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Greece

Greece Golden Visa (Permanent Residence Permit for Investors)

Also known as: Greece Investor Residence Permit, Greece RBI

Regulator: Ministry of Migration and Asylum; processed via Decentralized Administrations and Ministry's Directorate of Migration PolicyOfficial program site ↗
Min investment
$275K
Program tier
Permanent Residency
Program type
Golden Visa
Initial validity
5 yr
Renewable
Yes
Path to PR
Immediate
Path to citizenship
7 yr
Schengen access
Yes

Investment options

Real Estate

$880K
Hold for 5 years

Tier 1 (high-demand areas) — EUR 800,000 in residential property in Attica region (incl. Athens, Athens Riviera), Greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands above 3,100 population. Must be a single property of at least 120 m².

Real Estate

$440K
Hold for 5 years

Tier 2 (other regions) — EUR 400,000 in residential property elsewhere in Greece. Must be a single property of at least 120 m².

Real Estate

$275K
Hold for 5 years

Tier 3 (special purpose) — EUR 250,000 for commercial-to-residential conversions (renovating non-residential buildings into homes) OR restoration of listed heritage buildings, anywhere in Greece, no size minimum (heritage tier).

Fund

$385K
Hold for 5 years

Investment of EUR 350,000 in Greek mutual fund (AKES) or Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with Greek focus.

Business Investment

$550K
Hold for 5 years

EUR 500,000 capital contribution to a Greek company OR EUR 800,000 in Greek government bonds or corporate bonds.

Physical presence

To apply
Biometrics appointment in Greece at Decentralized Administration office
To maintain
No minimum stay requirement
For PR
Permanent from initial issuance (5-year card renewed every 5 years as long as investment maintained)
For citizenship
7 years actual residence (183+ days/year) + Greek language B1 + civics test

Path to citizenship

  • Available: Yes
  • Minimum years: 7
  • Physical-presence years: 7
  • Language test: Yes

Naturalization requires 7 years of actual residence (183+ days/year), Greek language B1, civics exam, integration. Most Golden Visa holders never naturalize because the program is used as 'second-home' / Schengen mobility rather than relocation. Dual citizenship allowed.

Tax implications

  • Becomes tax resident automatically: No
  • Worldwide income taxed: Yes
  • Territorial tax system: No
  • Day-count for tax residency: 183 days
  • Wealth tax: No

Golden Visa does NOT make holder tax-resident. Greece offers separately a non-dom 'lump sum' regime (Art 5A) for EUR 100,000/year flat for HNWIs becoming tax-resident, 15 years. Standard PIT progressive to 44%; ENFIA property tax annually; rental income flat 15-45%; no wealth tax. Short-term rental ban on Golden Visa properties (must be leased long-term or owner-occupied).

Family inclusion

  • Spouse: Yes
  • Children under 18: Yes
  • Dependent adult children: Yes
  • Parents: Yes

Spouse, unmarried dependent children up to age 21 (extendable to 24 if in education), parents and parents-in-law of the main applicant. Adult children must reapply on own merit after age 24.

Additional fees

  • Application fee: $2K
  • Government fees: $2K
  • Legal/agent (est.): $6K

Application fee EUR 2,000 (main applicant) + EUR 150 per dependent. Property transfer tax 3.09%. VAT on new builds 24% (suspended for some). Legal/notary fees ~1-2% of property value. Tax representative required.

Eligibility requirements

  • Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national, age 18+
  • Clean criminal record
  • Health insurance covering Greece
  • Greek tax number (AFM) and Greek bank account
  • Qualifying investment from non-Greek source
  • Tax representative in Greece

Disqualifiers

  • Short-term rental of Golden Visa property (Airbnb prohibited from Sept 2024)
  • Use of property for non-residential purposes
  • Multiple sub-threshold properties (must now be single property meeting full threshold)

Recent changes

  1. 2023-08

    Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini real estate tier raised from EUR 250,000 to EUR 500,000.

  2. 2024-09-01

    Reform took effect: tiered EUR 800K / EUR 400K / EUR 250K (special purpose) replacing old EUR 250-500K structure; minimum 120 m² property size; single-property requirement; short-term rental ban.

  3. 2025

    Implementation guidance clarified: investments contracted before Sept 2024 grandfathered at old prices if completed by mid-2025.

  4. 2026

    Program continues with high demand at EUR 400K tier; investor interest shifting to mainland and second-tier regions.

Notes

After Spain's closure, Greece is the EU's most attractive real-estate Golden Visa. EUR 250K heritage tier is the cheapest EU real-estate residency. Crucial caveat: PR is granted but residence is for mobility, NOT freedom of movement — only Greek citizenship gives that. The Airbnb ban (Sept 2024) materially impacts buyer economics; properties must be long-term leased or held idle. Tax-residency NOT triggered by Golden Visa — separate Art 5A non-dom regime available for those who do want to relocate.

EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.