Jenny Sadedini, Athens Lawyer, Explains How to Make Your Move Official

For foreigners considering a move to Greece, the legal side of relocation is often the part that stalls everything else. Jenny Sadedini is an Athens-based lawyer, who helps international clients find their way through that process. She works across a wide range of residency and permit cases, speaks five languages (Albanian, Chinese, Greek, English, French), and brings to her practice something most lawyers cannot offer: she has lived the process herself. Born in Albania, she came to Greece as a child, navigated the residency system from the inside, and built her legal career entirely on her own terms, as second-generation migrant before obtaining Greek citizenship. That background is not incidental to her practice. It is the foundation of it.

What makes Greece an attractive destination for expat retirees?

Greece offers a combination that is genuinely difficult to find elsewhere: a mild climate, a Mediterranean diet, a slower pace of life, and a strong sense of community. Outside the major cities, the cost of living remains relatively affordable, and access to both public and private healthcare is available across most of the country. For people at this stage of life, those factors carry real weight.

What are the main concerns foreigners raise when they begin the relocation process?

Bureaucracy, delays, and eligibility tend to come up immediately. People worry about making mistakes that will cost them time or money, and many are uncertain about how taxes, healthcare access, and a new administrative system will affect their daily lives. The anxiety around compliance is understandable, especially when someone is navigating a legal framework that is entirely new to them.

What does immigration legal support actually involve for foreigners moving to Greece?

It is far more than filing applications. A good immigration lawyer explains the legal framework clearly, outlines the options available, and walks through the consequences of each path before a client commits to it. The goal is to reduce uncertainty, prevent costly errors, and make sure every step is completed correctly and on time.

What types of cases come up most often for expats?

The most common involve residence permits across a wide range of categories: employment, university studies, family reunification, family members of Greek citizens, financially independent persons, and investors, including those applying for the Golden Visa through property purchase. Renewals and changes of residence status are also a significant part of the work.

What are the main pathways available to non-Greek citizens today?

The principal options are the financially independent person permit, the digital nomad visa, the Golden Visa for investors, and family reunification. Each has different requirements, different timelines, and different long-term implications, which is why proper planning matters before any application is submitted.

How should people think about the difference between visas, residency permits, and long-term status?

A visa permits entry into the country. A residence permit allows someone to stay legally. Those are distinct things, and confusing them leads to real problems. Beyond that, it is important to understand which options offer long-term stability and which are temporary arrangements with specific conditions attached.

What preparation is most important for someone considering a move to Greece?

Realism and early planning. That means understanding the country’s specific characteristics before making final decisions, and organizing legal and tax matters well ahead of any move. Greece has its own rhythms and its own administrative reality. The people who navigate the process most smoothly are those who came prepared rather than those who assumed it would be straightforward.

Do retirees face different challenges from other expats?

Somewhat. Retirees typically prioritize stability, healthcare coverage, and long-term security over flexibility. They are often less tolerant of delays or ambiguity, which is reasonable given what is at stake. That makes careful, structured guidance especially important for this group.

What role does multilingual ability play in this kind of legal practice?

A significant one. When legal concepts can be explained accurately in a client’s own language, misunderstandings are far less likely, and trust is established more quickly. Immigration law involves terminology and procedural nuance that does not always translate cleanly, so being able to communicate precisely across languages is a genuine professional asset.

How does a multicultural background shape the practice of immigration law?

It builds a deeper understanding of what people are actually navigating when they move to a new country. Immigration is not only a legal procedure. It touches identity, security, and adaptation. A lawyer who understands that from the inside, not just from a textbook, is better positioned to recognize the concerns that clients may not know how to articulate.

What did navigating that process personally teach her about the system?

That correct information and persistence are essential, particularly when bureaucratic obstacles appear. Different countries have different legal systems, and a lack of proper guidance can cause hardship that extends well beyond the immediate application. The memory of that uncertainty in the early years, and the determination required to move through it, informs how she approaches each client’s file.

Where does the Greek immigration system work well today?

There are now clearly defined residence categories that reflect modern needs, and the legal framework is more structured than it was in the past. Since 2020, an online platform handles almost all procedures for issuing and renewing residence permits, which has made the process considerably more accessible.

Where is there room for improvement?

Processing times remain an issue. Consistent application of the law and clearer information for applicants, including guidance in foreign languages, would also make a significant difference.

What are the most common misconceptions foreigners bring to the process?

Two in particular. The first is that purchasing property automatically confers a residence permit. The second is that every permit type includes the right to work. Neither is true, and both assumptions can lead to serious complications. Tax obligations are also frequently underestimated.

What does successful long-term integration look like beyond the legal paperwork?

It requires engagement. Learning the language helps, even in areas where English is widely spoken. More broadly, participating in local life and understanding the everyday rhythms of the community matters as much as having the right documents. The legal side opens the door; integration is what happens after.

What trends are expected in Greek immigration in the coming years?

Increased interest from investors, retirees, and people seeking a better quality of life is already visible and likely to continue. At the same time, compliance requirements and oversight are becoming more rigorous. Those who approach the process properly from the start will be better positioned as those standards tighten.

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The Complete Greece Relocation Blueprint

For readers looking for a practical roadmap to relocation, the Greece Retirement Blueprint brings together the essential information needed to move to Greece in a single 104-page guide. Written for both foreign nationals and members of the Greek diaspora returning home, it covers the key administrative, financial and everyday steps of settling in the country.

Topics include obtaining a tax number (AFM), accessing government services through gov.gr, setting up healthcare coverage, opening bank accounts, finding housing, understanding residency requirements, choosing an electricity supplier and navigating the Greek tax system. Designed as a step-by-step reference, it helps newcomers avoid common mistakes and understand what needs to be done before and after arrival in Greece.