The government is preparing a new digital platform for those seriously considering relocating to the regions, aiming to function as a central information gateway before a life-changing decision is made. Users will be able to see, gathered in one place and broken down by region and municipality, all the critical information that until now required fragmented research and personal contacts: which basic infrastructure is in place, what the real picture of the local labor market is, which professions are in demand, and what job openings are available.

At the same time, the platform will clearly map the healthcare landscape, showing whether primary care facilities exist, whether the area is covered by mobile health units, and what level of access there is to hospital services. The goal is for relocation not to be based on general impressions or promises, but on real data about employment, services, and daily life, so that interested individuals know in advance what awaits them in each municipality.

The measures were presented by the Vice President of the Government, Kostis Hatzidakis, the Minister of State, Akis Skertsos, and the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Thanasis Kontogeorgis, in the context of a briefing on government work, with emphasis on the transition from central planning to the practical implementation of policies for the regions.

The new platform is part of the National Strategy for Regional and Local Development with a horizon to 2035 and operates in a complementary way to the 50 Local Development Plans — one for each regional unit of the country — which are being gradually completed by 2026 and posted on erga.gov.gr, allowing citizens to monitor their progress and implementation.

A key role within the same framework is also played by the demographic reinforcement program, which provides subsidies of up to €10,000 for permanent settlement in areas experiencing severe population decline and is already being implemented on a pilot basis in Evros. The pilot phase αφορά specific municipalities and small settlements, with the amount of support varying depending on the size of the settlement and the composition of the household, while the basic prerequisite is actual and permanent residence.

According to the initial planning, Evros serves as a “pilot” for extending the measure to other regional units with similar demographic characteristics, mainly in Northern Greece and the interior, with the final decision depending on the results of the first implementation.

Relocation to the regions is also supported by a broader package of measures that directly affect the cost of living and the feasibility of settling there. These include the gradual abolition of ENFIA (property tax) on primary residences in more than 12,000 small communities, the retention of reduced VAT rates on islands, renovation programs for older homes with special provisions for mountainous and island areas, the use of municipal and state buildings to house public servants, and the reimbursement of two months’ rent per year for healthcare and education personnel outside Attica and Thessaloniki.