Greece’s golden visa is a five-year residence permit for non-EU nationals who buy Greek property. As of 20 October 2026, article 100 of the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) asks for one property worth at least €800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands of more than 3,100 inhabitants, or €400,000 elsewhere, with at least 120 sq m of main area. A building converted to residential use, or a listed building the buyer restores, qualifies from €250,000.
The permit is renewed for five years at a time while the property is kept. It needs no minimum stay, gives no right to work and can cover a spouse, children under 21 and the parents of both spouses. It does not, on its own, change anyone’s tax position.
What is the minimum investment for a Greek golden visa?
- €800,000: Attica (including Athens), the Thessaloniki regional unit, the regional units of Mykonos and Thira (Santorini), and islands of more than 3,100 inhabitants. The Ministry’s Circular 9 counts population by the latest census and places Euboea in this band.
- €400,000: the rest of the country.
- €250,000: a property converted to residential use before the application, a former industrial building with no operating industry for at least five years, or a listed building, which must be restored before the first renewal.
*Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands of more than 3,100 inhabitants. Source: Migration Code (Law 5038/2023), article 100, as of 20 October 2026.
The investment must be one property: smaller units can no longer be added together. The full price is paid before applying, through a bank. The property can be held directly, through a Greek or EU company the applicant wholly owns, or jointly by spouses or registered partners. A long-term contract in an integrated tourist resort, or a timeshare, of the same value also counts; Mitos, the government’s register of procedures, says a timeshare must run at least five years.
Long-term letting is allowed. Short-term letting through sharing-economy platforms and subletting are banned, on pain of losing the permit and a €50,000 fine; failing to restore a listed building costs the permit and €150,000.
Are there routes without property?
Article 99 of the Code, in its consolidated text, gives a separate five-year investor permit for, among other options, at least €500,000 in new shares or bonds of a Greek company, Greek government bonds or a one-year Greek bank deposit; €800,000 in shares or bonds traded in Greece; or €350,000 in qualifying funds investing in Greece. It also gives no right to work.
Can my family join?
Yes. Article 95 covers:
- a spouse, or a partner under a registered cohabitation agreement;
- unmarried children under 21 of the couple, or of either partner with lawful custody;
- the direct ascendants of both spouses or partners, such as their parents;
- adult children who lack legal capacity and live with, and depend on, the investor.
Their permits expire with the investor’s. A child who turns 21 receives a standalone three-year permit.
Do I have to live in Greece?
No. Article 95 says absences from Greece do not prevent renewal of an investor permit, and an International Bar Association (IBA) article of September 2026 confirms there is no minimum stay. An investor abroad can apply through a representative with an apostilled or consul-certified power of attorney.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
Applications are filed online with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. The Mitos pages for the listed-building, change-of-use and timeshare routes list a €2,000 permit fee plus €16 for printing the permit; we did not find the page for the standard route. Article 100 says the permit is issued within two months of a complete file, and Mitos estimates 50 to 60 days: official targets, not promises. Buying costs come on top, including a 3% real estate transfer tax paid by the buyer (Ministry of Finance).
Does it lead to permanent residence or citizenship?
Not automatically. The law calls it a “permanent investor residence permit”, but it lasts five years at a time.
EU long-term residence, under articles 143 and 144 of the Code, needs five years of continuous lawful residence, with no absence of six months in a row and no more than ten months away in total, plus stable income, health insurance and integration. In our reading, investor permits are not excluded, but a holder living mostly abroad would fail the continuity test.
For citizenship, a guide by the Greek Ombudsman and the Interior Ministry gives seven years of permanent and lawful residence for non-EU nationals. A 2018 Interior Ministry decision (130181/6353/2018) added property-owner and permanent investor permits to the titles accepted for naturalisation; it cites the previous migration law, and we found no updated list. Applicants must also pass a test on Greek language, history and institutions, according to the Asylum Information Database (AIDA). Citizenship assumes a life in Greece that the golden visa does not.
How are new residents taxed?
A residence permit is not tax residence. The Ministry of Finance says Greek tax residents are taxed on income from Greece and abroad, non-residents only on Greek income; the 2026 scale runs from 9% to 44% above €60,000.
Two of the regimes for people who move their tax residence to Greece (AADE guide, November 2025):
- Article 5A. Someone not Greek tax resident in 7 of the previous 8 years pays €100,000 a year on all foreign income for 15 tax years, plus €20,000 for each relative included (spouse or partner, direct ascendants and descendants). They, a relative or an entity either of them majority-owns must invest at least €500,000 in Greek real estate, businesses or securities within three years. In our reading, a golden visa property of that value can count. Relatives can be added later (Law 5222/2025, per AADE); Law 5313/2026 (Gazette A 102, 25 June 2026) dropped the 31 March application deadline.
- Article 5B. A person with a foreign pension, not Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years and moving from a country with a tax cooperation agreement with Greece, pays 7% on all foreign income for 15 years.
Inheritance and gift tax, now in Law 5219/2025, also applies. For Category A (spouse or partner, children, grandchildren, parents) the first €150,000 is tax-free, then 1% and 5%, and 10% above €600,000. A spouse or partner of at least five years and minor children are exempt up to €400,000 each. Article 5A residents are exempt on movable property abroad that they inherit or give, which does not cover a home in Greece.
What changed in 2023 to 2026?
- Before April 2024. As Circular 9 lists them, the old minimums were €500,000 in central, northern and southern Athens, Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, the municipality of Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Santorini, and €250,000 elsewhere.
- 5 April 2024. Article 64 of Law 5100/2024 replaced article 100, bringing the current bands, the single-property and 120 sq m rules and the letting ban. Buyers who had paid a 10% deposit by 31 August 2024 kept the old €500,000 or €250,000 if they completed by 28 February 2025, or bought another property by 30 April 2025 (article 64(4) in its consolidated text; the Ministry’s Circular 9 of September 2024 had given 31 December 2024).
- November 2025. Joint Ministerial Decision 214926/2025 (Gazette B 6014) set the supporting documents.
- Proposed, not in force. The National Housing Strategy 2026-2035 (Gazette B 5200, 17 August 2026) proposes a golden visa for a portfolio of homes let long term. The IBA notes it needs new legislation.
What does this mean for a family or a family office?
The golden visa is a right to live in Greece, not a tax plan. Our Greece guide covers the article 71H family office regime, and our tables compare residence routes, income tax and inheritance tax across 37 places. See also our guide to Portugal’s golden visa.
A fair caveat
This guide reflects official pages and the law as of 20 October 2026; we read the consolidated Migration Code on Taxheaven, a private legal database. Fees, timing and citizenship conditions are applied case by case. Nothing here is a view on whether to apply.
Five lessons to take away
- Location sets the minimum. A similar home needs €400,000 or €800,000 depending on the area.
- One property, 120 sq m. Adding up small flats no longer works.
- Residence is not tax residence. Tax follows where you live and which regime you choose.
- The family is covered, within limits. Children move to their own three-year permit at 21.
- Citizenship asks for more than the visa. Seven years, a language test and integration assume a life in Greece.
Questions to bring to your advisors
Which band does the property fall into, and does it meet the 120 sq m and single-property rules? Who in our family qualifies, and what happens when a child turns 21? Would living in Greece make us tax resident, and could one investment serve both the golden visa and article 5A? How would Greek inheritance tax reach the property? These are questions to bring to your lawyers and tax advisors, not advice.
