Greece Golden Visa
Five Year EU Residency Through Property
- Property in Zone B
- FromEUR 400,000
- Renewable permit, no minimum stay
- 5 years
- Minimum main floor area
- 120 m²
Greece is the only major European golden visa program still built on real estate. Portugal removed the property route in 2023, Hungary removed it in 2025, and Spain closed its program entirely. Greece kept it.
What changed, and why it matters
The program launched in 2013 at a flat EUR 250,000 and ran there for a decade, which made it the cheapest route to European residency available. That era ended with Law 5100/2024.
Greece now operates a three tier system based on location, with a minimum floor area, a single property rule and a ban on short term letting. The transitional window closed on 28 February 2025, so applications filed today face the full thresholds.
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Investment thresholds
| Tier | Where | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Zone A | Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants | EUR 800,000 |
| Zone B | Most other regions of Greece | EUR 400,000 |
| Special | Commercial to residential conversions and listed building restorations, anywhere in Greece | EUR 250,000 |
Three conditions apply to the two standard tiers:
- Minimum 120 square metres of main floor area
- One property onlyMultiple titles cannot be combined to reach the threshold.
- No short term lettingGolden visa properties cannot be listed on sharing economy platforms. Long term rental is permitted.
The EUR 250,000 tier survives only for genuine conversion and restoration projects, and each property can be used at that rate once.
Key benefits
- Five year renewable permit, renewable indefinitely while the investment is held
- No minimum stay requirement. You are not obliged to spend any time in Greece
- Schengen mobility across the area
- Family included on unusually generous terms. Spouse, dependent children, and the parents of both the investor and the spouse, with no age limit and no proof of dependency required
- Permanent residence after five years, citizenship eligibility after seven
- No tax exposure unless you spend more than 183 days a year in Greece
- A usable asset. Unlike fund based programs, you own something you can live in, let long term or sell
The parent inclusion rule is worth noting specifically. Most European programmes either exclude parents or require evidence of financial dependency. Greece does neither.
Requirements
- A qualifying property investment held for the duration of the permit
- Main applicant over 18
- Non EU nationality
- Clean criminal record
- Evidence of the lawful origin of funds
- Greek tax number and bank account
- Health insurance
The process
Establish your zone and threshold
Which tier applies is a function of where the property sits, and it decides the entire budget. This is the first question, not a detail to settle later.
Obtain a Greek tax number and bank account
Both are prerequisites for the transaction.
Select and verify the property
Floor area, zone classification and title all have to be confirmed before purchase, not after.
Complete the purchase
Through the Greek banking system, with full documentation.
Submit the residence permit application
Biometrics are taken in Greece.
Receive your five year permit
Worth knowing before you commit
Budget beyond the purchase price
Transfer tax, notary, legal, land registry and application fees typically add ten to fifteen percent to the property value. A EUR 400,000 threshold is closer to EUR 450,000 in practice.
The short term rental ban changes the investment case
Greek property has been a strong yield market largely because of holiday letting. Golden visa properties are excluded from it. If your projected return assumed short term income, that projection does not apply here, and anyone showing you one that does is either working from old rules or hoping you will not check.
The 120 square metre floor is a real constraint in Zone A
In central Athens and on the islands, apartments frequently fall below it. A property that clears the price threshold can still fail on floor area.
You must keep the investment
Selling ends your eligibility unless you replace it with another qualifying asset before renewal.
Tax residency is optional and separate
Holding the permit does not make you a Greek tax resident. If you do become one, Greece offers a flat EUR 100,000 annual charge on worldwide income as an alternative to progressive rates, which is relevant to some investors and irrelevant to most.
Greece is one of the markets where SmartDecision handles both sides: the property itself and the residency file behind it. Those are usually two separate conversations with two separate firms, and the gap between them is where most golden visa purchases go wrong.
Questions about the Greece Golden Visa
Last reviewed
How much do I need to invest for the Greece Golden Visa?
It depends on where the property is. EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants. EUR 400,000 in most other regions. EUR 250,000 only for commercial to residential conversions and listed building restorations.
Is the EUR 250,000 threshold still available?
Only for conversion and restoration projects, and each property can be used at that rate once. The flat EUR 250,000 entry point that applied until 2024 no longer exists. Anything quoting it is pre 2024 material.
Can I combine several properties to reach the threshold?
No. Greece requires a single property. Multiple titles cannot be combined, which is different from Türkiye and the UAE.
Is there a minimum size requirement?
Yes, 120 square metres of main floor area for the EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 tiers. In central Athens and on the islands, apartments frequently clear the price threshold and fail on floor area.
Can I rent out the property?
Long term rental is permitted. Short term letting through sharing economy platforms is banned for Golden Visa properties. If your projected return assumed holiday letting income, that projection does not apply here.
Do I need to live in Greece?
No. There is no minimum stay requirement to hold or renew the permit.
Who can I include in my application?
Your spouse, dependent children, and the parents of both you and your spouse. The parent inclusion carries no age limit and requires no proof of financial dependency, which is unusually generous among European programs.
How long is the permit valid?
Five years, renewable indefinitely while you hold the qualifying investment. Permanent residence becomes available after five years and citizenship eligibility after seven.
What are the total costs?
Transfer tax, notary, legal, land registry and application fees typically add ten to fifteen percent to the property value. A EUR 400,000 threshold is closer to EUR 450,000 in practice.
Will I pay tax in Greece?
Only if you spend more than 183 days a year there. Holding the permit alone does not make you a Greek tax resident. If you do become one, Greece offers a flat EUR 100,000 annual charge on worldwide income as an alternative to progressive rates.
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