How long is the Greek Golden Visa valid for?

Why you should consider the Greek Golden Visa By Real Estate investment goint into 2025…

Lowest property price entry point of all EU Golden Visas – just €250,000.

No in-country stays required to maintain your residency status – zero days per year required.

Greek Golden Visa applications can typically be completed in 4-6 months.

You can buy a property anywhere in Greece, however areas of Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as Mykonos and Santorini now require a minimum investment of €500,000.

The Greek Golden Visa residency is valid for 5 years, and renewable in 5-year increments.

The Greek GV program offers exceptionally affordable residency permit renewal fees.

The Greek GV program is exceptionally stable (whereas the Portuguese program is presently not).

Over 30,000 Greek residency permits have been issued to date.

Start the application process from home – only one visit to Greece required.

Greece Golden Visa 2023 Program Requirements

Before you get overcharged on your Greek Golden Visa fees in 2024, be sure to get a free custom quote from us first.

Why most applicants (90%+) choose property investment to apply for the Greek Golden Visa…

Going into 2024, the Greek Golden Visa program offers the most affordable property price point of all EU Golden Visas (only €250,000, compared to Cyprus’ €300,000 ex VAT on residential property, and Spain’s €500,000 minimum requirement).

Find out more about the new €250,000 Conversion Property category.

Greece ties with Latvia and Hungary’s 2024 Golden Visa program in terms of its minimum property investment requirements… However, in Hungary, the €250,000 option requires an investment in a qualifying real estate fund (buying a standalone property will set you back a whopping €500,000.

And in Latvia, opening a bank account – which is a mandatory step to invest in property – is exceedingly challenging for the majority of non-EU/EEA citizens. (Hence the Latvian Golden Visa By Property Investment option has never really gained much traction…)

And in Portugal, all of the real estate related options (both in hotels/aparthotels, commercial, freehold properties and real estate focussed funds – have been scrapped in their entirety.

Against this backdrop, getting a Greek Golden Visa by buying either a commercial or lifestyle property for just €250,000 makes plenty sense to a large percentage of total EU Golden Visa applicants.

Furthermore, the Greek program allows you to buy more than one property in any location to add up the requisite value. You can opt to buy either residential, agricultural or commercial RE, and you have the option to buy new off-plan properties or existing ones.

And in fact, Portugal’s shuttering of their €280,000 and €350,000 property options has seen Greece rocket to the top of the European Golden Visa log in the past 18 months.

However, the program now features a new 3-tier pricing structure, priced at €250,000, €400,000, and €800,000, respectively, based on the type of property, and its location.

Consult our Greek Golden Visa Map tool to identify the areas affected by the price increase (map data update in progress).

To further cement its market appeal, the program offers a zero-day in-country presence requirement during the 5-year temporary residency period, in line with the programs of Italy (which doesn’t offer a property investment option) and Spain.

And unlike as in Portugal, Greece has managed to process thousands of applications and their families within around 6 months – whereas waiting times for biometrics appointments in Portugal is now approaching 36 months (or more) for scores of disgruntled investors.

To be clear, this includes people who invested in real estate even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. And SEF (now AIMA), have reportedly been ignoring court procedures compelling them to provide many of these applicants with biometrics appointments…

So whilst Portugal’s claim to fame has long been its swift path to naturalization – after just 5 years – having to wait another 3 years just to get your residency clock started means that the country loses some of this competitive advantage.

Add to that the low cost of Greek Golden Residency Permit applications and renewals – again, compared to Portugal’s heavily loaded Golden Visa residency renewal fees – and it’s easy to see why the Greek program was the top-selling Golden Visa in 2023 and many years preceding…

Let’s take a look at the two main pricing options for Golden Visa properties below…

€250,000 vs €400,000 vs €800,000 Greek Real Estate Options

Note: As of this writing, the new 3-tier pricing rules are in effect (September 12, 2024)

Key Considerations €250,000 Conversion Properties (Zone C Areas) €400,000 Properties (Zone B Areas) €800,000 Properties (Zone A Areas)
Eligibility Criteria

Convert a commercial property of any size, situated anywhere in Greece, to a residential property. Complete the conversion project before submitting your Golden Visa application, OR;

Restore or reconstruct a listed property (with cultural or historical importance), regardless of location or property size. Complete the renovation works by Year 5 to renew your Golden Visa.

Any single property bigger than 120m2, and situated outside of Zone A Areas. Single qualifying properties have an area of 120m2, and are situated in areas like Northern, Southern and Central Attica, Santorini, Mykonos, as well as Central Thessaloniki, as well as on any other Greek islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants.
Minimum Hold Period 5 Years 5 Years 5 Years
Typical Application Process Duration (2024) 4-6 Months 4-6 Months 4-6 Months

The Greece Golden Visa program at a glance

To view the official guide to the Greek Golden Visa program via the real estate option, click here.

To view the official guidance for obtaining Greece’s Golden Visa via bank deposit or investing in securities, click here.

For additional information on the program visit EnterpriseGreece.gov.gr

CONSIDERATIONS GREEK GOLDEN VISA PROGRAM 2024
Minimum Capital Requirement

€250K (Conversion Real Estate)

Additional Costs – RE Option Existing properties: 3% transfer duty
New/off-plan properties: 24% VAT (Waived until 31 December 2024.)
Application Process Duration 4-6 Months
Minimum In-country Stay None – 0 days per year.
Road to Permanent Residency & Citizenship Yes (Apply for PR after 5 years of residency, and citizenship after 7 years.)
Residency Permit Validity 5 Years
Family Eligibility Yes (Include your spouse, financially dependent children aged under 21, and your dependent parents of any age.)
Language Test Required For Golden Visa No
Language Test Required For Naturalization Yes (B1 Level Greek)
Medical Insurance Required Yes
Local Tax Number Required Yes
Minimum Asset Holding Period For GV 5 Years+ (Until PR or Citizenship)
Buy-Back Options Available Yes
Legal Fees Variable from €6,000+
Professional Service Fees Variable based on service provider
Residency Permit Application Fee

Primary applicant: €2,000

Family members over 21 years old: €500 per person

Family members under 21: €150 euros per person

Residency Permit Renewal Cost

Primary applicant: €2,000

Family members over 21 years old: €500 per person

Family members under 21: €150 euros per person

Principal Capital Guaranteed Options exist – contact us to enquire now.
Ineligible nationalities Russians and Belarusians
Typical Yield 4-7%+
Minimum Net Worth Requirement No
Means Of Subsistence Requirement No
Cultural Test Requirement For Naturalization Yes (Panhellenic written exam – you have to score a minimum of with 80% to pass, and taken in Greek.)
Dual Nationality Recognized Yes
Restrictions On RE Locations No, however, the minimum investment recently doubled to €500K for the most popular locations
Clean Criminal Record Yes
Local employment allowed No
Can I start my application remotely? Yes
Local bank account required? Yes
Invest as a company? Yes, if company is wholly owned
Legal basis Legal Basis
Official program website Official Site

The Greece Golden Visa application process in 2024/2025

WEEK 1

Identify your preferred property and contract your legal provider.

WEEK 2

Greek bank account opening, purchase of health insurance, and document collation.

WEEK 3

Acquire your preferred property (or properties), OR make another qualifying investment.

WEEK 4

Application pre-submission and compilation of outstanding documentation.

WEEK 5

Visit Greece to have your biometric data captured (apply for an entry visa in advance, if required).

WEEK 6-8

Your Greek Golden Visa is approved, along with those of any qualifying dependents.

Key documents required to apply in 2025

Important: The below content is a high-level summary of the required documentation – view the latest official program requirements here.

GENERAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

  • Valid passport along with a certified copy thereof

  • Valid national visa for Greece

  • Four recent, identify color photos of yourself (as per Greek sizing and formatting requirements)

  • Police clearance certificate from your country of origin or current residency

  • Duly completed visa application form

  • Proof of payment of the relevant government fees

  • Proof of funds

  • Proof of health insurance coverage in Greece (both for you and any family members).

FOR BUYING REAL ESTATE

  • Proof of transfer by the Greek Land Registry, along with a certificate confirming that the transaction was completed free of any impediments.

    Payment must be made in full, via funds held in a Greek bank or credit institution. Greek Golden Visa related purchases cannot be financed.

  • Sales or promissory contract without any conditions or exemptions, stating location, sales price and method of payment.

Considering buying a Greek island property, but don’t know where to start?

Check out our handy guide on Greece’s top property listing websites here.

Why do more Greece Golden Visa applicants choose us?

A 100%
SUCCESS RATE

In over 3,000 applications, we have not had a single rejection, thanks to our methodical approach and rigorous client vetting standards.

A SEASONED
LOCAL TEAM

Our team of 18 professionals, based across offices in Athens and Thessaloniki, are committed to offering Golden Visa applicants an exceptional, end-to-end service.

14 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Founded in 2008, we have facilitated over 7,000 foreign direct investments, along with the issuance of over 2,000 residency permits under the Greek Golden Visa program.

WE SPEAK 7 LANGUAGES

Our client service team speak 7 languages fluently, including English, Russian, Serbian, Turkish, French and German.

Standing by to go the extra mile for you and your family…

Investment migration is an uber discrete business, so getting client testimonials is the exception rather than the rule. We were therefore thrilled that a recent Golden Visa client gave us a 5-star review on TrustPilot.

(And what a superb testimonial this is!)

OVER 3,200 SUCCESSFUL CLIENT CASES TO DATE – 100% APPROVAL RATE

Before you get overcharged on your Greek Golden Visa fees in 2024, make sure to get a quote from us first.

Contact us now to learn more and request a free quote – fast.

GOLDEN VISAS GREECE: ATHENS OFFICE

ADDRESS: Merlin 11B, Kolonaki, PC 10671, Athens

PHONE: +30 21 1234 7475

EMAIL: contact@goldenvisas.gr

WEB: www.goldenvisas.gr

GOLDEN VISAS GREECE: THESSALONIKI OFFICE

ADDRESS: Leoforos Nikis 3, PC: 54624B

PHONE: +30 21 1234 7475

EMAIL: thessaloniki@goldenvisas.gr

WEB: www.goldenvisas.gr

Simply complete the below form to request a free call-back from our relationship management team.

    Greek Golden Visa program overview written by…

    Andre Bothma Administrator
    Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Andre Bothma is an established promoter of Residency and Citizenship By Investment programs. He has been actively writing about Golden Visas and Citizenship By Investment programs for over seven years. Andre has also frequently written for, and been interviewed by, industry-leading RCBI publication, IMIDaily.com. Having identified a gap in the market for affordable European immigration solutions outside of Golden Visas, in 2020 he launched D7Visa.com to help more foreign individuals and families settle in Europe without the need for property investment. He is also one of the earliest global promoters of the HQA Visa Program, the Portuguese Cultural Golden Visa program, as well as the new Hungarian Golden Visa program (launching in 2024). Andre splits his time between Porto and Cape Town, and he can be reached at andre@goldenvisas.gr.
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