Not one, not two, but three rent “bonuses” will be given in 2026 to some 50,000 public servants serving in the region.

The measure announced by the Prime Minister during the passage of the State Budget involved the payment of two rents a year, instead of one under the current provision, under which rent refunds were paid in late November to thousands of teachers, doctors, and nurses in the public sector who serve in the Region away from their homes.

However, as revealed by the Sunday edition of PM, the doubling of the rent reimbursement will apply retroactively from 2025! This means another “extra” (third) rent payment to beneficiaries in 2026, retroactive to 2025.

That is, retroactive application will extend from 2 to 3 rent “reimbursements” in 2026 for teachers, doctors and nurses in the public sector who serve in the District and away from their homes.

When will they be paid?

Exactly how and to whom the three “off-site” rents will be paid was outlined by the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance. Speaking to the SKAI TV station and journalist Faye Mavragani, Kotsiras confirmed the news, clarifying that the new measure:

– The new measure provides that the specific categories of civil servants who rent a residence at their place of employment – if it is located outside the Region of Attica and the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki – will now receive two rent refunds per year, instead of one.

– is not linked to income criteria, since its rationale is to act as an incentive to stay and attract staff to areas where health and education needs remain pressing.

– will be legislated for in early 2026 and will be retrospective in relation to rent rebate already paid to beneficiaries.

Thus, according to Mr. Kotsiras, the District’s 50,000 teachers, doctors and nurses will receive:

– Within the first quarter of 2026 (by the end of March most likely): an additional credit, corresponding to the retroactive application of the 2025 aid.

– November 2026: two rent refunds, which are for the current year and constitute the new permanent scheme for these categories.

The result is that within the same calendar year, beneficiaries will see three credits in their accounts, even though the first “belongs” in the previous period for accounting purposes.

How much and to whom

As the deputy minister explained, the amount of the refund is calculated using the same rules that apply to the general framework of rent refunds paid each November and affects around 900,000 tenants across the country.

That is:

– the maximum amount for a main residence is 800 euros, with an increase of this limit by 50 euros for each dependent child.

– The reimbursement cannot exceed 1/12 of the total annual rental expenditure declared to the AADE, to ensure that the amount corresponds to the actual monthly rent.

Which areas are concerned by the aid

The doubling of the reimbursement for doctors, nurses, and teachers of the public sector serving “away from home” (i.e., payment of 2/12 instead of 1/12 of the annual rent) covers the whole Greek territory, except the Region of Attica and the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki.

The only condition is that the rented residence must be located within the Regional Unit where the beneficiary is serving, so that the aid is directly linked to the need for housing at the place of work.

He stressed that this is a permanent measure with controlled costs. The Ministry of Finance anticipates that the additional annual expenditure for the double reimbursement will move to about 20 million euros, an amount that is considered manageable in relation to the objective of supporting the staffing of schools, hospitals, and primary health care facilities in the Region. As he stressed, this is a decentralization tool, not a welfare benefit, so no income criteria are set.

In addition, teachers, nurses, and doctors, along with uniformed personnel (police officers, port officers, firefighters) will also receive additional financial support from 2026, up to 250 euros per month, if they serve on islands and in mountainous and disadvantaged areas. The aid programme will be financed by the European Social Climate Fund, and the aim of the Ministry of Family and Social Cohesion is for payments to start before the summer.