Overview
Greece's Golden Visa — introduced in 2013 under Law 4146/2013 and substantially reformed in 2024 — is the European Union's only major residency-by-investment programme that still accepts direct residential property purchase as the primary qualifying route. That distinction matters enormously in a market where Portugal removed its property route in 2023 and Spain abolished its golden visa entirely in 2025.
For investors who want a tangible European asset alongside their EU residency, Greece remains the benchmark option. Property in Athens, the Greek islands, and coastal regions continues to attract strong international demand, and a Golden Visa investment can be structured to generate rental income as well as capital appreciation.
The programme underwent its most significant reform in May 2024, when Law 5100/2024 introduced tiered investment thresholds — rising to €800,000 in the most sought-after areas — and restricted short-term rental use of qualifying properties. The revisions reflect the Greek government's attempt to balance investor demand with housing affordability concerns, particularly in Athens and the premium island markets.
We have a dedicated team in Athens and work with established Greek law firms and notaries who handle the property purchase, permit application, and renewal process for our clients.
Why Greece?
- Direct property ownership in the EU. Unlike Portugal's fund route, Greece allows you to own real property — an apartment in Athens, a villa on Corfu, a townhouse in the Peloponnese — and hold it as a direct, tangible asset.
- No minimum stay requirement. You can renew your permit every five years without spending a single day in Greece. Your Greek residency card serves as a long-term, renewable EU status that you maintain at your own pace.
- Schengen freedom. A Greek residence permit enables visa-free travel throughout the Schengen Area — covering 29 European countries — for business and leisure.
- Attractive property market. Athens and secondary Greek cities still offer price-to-quality ratios that compare favourably with other European capitals. International buyer activity has increased significantly since 2020, and the infrastructure investment in the Athens Riviera and broader Attica region continues to drive values.
- Path to an EU passport. After seven years of lawful residency, Greek citizenship is available — albeit with more demanding language and integration requirements than Portugal.
Investment Thresholds: The Three-Zone System (2026)
Law 5100/2024 (effective May 2024) restructured Greece's Golden Visa thresholds into three zones. The qualifying investment must be in a single property of at least 120 square metres.
Zone A — €800,000
Applies to residential property in:
- Attica region (includes central Athens, Piraeus, southern suburbs, and the Athens Riviera)
- Greater Thessaloniki (Greece's second city)
- Mykonos
- Santorini
- Islands with a registered population above 3,100 (including Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Kefalonia, and others)
Zone A covers the majority of the locations that international investors target first. If you are looking at an apartment in Kolonaki or Glyfada, a villa on Crete, or property on any of the major islands, you are in the €800,000 zone.
Zone B — €400,000
Applies to all other areas of Greece not covered by Zone A. This includes:
- Smaller islands (population below 3,100)
- Interior mainland regions
- Secondary cities outside Attica and Thessaloniki
- Rural and agricultural areas
The Zone B threshold offers genuinely attractive value. Properties in the Peloponnese, Epirus, Western Macedonia, Thessaly, and lesser-known islands can be purchased at €400,000 with strong long-term potential and significantly lower competition from international buyers than Zone A.
Special Category — €250,000
The €250,000 threshold is preserved nationwide for two specific property types:
- Commercial-to-residential conversions — the purchase of a commercial property (office space, retail premises, industrial building) that is being converted to residential use
- Listed or preserved buildings — the purchase and restoration of buildings classified under the Greek heritage protection regime
These opportunities require specialist sourcing and legal advice; we maintain a pipeline of vetted conversion projects and heritage properties that qualify under this category.
Important: The Single-Property Rule
The qualifying €400,000 or €800,000 investment must be met by a single property. You cannot aggregate two smaller properties to reach the threshold. Additional properties may be purchased alongside the qualifying investment, but the Golden Visa certification is issued against the single qualifying asset.
What Changed in 2024: Short-Term Rental Restrictions
One significant development that all prospective investors must understand: Law 5100/2024 prohibits short-term holiday rentals on Golden Visa qualifying properties. This means you cannot list the property on Airbnb, Booking.com, or similar platforms while it is serving as your Golden Visa qualifying investment.
Long-term residential rental (fixed-term or open-ended lease agreements) remains fully permitted. For investors seeking rental income, we recommend structuring the acquisition with a long-term tenant in mind from the outset — Athens in particular has a strong residential rental market driven by university students, professionals, and corporate tenants.
Administrative fines of up to €50,000 and potential loss of the residence permit apply to non-compliance. We ensure all our clients are fully aware of these restrictions before purchase.
The Application Process
Step 1: Property selection and legal due diligence. Our Athens-based legal partners conduct a full title search, confirm the property meets the 120m² minimum, verify it sits in the correct zone for the intended investment level, and confirm no planning, mortgage, or legal encumbrances exist.
Step 2: Property purchase. The buyer must obtain a Greek Tax Identification Number (AFM) and open a Greek bank account before the notarial deed can be executed. The purchase is completed before a Greek notary public and registered at the Land Registry. Transfer tax of 3.09% applies on the higher of the contractual value or the property's objective (tax-assessed) value. Newly built properties can in principle attract 24% VAT instead, but Greece has suspended that VAT on new residential builds through to 31 December 2026, so most new-build purchases are structured to pay the 3.09% transfer tax.
Step 3: Digital application. The Golden Visa application is submitted digitally through the Greek government's Residence Permit Portal (residence-permits.gov.gr). Required documents include the notarial deed, title registration confirmation, passport copies, proof of health insurance, and a clean criminal record certificate from your home country.
Step 4: Biometrics appointment. You and any family members included in the application must visit a competent Greek regional authority or migration office for biometrics. We arrange appointments in Athens, Thessaloniki, or the relevant regional office depending on where the property is located.
Step 5: Permit issuance. A five-year residence permit is issued. It is renewable, indefinitely, every five years, provided the qualifying property is retained.
Total timeline: 6–12 months from initial engagement to permit issuance, subject to AADE (the Greek Tax Authority) and Land Registry processing.
No Minimum Stay: How This Works in Practice
The Greek Golden Visa's zero physical presence requirement is its defining practical advantage. The permit is renewed every five years without any minimum stay test. Provided you continue to own the qualifying property and maintain health insurance coverage in Greece, your residency status is maintained.
This makes the Greece Golden Visa particularly well-suited to:
- Long-term asset holders who want EU optionality without committing to a European lifestyle
- Business owners who travel between multiple jurisdictions and cannot commit to spending months per year in any single country
- Families planning a future move to Europe who want to secure EU status now and activate it when the time is right
- Investors in UAE, Gulf, or Asian markets who value the EU travel document and Schengen access the permit provides
We advise clients to visit Greece at least once during each five-year permit period, both to enjoy the country and to demonstrate a genuine connection if citizenship is ever pursued.
Path to Greek Citizenship
Greek citizenship by naturalisation requires seven years of lawful legal residency — two years longer than Portugal. Importantly, the citizenship route demands genuine physical residence (in practice in the order of 183 days per year), which is a fundamentally different commitment from the no-minimum-stay rule that applies to simply renewing the Golden Visa permit. Beyond the residency period, the requirements are considerably more demanding:
- B1 Greek language proficiency — a significantly higher level than Portugal's A2 Portuguese requirement; Greek is a complex language and most investors will need twelve to twenty-four months of consistent study to reach B1 comfortably
- Greek history and culture examination — a written test administered by Greek authorities
- Integration evidence — employment, business activity, tax filings, or family ties in Greece
- No criminal record
- Renunciation of previous citizenship is not required — Greece permits dual citizenship
In practice, most Golden Visa holders use the Greek programme as a long-term EU residency rather than actively pursuing Greek citizenship. The absence of a minimum stay requirement means the path to citizenship requires more deliberate effort — specifically, building the language skills and the track record of integration that the Greek authorities look for.
If Greek citizenship is a genuine goal, we recommend beginning Greek language tuition early — ideally before the permit is issued — and visiting Greece regularly to build ties. Our team can connect you with language tutors and advise on demonstrating integration appropriately.
Tax Position for Golden Visa Holders
Holding a Greek Golden Visa does not automatically make you a Greek tax resident. Greek tax residency applies if you spend more than 183 days per year in Greece or if Greece is your primary residence. Most Golden Visa holders who maintain the permit without minimum stay do not become Greek tax residents and remain fully subject to their home jurisdiction's tax regime.
If you do become Greek tax resident, Greece operates a tiered progressive income tax (up to 44%), though a separate non-dom regime is available for certain high-net-worth individuals who transfer their tax residency to Greece. This regime allows a flat annual tax of €100,000 on foreign-source income (Greek-source income remains taxable at normal Greek rates), and requires a qualifying investment of at least €500,000 in Greece; the regime can be retained for up to 15 years. We recommend independent tax advice before any residency or tax domicile decisions.
Compliance Caveat
Investment migration rules are subject to change by the Greek government. The threshold increases implemented in May 2024 and the introduction of short-term rental restrictions demonstrate that the programme's terms can shift significantly. Nothing in this guide constitutes legal or tax advice. The information reflects our best understanding of Greek law as of June 2026 based on official government guidance and analysis by our Greek legal partners. Minimum investment values and qualifying criteria should be verified at the time of any commitment. The value of real estate investments can fall as well as rise; past performance in the Greek property market is not indicative of future returns. Professional advice should be sought before making any investment decision.
How Global Investments Handles This For You
Our Greece service is comprehensive. We begin with a no-obligation consultation to understand your objectives, budget, and timeline, and from there we manage every element of the acquisition and application process.
We source qualifying properties across all three investment zones — from a premium Athens apartment in Zone A, to a value-orientated Peloponnese estate in Zone B, to a heritage restoration project at the €250,000 threshold. Our Athens-based legal partners conduct independent due diligence on every property we present, and we do not earn referral fees from developers or vendors: our fee structure is transparent and advisory.
We handle the AFM registration, bank account opening, notarial purchase, Land Registry filing, digital application preparation, biometrics appointment coordination, and all correspondence with Greek migration authorities. We manage five-year renewals automatically, ensuring your permit never lapses.
If your goal is Greek citizenship rather than residency alone, we develop a bespoke roadmap — including language tuition sourcing, integration planning, and citizenship application preparation — tailored to your seven-year timeline.
Contact our citizenship team to discuss your situation and receive a personalised assessment of whether the Greek Golden Visa is the right fit for your broader investment and residency goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to live in Greece to keep my Golden Visa?
No. There is no minimum physical presence requirement to renew or maintain a Greek Golden Visa residency permit. You can renew every five years without ever spending a night in Greece, making this programme particularly attractive for investors who want EU residency as an optionality play rather than a relocation.
What is the €800,000 threshold and which areas does it apply to?
The €800,000 minimum investment applies in Zone A: the Attica region (which includes Athens and the Athens Riviera), Greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with a population above 3,100. These changes came into force in May 2024 under Law 5100/2024. All other areas of Greece have a €400,000 threshold. A separate €250,000 threshold still applies for commercial-to-residential conversions and the restoration of listed or preserved buildings nationwide.
Can I rent out my Golden Visa property on Airbnb?
This is now restricted. Law 5100/2024, introduced alongside the new thresholds in 2024, prohibits short-term holiday rentals (including Airbnb-style platforms) on properties that qualify for the Golden Visa. Administrative penalties of up to €50,000 and potential permit revocation apply for non-compliance. You can rent the property on a standard long-term residential basis.
How long does it take to get a Greek Golden Visa in 2026?
Processing times have improved significantly. From the time a complete application is submitted, most clients receive their initial residency permit within six to twelve months. The process involves property purchase, notarisation, digital application filing, and a biometrics appointment in Greece. We typically complete the purchase and submission stages within two to three months of engagement.
When can I apply for Greek citizenship?
You must have seven years of lawful legal residency in Greece, and — crucially — citizenship requires genuine physical residence, in practice around 183 days per year over that period, which is very different from the Golden Visa's no-minimum-stay rule for simply renewing the permit. Citizenship also requires a B1-level Greek language test, a Greek history and culture examination, and evidence of integration — such as tax registration, employment, or family ties in Greece. The citizenship route is considerably more demanding than in Portugal, and most Golden Visa holders use Greece primarily as a long-term EU residency rather than a fast route to a Greek passport.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or immigration advice. Programme details, investment thresholds, and eligibility requirements change; always verify current requirements with a qualified immigration lawyer and financial adviser before making any investment or application. Investment values can fall as well as rise.