How To Obtain Greece Golden Visa: Eligibility Criteria and Application Process

This article provides a detailed overview of the Greek Golden Visa programme, outlining its eligibility criteria, qualifying investment routes, and recent regulatory updates.

It also explains the application process, associated costs, and potential tax considerations, helping you make an informed decision about obtaining Greek residency through investment and understanding how this may fit within a broader international wealth or relocation strategy.

What Is a Golden Visa in Greece?

Originally launched in 2013, the Greek Golden Visa programme grants eligible non-EU and non-EEA nationals a renewable five-year residence permit in exchange for making a qualifying investment in Greece.

Processing times typically range from four to six months, depending on documentation and local administration, and minimum investment thresholds now vary by location and property type following the 2024 reforms.

As of 2025, the lowest qualifying threshold of €250,000 applies only to specific categories, such as conversions of commercial properties to residential use or restorations of listed buildings. In most areas, the minimum investment is now €400,000 or €800,000 depending on zone classification.

Besides making a qualifying investment, you must meet the following general criteria to become eligible for the Greek Golden Visa:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a non-EU/EEA citizen.
• Have no serious criminal convictions in Greece or your country of residence.
• Hold a valid passport.
• Obtain comprehensive medical insurance valid in Greece.

The Golden Visa may also extend to eligible family members, including:

• Your spouse or registered partner (if recognised under Greek law).
• Your and your spouse’s dependent parents.
• Dependent children under 21, which may be extended to age 24 if they remain unmarried and in full-time education.

Holders of the Golden Visa are not permitted to take salaried employment in Greece unless they obtain a separate work permit. However, they may establish, hold shares in, or act as a director of a Greek company, provided they comply with relevant corporate and tax regulations.

What Are the Greece Golden Visa Benefits?

The Greek Golden Visa provides several practical, lifestyle, and strategic advantages for international investors and their families:

Tax Residence and International Planning Considerations For Greece’s Golden Visa

While the Golden Visa offers flexibility of residence and travel, investors should carefully understand the associated tax, residency, and cross-border wealth-planning implications.

Holding a Greek residence permit does not automatically make you a Greek tax resident. Under Greek tax law, tax residency is triggered when an individual spends more than 183 days in Greece within any twelve-month period or has their centre of vital interests there.

Those who remain tax-resident elsewhere must continue to declare and pay taxes according to their home jurisdiction’s laws, subject to any Double Tax Treaty (DTT) between that country and Greece.

For high-net-worth individuals transferring their fiscal base, the Greek Non-Dom regime may provide substantial benefits. Eligible applicants who transfer tax residence to Greece and invest at least €500,000 may opt to pay a flat €100,000 annual tax on foreign-source income for up to 15 years. Separate provisions apply to foreign pensioners and those receiving passive income streams under Greece’s pension-tax incentives.

It is important to distinguish between immigration residence—the right to live in Greece—and tax residence, which determines liability for income, capital-gains, and inheritance tax. Becoming Greek tax-resident generally means being taxed on worldwide income, although relief may be available under DTTs.

For internationally mobile investors, especially those from the UK, US, or Middle East, coordinated tax, estate, and succession planning is essential. Issues such as domicile, FATCA reporting (for US citizens), UK IHT exposure, and pension transfer rules should be reviewed before applying.

Professional cross-border advice ensures that your investment, residency, and long-term wealth strategies remain compliant and aligned with both Greek and home-country obligations.

How To Get a Golden Visa in Greece Through Real Estate Investment

Investing in Greek real estate remains the primary and most popular route to obtaining a Golden Visa. As of 2025, the programme’s real estate thresholds depend on both the property’s location and its classification under the 2024 reforms. Consult the table below for the current minimum requirements:

While you can still secure the visa by investing €250,000 in a converted or fully restored property, regardless of size and location, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. You may invest in a property that has been converted from commercial to residential use, provided the conversion was completed before your Golden Visa application is submitted.
2. You may also invest in a property of historical or cultural value, but it must be fully restored or reconstructed before applying for the visa.

The property must remain compliant with local zoning and building regulations at all times to maintain visa eligibility.

Greece Golden Visa: New Rules for Property Investment Explained

Before 2024, Golden Visa applicants were subject to less stringent eligibility criteria. For example, investors could meet the €250,000 threshold by purchasing multiple properties, regardless of location or size.

The new Golden Visa rules in Greece were introduced in 2024, were designed to protect local housing affordability and direct foreign investment toward sustainable, long-term projects. In addition to higher thresholds based on property location and size, the key changes include:

• Single-property requirement: Investments must now generally be made in a single property rather than multiple smaller units to reach the required value. Co-ownership is permitted only where each investor’s share individually meets the relevant minimum threshold.
• Long-term lease or direct purchase options: A Golden Visa may be obtained either through a direct purchase or a long-term lease (minimum 10 years), provided that the aggregate lease value equals the minimum qualifying investment.
• Restrictions on short-term letting: Properties acquired under the Golden Visa may not be used for renting out a property or sharing-economy platforms. Standard long-term letting remains permitted under Greek tenancy law.
• Restriction on commercial use: Properties converted from non-residential to residential use under the €250,000 provision may not serve as business headquarters or branch offices.
• Proof of compliance: Investors must provide official documentation confirming completion of any conversion or restoration works before their application can be accepted.

Greece’s Golden Visa Stability

Greece continues to refine its Golden Visa framework in line with EU directives on transparency, anti money-laundering, and responsible investment.

While thresholds and criteria may change, valid residence permits have historically been protected under “grandfathering” provisions, ensuring that existing investors retain their rights even when new rules are introduced.

Consulting our financial advisers at Titan Wealth International ensures you remain fully informed on the latest Golden Visa regulations and protected from unexpected fees or the risk of visa revocation. Our experts can also assess your financial circumstances and investment goals to help you choose the most appropriate and compliant investment route when applying for the Greek Golden Visa.

How To Obtain a Greek Golden Visa Through Other Investment Options

In addition to securing the Golden Visa in Greece by real estate acquisition, there are several alternative qualifying investment routes. Each carries its own minimum investment threshold and regulatory conditions, as outlined below:

How Much Is a Golden Visa in Greece?

Besides the required investment amount, obtaining the Greek Golden Visa involves several government and administrative fees, including the following:

• Application fee: €2,000 for the principal applicant and €150 per dependent family member aged over 18
• Residence-permit card issuance: €16 per person
• Biometric data fee: €16 per applicant (if processed separately)

These fees apply to both the initial application and each five-year renewal. Dependent children under 18 are exempt from the main application fee.

If you choose to invest in Greek real estate to obtain the visa, you may incur additional property-related costs, generally calculated as a percentage of the property’s declared value:

• Legal fees: approximately 0.8 % – 1.2 %
• Notary fees: approximately 1 % – 1.2 %
• Property transfer tax: typically 3 % – 3.09 % where VAT is not applicable
• Real-estate agency commission: up to 2 % – 2.5 %
• Land Registry and cadastral charges: usually 0.5 % – 0.7 %

Additional expenses may arise depending on your personal circumstances, such as official translations, apostilles, tax identification registration (AFM), power-of-attorney documentation, and ongoing property insurance.

Professional due-diligence and pre-purchase inspections are strongly recommended to confirm title, zoning, and encumbrances before completing a transaction.

Ongoing Costs and Tax Obligations

Beyond the initial purchase and application fees, investors should budget for annual ownership and tax costs:

• ENFIA property tax: generally 0.1 % – 1.0 % of taxable property value, depending on type and location.
• Municipal and utility levies: payable to the local authority, often linked to property size.
• Income tax on rental income (if the property is leased): typically 15 % – 45 % depending on income band.
• Capital-gains tax: currently 15 % on gains realised from property sales (subject to exemptions and possible future adjustments).

All property owners must also file an E9 property declaration annually, even if non-resident. These ongoing obligations highlight the importance of integrating the Golden Visa investment into a wider tax-residency and wealth-planning strategy.

How To Apply for Greece’s Golden Visa Programme

Before commencing the application process, it is essential to select and structure your qualifying investment carefully, ideally with the guidance of a regulated financial or immigration adviser, to ensure it aligns with your financial objectives, risk tolerance, and tax-residency position.

Once your investment is confirmed, you may apply for the Golden Visa in Greece by following these key steps:

1. Make the investment.
2. Prepare and submit the application.
3. Wait for approval.

Make the Investment

Prior to investing or purchasing property in Greece, you must first obtain a Greek Non-Resident Tax Identification Number (AFM) and open a local bank account.

The AFM allows you to conduct large financial transactions, register assets, and pay applicable taxes. It can be obtained in person through a local tax office or via a Greek legal representative under power of attorney.

If you choose the real estate investment route, which remains the most popular for expats, the process typically begins with a preliminary purchase agreement and a deposit of around 10 % of the property value.

Your legal representatives then prepare the final purchase documents, which must be signed before a notary public to complete the transaction and recorded with the Land Registry or Cadastral Office.

All funds used for the investment must be transferred through the applicant’s personal Greek bank account and accompanied by supporting source-of-funds documentation, as part of Greece’s anti–money-laundering (AML) regulations.

Prepare and Submit the Application

Once your Golden Visa investment is finalised, you can begin the application process by gathering the required documentation, which typically includes:

• A certified copy of a valid passport.
• Four recent biometric photographs per applicant.
• Proof of comprehensive health insurance covering medical expenses in Greece.
• Evidence of the completed investment and proof of payment of all relevant fees.
• Recent criminal-record certificate from your country of origin and any country of residence during the past five years.

Applicants must also schedule an appointment to provide biometric data (digital fingerprints and photographs) at the local Migration and Asylum Service office.

At this stage, you will pay the application fee of €2,000 per main applicant and €150 per adult dependent, as well as the residence-card issuance fee (€16).

After submitting all required documentation and completing the biometric process, you may file the application personally or via an authorised Greek lawyer acting under a power of attorney.

Many people choose to apply through legal representatives to reduce administrative delays and ensure compliance with all procedural requirements.

Wait for Approval

Following submission, the Greek authorities review the documentation and verify eligibility under the current investment criteria.

If approved, the applicant typically receives a temporary certificate of submission, which allows residence in Greece until the permit is issued. Final residence-permit cards are usually issued within four to six months, depending on regional office workload.

This processing time remains relatively efficient compared with similar EU residency-by-investment schemes, although timelines can vary depending on completeness of documentation and due-diligence checks.