MaltaResidency
- Min. investment
- €375,000+routes from €99,000
- Time to approval
- 6–8 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Residency by Investment
Greece Golden Visa
One of Europe's most affordable golden visas: Greek residency through real estate, with no stay requirement to renew.
Time to residency
3–6 months
Minimum investment
€400,000+
Figures as of October 2026, per the official program source — confirmed on application.
Program Overview
About the Greece program
In brief
The Greece program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in Greece. The minimum qualifying investment is €400,000+, and approvals typically take 3–6 months. It requires no residence or relocation. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
Greece's golden visa grants five-year renewable residency to real estate investors, with no minimum stay requirement to maintain or renew the permit.
Investment thresholds vary by location — prime areas such as central Athens command higher minimums, while qualifying conversion and restoration properties preserve a lower entry point.
Presence requirement
No stay requirement — not even for renewal
Document validity
5-year permit, renewable indefinitely while the property is held
Dual nationality
Residence status — your current citizenship is unaffected
Program Finder
Plan Greece for your family
Estimate the total cost with every government fee, check who in your family can be included, get the document checklist for everyone applying, and see how Greece ranks against the other 17 programs.
What Greece's Golden Visa unlocks
A five-year investor residence permit, renewable indefinitely while you hold the property. What it changes from day one:
- Five years at a time, indefinitelyThe permit runs five years and renews as long as the qualifying property remains yours.
- Schengen mobilityVisa-free movement across the Schengen Area, 90 days in any 180, on a Greek residence permit.
- No minimum stayThe permit is granted and renewed regardless of how long you actually spend in Greece.
- Three generations coveredSpouse, children under 21, and the parents of both spouses receive permits alongside the investor.
- Business yes, salary noThe permit does not allow salaried employment in Greece — but holding shares, sitting on a board, or running your own company is expressly permitted.
- Citizenship needs real residenceNaturalization requires seven years of genuine physical residence plus the Greek-language and civics exam — permit years without living there do not count.
Capabilities follow from the status itself — citizenship or residence as the program grants it; specifics are confirmed during your assessment.
Investment Pathways
Real Estate Purchase (outside the prime areas)
From €400,000
Purchase of a single residential property of at least 120 square metres anywhere outside the prime areas, at €400,000 or more (Law 5038/2023 as amended by Law 5100/2024). Short-term letting of the property is not allowed. In September 2026 the Greek government announced a higher property transfer tax for non-EU buyers; no bill has been published, and whether it will apply to Golden Visa purchases is not yet known.
Held for the duration of the permit
Real Estate Purchase (prime areas)
From €800,000
Purchase of a single residential property of at least 120 square metres in Attica, the municipality of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini or an island of more than 3,100 inhabitants, at €800,000 or more.
Held for the duration of the permit
Conversion or Listed-Building Restoration
From €250,000
Purchase of a commercial building for conversion to residential use, or of a listed building for restoration, at €250,000 or more.
Held for the duration of the permit
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$465,000
Capital treatment
Held for the duration of the permit
Purchase of a single residential property of at least 120 square metres anywhere outside the prime areas, at €400,000 or more (Law 5038/2023 as amended by Law 5100/2024). Short-term letting of the property is not allowed. In September 2026 the Greek government announced a higher property transfer tax for non-EU buyers; no bill has been published, and whether it will apply to Golden Visa purchases is not yet known.
Who comes with you
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Children under 21
- Parents of the main applicant and spouse
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Application Timeline
Government processing time
The Greece authorities publish a processing time for complete files — the numbered stages below show where those months go. Here is the figure to plan around.
3–6 months
Official processing time, complete files
Plan around the top of the range — 6 months end to end leaves room for queries without changing your plans.
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 3–6 months.
Based on the officially published range — last re-verified October 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
- 1
Month 1
Property selection
Selection and legal verification of the qualifying property; issuance of a Greek tax number.
- 2
Months 2–3
Purchase & submission
Completion of the purchase and submission of the residence application.
- 3
Months 3–4
Biometrics
Biometrics appointment in Greece.
- 4
Months 4–6
Permit issuance
Issuance of the five-year renewable residence permit.
Requirements
- Qualifying real estate maintained for the duration of the permit
- Clean criminal record
- Valid health insurance covering Greece
- Biometrics submitted in Greece
Family Eligibility
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Children under 21
- Parents of the main applicant and spouse
Required documents
The standard checklist for a single applicant. Get the checklist for your whole family in the Program Finder.
- Application form & photos Every applicant
- Passport Every applicant
- Health insurance Every applicant
- Property purchase file Main applicant
- Fees Main applicant
- Family civil documents Dependants
- Police clearance Adult applicants
Exact formats — apostille or legalization, sworn translation, issue dates — vary by your country of origin and are confirmed document-by-document during your engagement.
What to Weigh
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the Greece program, consider:
- Thresholds are location-dependent — €800,000 in prime areas, €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 only for specific conversion or restoration properties.
- The permit does not grant the right to work as an employee in Greece.
- Rental restrictions apply to some qualifying property categories — check before underwriting rental income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the €250,000 threshold still apply?
Only for qualifying properties converted from commercial use or listed buildings under restoration. Standard residential purchases require €400,000 or €800,000 depending on location.
Do my family get permits too?
Yes — your spouse, children under 21, and the parents of both spouses can each apply for a permit linked to the same investment.
Can Greek residency lead to citizenship?
Only through genuine residence: naturalization generally requires seven years of actual living in Greece plus language and integration requirements. The golden visa alone does not lead to a passport.
Regulatory framework
Law 4251/2014, Article 20(B)
Immigration Code — investor residence permit
Enacted 2014 · tiered thresholds in force 1 September 2024
Thresholds re-tiered by Law 5100/2024 (ΦΕΚ A' 49); immigration framework recast by Law 5275/2026 (ΦΕΚ A' 17)
Article 20(B) grants a five-year, renewable residence permit to non-EU nationals who buy Greek real estate. Since Law 5100/2024 the entry price is tiered by location — €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands; €400,000 elsewhere; €250,000 for conversions and listed-building restorations — on a single property of at least 120 m². The permit excludes salaried employment but allows business ownership.
View the law (opens in a new tab)Official Ministry of Migration & Asylum program page
Sources & verification
Program terms are set by the issuing government and may change without notice — figures last re-verified against the official source in October 2026. Investment figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant; fees, due diligence, and family additions are quoted individually. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Alternatives
Related Programs
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
PortugalResidency
- Min. investment
- €500,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 10–14 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
HungaryResidency
- Min. investment
- €250,000+
- Time to approval
- 3–6 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Is Greece right for your family?
A private assessment covers eligibility, total cost, and timeline for your situation — and says so if another route fits better.