Three investment tiers, Law 5275/2026 updates, eligible properties and the path to Greek citizenship. Written by a practising Athens lawyer.
Written by Nadia Karabatsou, Athens Bar Association member · Last updated May 2026
The Greek Golden Visa is a residency-by-investment programme established by Law 4251/2014 and substantially reformed by Law 5275/2026. It allows non-EU and non-EEA nationals to obtain a five-year renewable Greek residence permit through a qualifying property investment in Greece.
Greece introduced the programme in 2013 as part of a broader strategy to attract foreign direct investment following the financial crisis. Since its launch, the programme has become one of the most popular in Europe — and one of the most reformed. The 2024 legislative amendments introduced a three-tier investment structure, which was refined further under Law 5275/2026, adding restrictions on short-term rental and clarifying eligible property categories.
The Greek Golden Visa is initially granted for five years and can be renewed indefinitely, provided the qualifying investment is maintained. There is no limit on the number of renewals.
Unlike many other European residency programmes, the Greek Golden Visa imposes no minimum annual physical presence requirement. You can hold the permit while living anywhere in the world, provided you retain the qualifying investment property.
A Greek residence permit entitles the holder to travel freely across all 26 Schengen Area countries without requiring individual visas. For citizens of countries with limited passport mobility, this is often the principal motivation for obtaining the permit.
A single property investment covers the primary applicant, their spouse or civil partner, unmarried children under 21, and the dependent parents of both the applicant and their spouse. Each family member receives an individual residence permit card — no additional property investment is required.
After seven years of holding the Golden Visa residence permit, the holder becomes eligible to apply for Greek naturalisation, subject to language competence and civics requirements. The investment thus becomes a potential route to a Greek passport and full EU citizenship.
Important: The investment zone boundaries are set by ministerial decision and can change without legislative action. The boundaries of high-demand zones in particular shift as municipalities are added or removed from the list. Always confirm the applicable zone for a specific property with a licensed lawyer before signing any purchase agreement.
Applies to properties in Central Athens (Attica municipalities with high residential demand), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and other municipalities designated by ministerial decision. The minimum property size is 120 m². This is now the default zone for prime real estate in Greece's most sought-after locations. If the address of a property you are considering falls within a high-demand municipality, the €800,000 threshold applies regardless of the property's price or type — there is no exception.
Applies to properties in standard mainland and island municipalities that are not on the high-demand list. This covers the majority of Greece's geography and the majority of our clients' purchases. The minimum property size is 120 m². The €400,000 standard zone is where most practical Golden Visa opportunities exist — islands such as Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Kefalonia all largely fall within this tier, along with most of mainland Greece outside the Attica core.
Available only in very specific circumstances: (1) properties converted from commercial to residential use under designated conversion rules; (2) listed heritage buildings undergoing full restoration; and (3) certain designated renovation cases. The vast majority of properties marketed as "€250k Golden Visa eligible" do not actually meet these criteria. We screen every property's eligibility at the discovery call stage — do not commit to any purchase on the basis of the €250,000 threshold until eligibility is confirmed in writing by a licensed Greek lawyer.
Yes. Under Law 5275/2026, the required investment threshold can be reached by combining the purchase prices of two or more properties, provided that each individual property is at least 120 m² and that all properties are held in the applicant's name. The combined purchase price must meet or exceed the applicable threshold for the zone. We structure the property deeds and the application file to reflect this correctly when clients pursue a multi-property strategy.
Not every Greek property qualifies for the Golden Visa. The rules on eligible properties were tightened significantly by Law 5275/2026. The following requirements apply:
The property must have a residential use classification under Greek urban planning law. Commercial properties, warehouses, agricultural land, and building plots do not qualify — except in the specific conversion cases described above under the €250,000 tier.
Each property in the application must be at least 120 square metres of usable floor area. This figure refers to the main property area — parking spaces, storage rooms, and basement areas below ground level typically do not count toward the 120 m² minimum. We verify the usable area in the technical due diligence phase.
There is no restriction on the age of the property. Both newly built properties (purchased directly from a developer) and existing resale properties qualify, provided they meet the size and use requirements.
The property must be purchased in the name of the Golden Visa applicant as a natural person. Purchasing through a company does not qualify — unless the company is wholly and exclusively owned by the applicant, in which case the company structure may be permissible. We advise on structure at the outset and do not proceed with any structure that creates a risk to the application.
This is one of the most significant changes introduced by Law 5275/2026. Properties used for short-term rental (Airbnb, Booking.com or any equivalent platform) during the permit period are disqualified. Violation triggers permit revocation and an administrative fine of €50,000. Long-term leases of twelve months or more remain fully permitted and are a common income strategy for clients who do not occupy the property themselves.
The Greek Golden Visa is open to any non-EU and non-EEA national who meets the following conditions:
There is no income requirement, no language requirement, and no age restriction (beyond majority) for the Golden Visa. EU and EEA nationals are not eligible for this programme but can purchase Greek property freely under EU treaty rights without requiring a visa or permit.
One of the most valuable features of the Greek Golden Visa is its family-wide coverage. A single qualifying property investment covers the following family members, each of whom receives their own individual Greek residence permit card:
The applicant's spouse or registered civil partner. The marriage or civil partnership must be legally recognised — common-law partners without formal registration do not automatically qualify, though other permit routes may be available.
Children of the primary applicant and their spouse who are under 21 at the time of application and unmarried. The age limit applies at the date of application — a child who turns 21 during the permit period retains the permit until expiry but cannot renew under the family inclusion route.
The dependent parents of both the primary applicant and their spouse. Parents are included as dependants and receive their own permit cards. This is a significant benefit compared to many other programmes — both sets of parents are covered by a single investment.
Each family member's permit runs coterminously with the primary applicant's permit and is renewed at the same time. There is no additional investment required for family members, but there is an additional legal and state fee per family member. We quote family-member costs in full on the discovery call.
A 20-minute call to assess your situation, confirm the applicable investment threshold zone, and agree on scope and fees. Engagement letter signed. Power of Attorney drafted and sent to you — this document allows Nadia to act on your behalf throughout the process without you needing to be in Greece for most steps.
You have the Power of Attorney notarised by a notary in your country and apostilled. The apostilled original is posted or couriered to Athens. We also file for your Greek Tax Identification Number (AFM) on the basis of the Power of Attorney — the AFM is required for the property purchase to proceed.
If you have not already identified a property, we work with our partner network of real estate agents to shortlist options meeting the size, zone and price requirements. Once a property is selected, we conduct full buyer-side legal due diligence: title chain search at the Land Registry, encumbrance check, urban-planning compliance verification, building permit review, debt clearance certificate, ENFIA (property tax) clearance, and confirmation of Golden Visa eligibility for the specific property.
A preliminary sale agreement (promisory contract) is signed, accompanied by a deposit (typically 10% of the purchase price). The deposit and terms are carefully drafted to protect your position — this is a critical negotiation point that buyer-side legal representation manages.
The notarial deed of sale is executed under your Power of Attorney — you do not need to be in Greece. The transfer tax (3% of the declared value) is paid. The notarial deed is registered at the Cadastre (Land Registry). The property is now legally yours.
The Golden Visa application file is compiled: notarial deed, investment proof, passports, clean criminal record certificates, health insurance policies, photographs, and all required state forms. The file is submitted to the Aliens and Immigration Directorate. A 35-day processing receipt is issued immediately — this receipt functions as a travel document during the processing period.
A biometrics appointment is scheduled at the Aliens Directorate in Athens — this is typically the only step requiring you to travel to Greece, and it is usually a single-day visit. Biometrics are taken (fingerprints and photograph). The residence permit card is printed and issued, typically 4–8 weeks after the biometrics appointment. Family members follow the same biometrics process and receive their cards within a further 4–8 weeks.
The Greek Golden Visa is not just a residence permit — it is a potential path to full Greek citizenship and the European Union passport that comes with it.
After seven years of continuous holding of the residence permit, a Golden Visa holder becomes eligible to apply for Greek naturalisation. The naturalisation process requires:
Importantly, the "no minimum stay" rule that applies to the Golden Visa itself does not extend to the naturalisation application. While the permit is valid without any physical presence requirement, naturalisation authorities assess integration and connection to Greece — applicants who have spent very little time in Greece over the seven years face a harder naturalisation path. We advise clients on this distinction from the outset so that they can plan their time in Greece accordingly if citizenship is a long-term goal.
An alternative — and often faster — path to Greek citizenship for those with Greek ancestry is citizenship by descent, which can be pursued simultaneously with or independently of the Golden Visa.
The Greek Golden Visa is a well-regulated programme, but its complexity creates recurring pitfalls for buyers who proceed without specialist legal representation. These are the mistakes we see most frequently:
Greek property title chains can contain historical irregularities going back decades — unregistered transfers, inheritance shares that were never formally distributed, building additions constructed without permit. A title problem discovered after the notarial deed is signed is expensive and sometimes impossible to correct. We conduct full due diligence before any funds are committed.
Clients who have not confirmed the applicable zone in writing before purchase sometimes discover that the property falls within a high-demand municipality (€800,000 threshold) when they believed it was a standard zone (€400,000). The zone is determined by the property's municipality, not by the purchase price — and the municipality boundaries are not always intuitive.
The €250,000 special-case threshold is heavily marketed by agents, but genuine qualifying properties are rare. Most "€250k Golden Visa" properties advertised online either fail the technical criteria or have already been purchased. We screen every property claimed to fall within this tier before advising a client to proceed.
Biometrics appointments at the Aliens Directorate are scheduled months in advance and difficult to reschedule. Missing an appointment without prior notification can delay the permit by several months. We manage all appointment scheduling and provide reminders well in advance.
The Greek Golden Visa is a legal process reviewed by a state authority. Agencies are not bar-registered, cannot represent you before administrative bodies, are not bound by attorney-client privilege, and bear no personal legal responsibility if an application fails. The legal fee for a licensed lawyer is a small fraction of the overall investment — this is not the place to economise.
Clients who purchase with the intention of renting on Airbnb are taking a significant legal risk. Law 5275/2026 is explicit: short-term rental of a Golden Visa property triggers permit revocation and a €50,000 fine. If rental income is part of your financial plan, we help you structure a compliant long-term leasing arrangement instead.
Our Golden Visa legal service covers property due diligence, the notarial purchase, application file preparation and submission — all managed under Power of Attorney from abroad. Fixed fee. No surprises.
This guide is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Greek immigration law and the specific rules governing the Golden Visa programme change frequently. For advice specific to your situation, book a free 20-minute consultation with Nadia Karabatsou.
The 20-minute call is the fastest way to find out whether the Greek Golden Visa fits your situation.