The Energy Security Nexus

Following the war in Ukraine, the need to minimise dependency on Russian gas supply has forced European governments to focus on the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy resources. Greece’s geographic location makes it a natural bridge between the energy-rich Eastern Mediterranean and the energy-consuming countries of Western Europe. In January 2020, Greek, Cypriot and Israeli ministers signed an agreement to build a 1,900 km subsea pipeline to carry 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually. This new alignment will create plenty of new work opportunities due to the high demand in the construction industry and the increased touristic and investment interest.

Greece – Schengen Zone

Obtaining a residency visa in Greece allows you to unrestricted travel to the rest of Europe. Greece is in the Schengen Zone which includes 27 European Countries which have abolished their internal borders for the free movement of people between them. The 27 countries included in the allianceare: Austria, Belgium, Czech, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg and Switzerland. Three more countries, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania will soon form part of the Schengen Zone too.

Ease of Transportation & Location

Greek Weather

The Greek Climate called Mediterranean, is well known to Australians especially those who live in South or Western Australia. Mediterranean-type ecosystems, with their characteristic and unique climatic regimes of mild wet winters and warm and dry summers, occur in just five regions of the world: California; Central Chile; the Mediterranean Basin; the Cape Region of South Africa; and Southwestern and South Australia.
Weather in Greece is fairly uniform throughout the mainland and the Greek islands.The summers are characterized by sunshine and very little rainfall which means great temperatures and successful summer holidays guaranteed in the Country!
The Greeks are used to good weather, enjoy on average 300 days of sunshine throughout the year, and the temperature stays within the 12 °C to 30 °C range. It rarely rains in summer or snows in winter.

Greek Cuisine

Greek food is delicious, healthy and voted among the best in the world several times. It is not a coincidence that the first cookbook was written by the Greek food gourmet, Archestratos, in 330 B.C., which suggests that cooking has always been of importance and significance in Greek society.
Greece is a nation of small farmers who produce an incredible array of mainly organically produced cheeses, oils, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and vegetables, supplemented by an array of greens and herbs that grow in the wild. These are the foods that form the base of the traditional Greek regimen, to which they add both variety and nutrition.
With 25 percent of Greece made up of islands and not even a single part of the mainland to be located longer than 90 miles from the sea,also makes fish and seafood a very popular and unbreakablecomponent of the Greek diet.
The Greek cuisine though is not only for the meat or seafood lovers but it can easily satisfy and the most demanding vegans or vegetarians. The Greek dish “gemista,” or vegetables stuffed with rice and herbs, was voted the top vegetable-based food in the world.
Greeks are famous for living long lives. A large percentage of the population lives past 90, and sometimes to cross the century age limit is not unusual either. Their healthy cuisine, including the precious locally produced extra virgin oil or “liquid gold”being the main ingredient in all the dishes, is one of the reasons for the Country to scorelow on the prevalence of cardiological disorders and obesity.

Greek Healthcare

The public and the private health system in Greece is one of the best in the world. The main reason behind the Greek’s long living life is the highly skilled and qualified doctors available in the country. Greece has the highest ratio of doctors to the total population and patients in the European Union.
The Greek Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC) holds historically the title of the “Father of Medicine” due to his immense contribution to the modern medicine. The Hippocratic oath is a pledge historically recited by doctors till our days, who in reading the text, agree to uphold a specific code of medical ethics. This ancient glory and honour give to the medicine professionals an additional incentive to educate and train themselves to be the best of their kind in the world.
It is not a secret that Greece is considered the “Holy Land” of infertility. In the recent years, Greece has become the international leading medical destination for the infertility (IVF) treatment services. The country attracts thousands of infertile couples every year from all over the world.Plus, medical services are relatively cheap by international standards. In fact, according to numerous reports, Greece is on the list of the most favoured destination countries for medical tourism globally.

Retirement in Greece

If you dream of retiring on a sunny island or just next to the beach, in a laid back environment with delicious food, great local culture and affordable cost of living, it may be time to look at Greece. The country offers stable hot summers and mild winters. You can decide to live in a metropolis, like Athens or Thessaloniki, an island, or a picturesque smaller town in the mainland. Greece has a long history with centuries of fine architecture which will get you busy travelling around the country to visit all these places all year round.

Affordable Cost of Living

What motivates many Western pensioners to retire in Greece is the high quality of life at a low cost. You can obtain an apartment or house in Greece with only 250,000 EUR with very low maintenance costs and live comfortably on a budget. Almost everything from food to public transport is incredibly cheap there.

The so-called “silver economy” offers products and services tailored to older people and retirees (e.g., healthcare and “age-friendly” tourism) and has a potential for future growth in the following years.

Monthly Budget

For a family of two you can expect to live comfortably on a budget of 2,000 Euro per month, which includes average monthly costs, utility bills, food and basic entertainment. A couple retiring in Greece together would still qualify for half of the standard Australian Pension while overseas and with a $700 only guaranteed weekly income can meet the required minimum budget and live in Greece comfortably.

Moreover, you could potentially cut your daily costs even further, depending on your lifestyle. If you decide to move to a regional beach town rather than a metropolis will save you money. These locations can be only an hour far from the big cities and can offer a better overall quality of life.