The Greek Golden Visa
Residency in Europe, held through a Greek address.
A Greek residence permit for you and your family, granted for owning qualifying property. Here is exactly what it gives, what it costs, and what it does not do.
What it gives you
Four things, precisely.
A 5-year residence permit
Renewable every 5 years, for as long as you own the qualifying property.
Three generations on one file
Your spouse, your children under 21, and both sets of parents: yours and your spouse's.
No minimum stay to keep it
You do not have to live in Greece to hold or renew the permit. Citizenship is a different matter: it needs 7 years of actually living there.
Travel across the Schengen Area
Move within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Investment tiers
Three tiers. Exact rules.
Where you buy, and what you buy, sets the minimum. There is no fourth tier and no discount.
Minimum investment
€800,000
High-demand zones
- Where
- Attica (including Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents
- Floor area
- At least 120 m²
- Condition
- One residential property, paid in full before you apply.
Minimum investment
€400,000
Rest of Greece
- Where
- Everywhere outside the high-demand zones
- Floor area
- At least 120 m²
- Condition
- One residential property.
Minimum investment
€250,000
Conversion or restoration only
- Where
- Anywhere in Greece
- Floor area
- No minimum floor area
- Condition
- Only for converting a commercial building to residential use, or restoring a listed heritage building. An ordinary apartment at this price does not qualify.
The honest version
Three facts other agents leave out.
We would rather lose a sale today than lose your trust later. Read these before you spend a single euro.
Sell the property, lose the visa. At any time.
Your Golden Visa lasts exactly as long as you own the qualifying property. Sell it in year two or year twelve and the permit ends for every family member on it. The idea that you can sell after five years and keep your residency is a myth.
No Airbnb. No exceptions.
Short-term letting, meaning stays under 60 days through Airbnb or anywhere else, is banned on Golden Visa property. The penalty is a €50,000 fine and revocation of the visa. Long-term leases are allowed.
A Golden Visa is not a passport.
Residency never turns into citizenship on its own. Greek citizenship requires 7 years of actually living in Greece, at least 183 days a year, and passing the Greek language and civics exam. If a passport is the goal, we will tell you honestly whether that life is realistic for your family.
How it happens
Five steps, each with a name on it.
- The first conversationA straight answer, in your language.
- Your lawyer and your documentsThe right professional from day one.
- Viewings and due diligenceOnly properties that meet the rules.
- Purchase at the notarySigned, paid, registered.
- Application and residence permitFive years, renewable while you own the property.
Begin with a conversation.
Your first conversation is with our Iraq office, in Arabic, Kurdish or English. If the Golden Visa is not right for you, we will say so.