Widow's and survivor's pensions in Greece in 2026: who qualifies, how much, and the end of the three-year cut

When a Greek pensioner or insured worker dies, their spouse, civil partner and children may be entitled to a survivor's pension (σύνταξη λόγω θανάτου, syntaxi logo thanatou).³ Greek newspapers usually call it a widow's pension (σύνταξη χηρείας, syntaxi chireias).¹² The rules are in article 12 of Law 4387/2016, which applies to deaths from 13 May 2016,³⁶ as amended in 2019 and changed again by a July 2026 law.²¹ The main pension (κύρια σύνταξη, kyria syntaxi) is paid by e-ΕΦΚΑ (Ηλεκτρονικός Εθνικός Φορέας Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης, Ilektronikos Ethnikos Foreas Koinonikis Asfalisis), Greece's national social security fund.¹

The biggest recent change: from the pensions due for September 2026, a surviving spouse's main pension is no longer cut in half after three years when they work or draw another pension.¹ΕΛ This guide sets out who qualifies, how much is paid, what changed in 2026 and how to apply, including from abroad.

Who qualifies for a Greek survivor's pension?

The deceased must have been a pensioner, or must have completed the insurance period needed for their own old-age or disability pension.³⁵ The law and the e-ΕΦΚΑ pages we read set no separate minimum number of insurance days for survivor's pensions.³⁵

The people who can claim are the surviving spouse, the other party to a civil partnership (σύμφωνο συμβίωσης, symfono symviosis), the deceased's children and, under conditions, a divorced spouse.⁶³ Civil partners are treated the same as spouses.⁵⁶

Spouses and civil partners qualify at any age. Article 19 of Law 4611/2019, published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ, FEK) on 17 May 2019, abolished the original rule under which a spouse under 55 at the death was paid for only three years, unless they had dependent children or were at least 67% unable to work; payment resumed at 67 only for those who turned 55 while drawing it.³²ΕΛ The 2019 changes also applied to survivor's pensions already awarded under Law 4387/2016.²

The marriage or civil partnership must have lasted at least three years before the death; it was five years until 2019.²⁶ The main exceptions to the three-year rule are a death caused by an accident clearly due to the deceased's work or by homicide; a child born, legitimised, recognised or adopted during the marriage; or a widow pregnant at the death whose child is born alive.³⁵

Children qualify while they are unmarried and under 24.²⁶ A child who is unable to do any gainful work keeps the pension after 24, provided the incapacity began before that age.³⁸

A divorced spouse can claim only if all of these apply: the deceased paid or owed them maintenance under a court ruling or agreement; the marriage lasted at least ten years; the divorce was not the claimant's fault; their average monthly taxable income is no more than twice the allowance for uninsured elderly people; and they have not remarried or entered a civil partnership.³⁸

A survivor's right ends on their death, on marriage or a new civil partnership, when a child reaches the age limit, or when a qualifying incapacity ends.³⁶

How much is a survivor's pension?

A surviving spouse or civil partner receives 70% of the deceased's pension; the share was 50% until Law 4611/2019 raised it.²⁶ Each child receives 25%, or 50% if orphaned of both parents.⁶

If the deceased was divorced, the spouse's share is split between the widow or widower and the divorced spouse: 75% and 25% after ten years of marriage, moving one point a year towards the divorced spouse, and reaching 50% each after more than 35 years.³⁶

The total paid to the spouse and children cannot exceed the deceased's pension.³ If it would, only the children's shares are reduced, equally.³ e-ΕΦΚΑ says the limit does not apply where a minimum floor applies to at least one beneficiary.⁷

There is also a floor. A survivor's pension cannot be lower than the national pension (εθνική σύνταξη, ethniki syntaxi), a component of the main pensions e-ΕΦΚΑ pays under Law 4387/2016, for 20 years of insurance; it falls by 1.25% for each year under 20, down to 15 years.³¹ e-ΕΦΚΑ puts the minimum for up to and including 15 full years of insurance at €418.95 a month from 1 January 2026, up from €409.13 in 2025.⁷ For 20 or more years of insurance, e-ΕΦΚΑ gives €446.87 a month from 1 January 2026; Ta Nea reports the same figure, and Vima Orthodoxias specifies that it is gross.⁷¹⁶¹⁷

Under article 91 of Law 5322/2026, a person who draws one or more main pensions of their own and one or more main survivor's pensions now receives one national pension for their own pension and one for the survivor's pension.¹ A child orphaned of both parents now receives an amount equal to one national pension for each parent.¹

What changed in September 2026?

Until August 2026, a surviving spouse received the full survivor's pension for three years from the first day of the month after the death.⁴ After the three-year period, if the survivor worked, was self-employed or drew a pension from any source, 50% of their survivor's pension was paid, in proportion to how long they worked or were self-employed, subject to the minimum floors.⁴ A 2021 ministry circular described the result as 35% of the deceased's pension.¹¹ A survivor who was at least 67% disabled at the date of death kept the full amount.⁴¹¹

Article 91 of Law 5322/2026, published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ Α' 117) on 24 July 2026, ends those cuts for main survivor's pensions paid by e-ΕΦΚΑ under Law 4387/2016.¹ΕΛ It applies to the pensions due for September 2026 and after.¹ The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης, Ypourgeio Ergasias kai Koinonikis Asfalisis) says payment of the higher pensions began on 26 August 2026.¹⁰

From September 2026, a widow or widower on a main e-ΕΦΚΑ survivor's pension under the 2016 law keeps 70% of the deceased's pension even if they work, not 35%.¹¹¹

The ministry gives three groups: more than 8,500 survivors whose pensions had been cut are restored to 70%; more than 75,000 who had not yet been cut are protected and owe nothing back; and about 122,000 keep two national pensions.⁹¹⁰

Article 91 also writes off main-pension amounts overpaid to survivor's pensioners up to the law's entry into force in breach of article 7(5), the survivor's-pension cut in article 12(5), or the rules on parallel or dual insurance in Law 4387/2016, unless the pension administration was deliberately misled through criminal acts.¹ΕΛ

The law does not say that cuts already made will be refunded.¹ Ta Nea, newmoney.gr and aftodioikisi.gr all report that the amounts cut before September 2026 are not being paid back.¹²¹⁴¹⁵ aftodioikisi.gr reports that mass lawsuits are looming, quoting labour lawyer Alexis Mitropoulos.¹⁵

For payment dates, see our guide to Greek pension payment dates in 2026.

Who is still left out?

Ta Nea's Ilias Georgakis listed what it called "3+1 injustices" (in our translation) on 13 October 2026, citing pensioner organisations.¹²

1. About 100,000 survivors who also draw their own pension and whose spouse died before 13 May 2016 remain under the older fund rules, with shares of 25% to 35%, Ta Nea and newmoney.gr report.¹²¹⁴ Article 12 of Law 4387/2016 applies to deaths after it came into force.³
2. Public-sector survivors whose pensions had been cut got 70% back but not the money lost in earlier years; Ta Nea puts them at 8,552, and the ministry says more than 8,500.¹²¹⁰
3. Auxiliary survivor's pensions (επικουρικές, epikourikes), the second-tier pensions, are still cut after three years.¹²¹³¹⁴ Article 91 refers only to main pensions.¹ Estimates of how many auxiliary pensions are affected, reported by Ta Nea and newmoney.gr, range from about 120,000 to 280,000; a pensioners' network quoted by Efimerida ton Syntakton puts it at about 120,000.¹²¹⁴¹³
4. Former farmers' fund (ΟΓΑ, Οργανισμός Γεωργικών Ασφαλίσεων, Organismos Georgikon Asfaliseon) pensioners lose the basic farm-pension part when a survivor's pension starts, and may later be billed for it as overpaid, according to pensioner groups quoted by Ta Nea, Efimerida ton Syntakton and newmoney.gr.¹²¹³¹⁴

How do you apply for a survivor's pension?

The application is made online only, on the e-ΕΦΚΑ website, logging in with TAXISnet codes, the credentials for Greece's tax portal.⁸ It is free, and the official time limit for processing is three months.⁸ If a case cannot be processed automatically, the application and documents go to the competent pensions directorate or local branch.⁸

The national register of administrative procedures (Εθνικό Μητρώο Διοικητικών Διαδικασιών, Ethniko Mitroo Dioikitikon Diadikasion) lists these documents:⁸

• a certificate of next of kin, needed for automatic processing;
• the death certificate;
• a marriage or civil-partnership certificate and a family-status certificate;
• proof of the bank account (IBAN);
• a solemn declaration under Law 1599/1986 on work and other pensions;
• a disability ruling, where relevant;
• for a divorced spouse, the divorce ruling, the maintenance ruling and a tax assessment;
• for foreign nationals and Greeks living abroad, a copy of their passport.

The pension starts on the first day of the month after the death.⁵⁶ A 2021 e-ΕΦΚΑ page says payment cannot be backdated more than one year before the end of the month in which the application is filed, so a late claim can lose money.⁵

Can you claim from abroad?

According to the European Commission's Your Europe service, a claim for a survivor's pension goes to the pension authority in the country where the deceased last lived or worked, which forwards it to the EU country responsible.¹⁸ The official Greek procedure asks Greeks abroad and foreign nationals for a passport copy, but it does not explain how someone without TAXISnet codes should apply.⁸

For how Greek pension ages may change, see our explainer on the Greek retirement age review.