Greece Golden Visa in 2026: The Complete Guide

Greece has issued residence permits to property investors since 2013. The programme now runs under Migration Code law 5038/2023. After the 2024 reform there is no longer one price for everyone: the amount depends on where the property sits and on what you buy. The status lasts five years and renews while you keep the investment.

I discuss this route with clients almost every week. My first cases at BRIDGES were the Greek Golden Visa and Cyprus permanent residence, so I have watched the thresholds move and the paperwork change. In this guide I set out what I actually explain in a first consultation: how the programme is built, what it costs, how long it takes, and who should look elsewhere.

The programme in one paragraph

A third-country national who makes a qualifying investment in Greece can apply for a residence permit for investment purposes. The most common route is buying one residential property of at least 120 square metres (main spaces) at the zone threshold. The card is issued for five years, can be renewed while the investment is kept, and does not require living in Greece. It is a residence permit, not citizenship. Naturalisation needs seven years of continuous actual residence and separate conditions.

Investment thresholds after the 2024 reform

Law 5100/2024 changed the property thresholds. BRIDGES summarises them as follows (figures checked against the programme page, October 2026):

Route	Minimum	Where / conditions
Conversion or listed-building restoration	€250,000	Commercial-to-residential conversion, or restoring a listed building. The 120 m² rule does not apply to this option.
Standard property	€400,000	One property of at least 120 m² in regions outside the premium zones.
Premium zones	€800,000	Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with a population over 3,100. Same 120 m² rule.
Deposit, funds or securities	€500,000	Without buying property.

You cannot add several cheaper properties to reach the threshold. Payment must go by bank transfer, and the value is confirmed by the contract and a valuation. I break the zones down further in my guide to thresholds by region.

What the residence card gives you

• Stay in Greece without a time limit for the term of the status. There is no minimum-stay rule for renewals while the investment is kept.
• Schengen travel as a Greek residence-card holder: up to 90 days in every 180 days in other Schengen states. The card does not give the right to work in other EU countries.
• Family on the same investment: spouse, unmarried children under 21, and parents of both spouses.
• Renewals for further five-year periods while you keep the qualifying investment and insurance.
• An asset in euro: long-term letting is allowed. Short-term letting through platforms is forbidden for programme properties.

What it does not give you

I always say this plainly.

No EU passport. The Golden Visa is not citizenship. Naturalisation after seven years of continuous actual residence is a separate procedure with language and integration tests.

No automatic tax residence. Buying a property and holding a residence card does not by itself make you a Greek tax resident. Tax residence follows where you actually live and the 183-day and centre-of-interests tests.

No right to work in other EU countries on the Greek card alone. Work and business rights are tied to Greece.

Timeline in practice

BRIDGES describes a typical path of about four to six months from a complete filing to the card. The stages I walk clients through are:

1. Preliminary check of citizenship, family, source of funds and the correct zone.
2. Selecting one qualifying property and running due diligence (title, encumbrances, area, zone).
3. Tax number (AFM), Greek bank account and the purchase.
4. Filing with the migration service: state fee, insurance, police certificates, proof of funds.
5. Biometrics and issue of the five-year card.

A power of attorney can cover much of the transaction. The trip that usually cannot be skipped is biometrics. I describe each stage in the application process guide.

Who it suits and who should look elsewhere

It suits families who want a renewable Schengen residence card without relocating, who can hold a property as an asset, and who accept that citizenship is a long separate path. It is a poor fit if you need a fast EU passport, if you planned to rely on Airbnb income, or if your budget only works by combining several small flats.

For a full cost picture, including transfer tax, VAT on new builds, the €2,000 state fee and insurance, see costs and fees. For who can join the file, see family members and documents. For renewals, permanent residence and citizenship, see permanent residence and citizenship.

Programme terms change. Confirm every figure with current official sources and your advisers before you pay anything. Last checked 15 Oct 2026.