bought a legally erected house during the height of the Greek economic crisis in 2012 and it was subsequently discovered that their new residence was built on a Byzantine cemetery site. They said they felt an even stronger connection to the land after the discovery.