Summary

From January 1, 2026, the municipality of Apokoronas pays parents a one-off cash bonus for every child born in the area: €1,500 for the first child, €2,000 for the second, and €2,500 for the third or subsequent children. The municipality says it is the first in Greece to make such a payment a permanent legal commitment, rather than a discretionary grant. According to the announcement, the Greek state has since declared its intention to pass legislation allowing all municipalities nationwide to introduce similar schemes.

Apokoronas introduces permanent newborn bonus of up to €2,500

From January 1, 2026, families welcoming a new baby in Apokoronas are entitled to a one-off payment from the municipality. The scheme, described by the municipality as the first of its kind to be permanently enshrined in local law in Greece, offers a tiered cash bonus depending on how many children a family has.

How much is the payment?

First child: €1,500

Second child: €2,000

Third child and above: €2,500

How did this come about?

According to the municipality, the scheme was not straightforward to introduce. The municipality pursued it over a period of time through formal challenges and institutional channels before the payment was confirmed as a permanent entitlement rather than a one-off measure. The municipality says this process established a precedent: the Greek government subsequently announced plans to pass national legislation giving every municipality in Greece the power to introduce similar newborn bonuses.

Who is eligible?

The payment applies to children born from January 1, 2026 onwards in Apokoronas. The municipality has not yet published detailed guidance on application requirements or procedures. Parents who believe they are eligible should contact the municipal offices directly for up-to-date information.

Why does it matter?

Apokoronas, like many rural areas of Crete, faces the challenge of a shrinking and ageing population. The newborn bonus is the municipality's attempt to signal that families are valued here — and to give parents a concrete financial reason to raise their children in the area rather than move to larger cities. Whether the scheme will have a meaningful impact on birth rates or migration patterns remains to be seen, but as a policy it is the first of its kind to be made permanent under local law in Greece.

Press Release – A new life was born in Apokoronas — and with it, hope for the future of our place is reborn!!!

January 5, 2026, 8:32 AM

The first child of 2026 in Apokoronas is a girl.

And today, I visited the clinic to congratulate her parents and welcome the new life that was born in our area.

It was a moment of deep vindication.

Not personal.

But institutional, social and historical.

Because this child was born in a municipality that did not back down.

In a municipality that fought, that clashed, that pursued institutional remedies and ultimately prevailed — becoming the first municipality in Greece to permanently and forever enshrine the newborn child benefit in law — showing the way that when Local Government wants to, it can.

And the result was that, after the precedent we created, the State announced that it would give all municipalities, by law, the ability to implement similar initiatives.

From January 1, 2026, Apokoronas supports every new life in practice:

€1,500 for the first child,

€2,000 for the second,

€2,500 for the third child and above.

Not as charity.

Not as a handout.

But as recognition of the value of the family and the choice for a child to be born here.

At a time when the countryside is emptying and insecurity is growing, Apokoronas sends a clear message:

"Here, life has value.

Here, a birth is not a burden.

Here, the family is not alone."

And looking at this little girl,

you understand why every persistence and every battle was worth it.

Because when a child is born and you know it is not alone,

then something changes — not only in the place, but inside you as well.

This is the Apokoronas we choose.

A place that stands beside life from its very first breath.

You were born in a place that consciously chose to defend its future.