Residency · Greece

The Greece Golden Visa — Residency by Investment in the European Union

A property-led pathway to Greek residency and Schengen mobility, structured for the family principal who wants European optionality without relocating in year one.

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Written By: Nadia Read Thaele (Founder & Managing Director)

Last Reviewed: 08 May 2026

Programme Overview

The Greece Golden Visa at a Glance

The Greece Golden Visa is one of Europe's longest-running residency-by-investment programmes. Introduced in 2013, it grants a five-year residence permit to non-EU nationals who acquire qualifying real estate in Greece. The permit is renewable indefinitely as long as the qualifying investment is retained, and it confers visa-free travel within the Schengen Area.

In 2024, the Greek government materially restructured the investment thresholds:

€250,000 — the headline minimum, in place since 2013, now applies only to specified lower-demand regions.
€400,000 — most other Greek prefectures and standard-demand islands.
€800,000 — Athens (most of), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and other high-demand zones.

The advisory question is no longer "what is the minimum?" but "in which zone does the family want to hold the asset, and what does that imply for cost, yield, and exit?"

At a Glance

The Greece Golden Visa by the Numbers

The four headline figures that shape every Greece Golden Visa mandate — investment range, permit length, processing time, and minimum stay.

€250k–€800k

Investment Range

5 Years

Initial Permit (Renewable)

4–8 Months

Typical Processing Time

0 Days

Minimum Stay Required

Eligibility

Who Qualifies for the Greece Golden Visa

Eight non-negotiable preconditions every applicant clears before file open. We screen against these on the discovery call.

Nationality: Non-EU / Non-EEA National
Age: Principal Applicant 18+
Investment Minimum: €250k / €400k / €800k (by Zone)
Source of Funds: Documented, Lawful, Traceable
Background Check: Clean Criminal Record Required
Health Insurance: Private Cover for Greece Required
Dependants: Spouse, Children Under 21, Parents (Both Sides)
Language Requirement: None
Minimum Stay: None — No Minimum Stay Required
Path to Citizenship: 7 Years Physical Residence + Language (Separate Process)

Source: Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Last reviewed 08 May 2026. Programme rules subject to change.

Investment Options

Routes and Thresholds

Five qualifying routes, ranked by how often we see them on real mandates. Zone selection is the dominant cost variable.

Route	Threshold	Notes
High-Demand Zones	€800,000	Athens (most), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands >3,100 residents. 120 m² minimum for a single property.
Standard Zones	€400,000	Most other Greek prefectures and islands not classified as high-demand.
Restoration / Change-of-Use	€250,000	Listed building restoration or commercial-to-residential conversion.
Greek Company Capital	€400,000	Less commonly used; subject to commercial-substance review.
Government Bonds / Shares	€400,000+	Lower volume route.

Costs and Timeline

Indicative Costs and Timeline

The total mandate cost beyond the qualifying investment itself — transfer tax, government fees, legal, and advisory. Disclosed in writing on the engagement letter.

Figures are indicative. Advisory fees and third-party costs disclosed in writing on the engagement letter.
Cost Item	Range	Notes
Qualifying Investment	€250,000–€800,000+	Per zone
Property Transfer Tax	~3.09% of Value	New-build VAT-exempt purchases may differ
Government Application Fee	€2,000 + €150/Dependant	Per renewal cycle (PLACEHOLDER — confirm current fee schedule)
Legal Fees	1–2% of Property Value	Independent counsel recommended
Lio Global Advisory Fee	On Engagement	Disclosed in writing; no contingent fees
Indicative Total (€400k Zone)	€430,000–€460,000+	Excludes furnishing and ongoing property costs

Benefits

What the Greece Golden Visa Provides

Seven categorical rights conferred by the permit, summarised in the order most clients ask about them on a discovery call.

Five-Year Renewable Permit — Issued to the principal and qualifying family members; renewed indefinitely so long as the qualifying asset is held.
Schengen Mobility — Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for the duration of the permit.
Family Inclusion — Spouse, children under 21, and parents of both principal and spouse all included on the principal's file.
No Minimum Stay — Zero days of physical presence required to maintain the residency.
Property Use Rights — Right to hold and rent the qualifying property; long-term rentals permitted under 2024 reforms.
Healthcare and Schooling — Access to Greek private healthcare and schooling on the same terms as other Greek residents.
Pathway to Citizenship — Not automatic — Greek naturalisation requires sustained physical residence and a Greek-language qualification.

The Process

From Discovery to Permit — How a Greece Application Works

Six stages from a first private conversation to a five-year card in the principal's hand. Each stage is owned by a named partner on the file.

01

Discovery and Fit Assessment

Programme suitability vs. family situation, jurisdictional posture, and source-of-funds documentation review.
02

Engagement and Due-Diligence Intake

Lio Global formal mandate signed. KYC and AML pack initiated. Source-of-funds evidence pack scoped.
03

Property Search and Zone Selection

Independent zone analysis (€250k vs. €400k vs. €800k) — selection brief built around investment thesis, not just programme threshold.
04

Property Acquisition

Greek tax number (AFM) issuance, Greek bank account opened, deed signing in front of a notary, transfer tax paid.
05

Residence Permit Application

File submitted to the Greek Migration Ministry. Biometrics appointment scheduled. Provisional certificate issued — full programme rights pending card.
06

Permit Issuance and Renewal

Five-year card in hand. Renewal contingent on continued ownership of the qualifying asset; renewals run on a documented cadence.

The Real Estate Angle

Programme Threshold Vs. Investment Thesis

The €800k high-demand zone covers the rental and capital-growth markets that most high-net-worth investors actually want exposure to: central Athens (Kolonaki, Kifissia, the Athenian Riviera), Thessaloniki centre, and the major Cycladic islands.

In the €400k standard-zone band, prefectures around Athens, Northern Greece, and many islands offer materially lower entry prices — the trade-off is a thinner exit market.

The €250k restoration route suits principals who genuinely want the heritage asset; constraints on usage and timeline mean it is not a straightforward yield play.

August 2024 Reform

2024 Zone Restructuring — What Changed

Four mechanical changes shipped under the August 2024 reform package — each one shifts the advisory question on a fresh mandate.

The flat €250k minimum was replaced by a three-tier zone-based structure (€250k / €400k / €800k).
A 120 m² single-property minimum applies in the high-demand (€800k) band, ruling out smaller-unit yield-stacking strategies.
Investments completed before the 31 August 2024 transition cutoff are grandfathered under the prior threshold structure.
Short-term-let restrictions for Golden Visa qualifying properties were also tightened in the same reform package.

Programme rules change. The figures, thresholds, and timelines on this page reflect Greek Migration Ministry guidance and the Greek government's August 2024 reform package as we have read them at the date of last review (08 May 2026). Investment migration is a regulated cross-border activity with tax, currency, and estate-planning implications. Take professional tax and legal advice in your home jurisdiction before acting on any information here. LIO Global (Pty.) Ltd. is an investment migration advisory; it is not a tax adviser, currency provider, or law firm.

Common Questions

Greece Golden Visa — Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions principals most often raise at discovery. Bring more on the call.

: Not directly. Greek naturalisation requires seven years of physical residence and a Greek-language qualification, which the no-stay-required structure of the Golden Visa does not by itself satisfy. Many Golden Visa holders use the programme for residency optionality without pursuing naturalisation.
: Zero days are required to maintain the residency. This is one of the programme's distinguishing features versus most other EU residency programmes.
: Long-term rental is permitted. Short-term (e.g. Airbnb-style) rental of Golden Visa qualifying properties was further restricted in 2024 reforms. Confirm exact short-term-let restriction language with your legal adviser.
: A joint purchase by spouses is allowed; the spouse is included as a dependant on the principal's application rather than holding an independent qualifying investment.
: Children up to 21 are included on issuance; some renewal extensions for full-time-student dependants up to 24 have been used in practice. Confirm current age-extension rules with your adviser.
: No — tax residency is determined by physical presence (>183 days) or centre-of-life tests, not by holding the residence permit. Many Golden Visa holders deliberately remain tax-resident elsewhere.

Engage

Begin a Private Greece Consultation

Bring your circumstances. We will map them to the right zone, the right asset, and the right timeline — or tell you when Greece is not the right programme for you.