From €250,000
The lowest threshold is a conversion or a listed building. Most of the country sits at €400,000 and the prime areas at €800,000.
Greece Golden Visa
A five-year Greek residence permit against a property purchase, renewed for as long as the property is held. Three thresholds apply, and which one you meet depends on what you buy and where.
Ask about the Greece route
Five questions, and an adviser comes back within one working day with the threshold that applies to you and what the purchase really costs.
Greece at a glance
The numbers that settle whether Greece belongs on your shortlist, before the thresholds themselves.
Case-specific timing
Property readiness, document checks, biometrics and the authority’s workload affect the timetable. Obtain a current estimate after the qualifying property and application are assessed.
A five-year permit
The investor permit is issued for five years and may be renewed while the qualifying conditions continue. Long-term residence and citizenship have separate presence and eligibility tests.
Citizenship from year seven
Seven years of lawful residence may open a naturalisation application, with Greek language and integration requirements of its own.
Property investment thresholds in Greece
The property’s location and legal category determine the threshold. Verify title, permitted use and the applicable single-property rule before committing to a purchase.
Conversion or restoration — from €250,000
Two special categories retain a €250,000 threshold: a qualifying change to residential use, or a listed building requiring restoration. Their completion rules differ.
- At least €250,000 in one qualifying property
- Conversion: change of use completed after 5 April 2024 and before the residence application
- Listed building: complete restoration within the initial five-year permit period
- No 120 m² minimum under these special categories
- Engineer and legal evidence must establish the specific category
Other standard locations — from €400,000
The standard €400,000 category applies outside Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents.
- At least €400,000 in a single qualifying property
- At least 120 m² of main space where the statutory size rule applies
- Confirm the exact municipality and property category
- Complete title, planning and permitted-use checks
- Purchase price alone does not establish permit eligibility
Designated locations — from €800,000
The standard threshold is €800,000 across Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents, including Crete.
- At least €800,000 in a single qualifying property
- At least 120 m² of main space where the statutory size rule applies
- The whole Attica region is included
- Crete and other islands above the population threshold are included
- Separate €250,000 exceptions require their own legal and technical evidence
Benefits of a Greek residence permit
The permit is a residence right that costs you no time. Greece sets no minimum stay: the card is renewed every five years on the strength of the property, not on the days you spent there, which is why so many holders treat it as an option on Europe rather than a move.
It carries visa-free travel across the Schengen area for short stays, and it reaches further than most: a spouse, children up to twenty-one and the parents of both spouses may be included, which is unusual among European programmes.
What it does not give is work. The permit allows you to own, to let on a long lease and to live in Greece, but employment needs its own permission. Letting the property out on short stays is restricted under the current rules, and tax residence follows where you actually live rather than what your card says.
From property selection to a Greek residence permit
Five stages, including legal and technical checks before the purchase. The authority decides the application and its timetable.
-
01
Consultation
What you want the permit for, who is coming with you and what you want to own, measured against the three thresholds.
Step 1 24 h -
02
The property and its title
The search, the viewings, and a Greek lawyer on the title: planning, encumbrances, the square metres and whether the property qualifies at all.
Step 2 from 3 weeks -
03
Tax number and bank account
A Greek tax number and a Greek account, opened before the money moves, with the source of funds documented from end to end.
Step 3 about 1 week -
04
The purchase
Contracts before a notary, the transfer tax paid and the deed registered — in person or through a power of attorney we prepare for you.
Step 4 2 to 4 weeks -
05
The permit
Lodge the qualifying application and complete the required biometric appointment. The application receipt documents the pending process; it is not a substitute for a residence card or visa for Schengen travel.
Step 5 Official review
Property purchase costs and permit fees in Greece
A Greek purchase carries taxes and fees the threshold does not mention. Budget for them before you choose a property, not after.
Transfer tax and registry
Where real estate transfer tax applies, AADE states 3% of taxable value plus a municipal levy of 3% of that tax, equivalent to 3.09%. Registry, VAT treatment and transaction-specific charges need separate review.
Notary and lawyer
Obtain separate written figures for the notary, title and planning review, legal work and applicable VAT. These costs vary with the property and transaction.
Permit fees and cover
A state fee of about €2,000 for the main applicant and a smaller one for each adult family member, with private health insurance and a card fee for everyone.
Continuing property costs
Budget for applicable property tax, insurance, maintenance and common charges. Any announced future tax change should be assessed against the enacted law and the date of your actual transaction.
Travel across Schengen with Greek residency
Explore short-stay travel in other Schengen countries with a valid passport and Greek residence permit.
Visa-free
Greece
Hover or tap a country to see its name. Use the arrow keys to explore with a keyboard.
- Travel area
- Schengen Area
- Short-stay rule
- 90 / 180 days
- Travel documents
- Passport + permit
A valid Greek residence permit allows short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across other Schengen countries. This is a shared limit across those destinations. Time spent living in Greece is governed by your Greek permit.
Carry your valid passport and residence permit when travelling. See the official Schengen travel guidance for document requirements.
Visa-free
-
FranceVisa-free -
GermanyVisa-free -
ItalyVisa-free -
SpainVisa-free -
PortugalVisa-free -
NetherlandsVisa-free -
AustriaVisa-free -
SwitzerlandVisa-free -
SwedenVisa-free -
BelgiumVisa-free -
BulgariaVisa-free -
CroatiaVisa-free -
Czech RepublicVisa-free -
DenmarkVisa-free -
EstoniaVisa-free -
FinlandVisa-free -
HungaryVisa-free -
IcelandVisa-free -
LatviaVisa-free -
LiechtensteinVisa-free -
LithuaniaVisa-free -
LuxembourgVisa-free -
MaltaVisa-free -
NorwayVisa-free -
PolandVisa-free -
RomaniaVisa-free -
SlovakiaVisa-free -
SloveniaVisa-free
No destinations match your search.
Who qualifies for Greece’s Golden Visa?
Six conditions that hold at every threshold, and one appointment in Greece that cannot be done for you.
A non-EU passport
The programme is for nationals of countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
Eighteen or over
The main applicant must be of age. Children up to twenty-one and the parents of both spouses may be included with their own evidence.
A clean record
Police clearance from your country of nationality and of residence, with the checks the authority runs of its own accord.
Money that can be traced
The purchase price has to arrive from abroad through the banking system, documented from where it was earned to the notary.
Health cover
Private insurance for the main applicant and for everyone included on the application, held for as long as the permit runs.
One appointment in Greece
Biometrics are given in person. The purchase itself can be completed through a power of attorney if you would rather not travel twice.
Is Greece the right route for you?
Tell us what you want the permit for, who is coming with you and what you would like to own. We will say which threshold applies, what the purchase costs in full, and how Greece compares with the other countries we cover.
Greece Golden Visa: property and residency FAQs
What the thresholds mean in practice, what the purchase costs and what the permit does and does not allow.
Which threshold applies to me?
Standard purchases require €800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents, including Crete; €400,000 applies in other standard locations. Qualifying change-of-use or listed-building cases have a separate €250,000 threshold. The exact location, main-space size and legal category need to be checked.
Can I split the money across two properties?
The property categories described here require one qualifying property. Standard €400,000 and €800,000 purchases also have a 120 m² main-space requirement where applicable. The special €250,000 categories do not have that minimum-size test. A qualifying conversion must be completed before applying; listed-building restoration must be completed within the initial five-year permit period.
How much time do I have to spend in Greece?
None, for the permit itself. Greece sets no minimum stay for holding or renewing a golden visa. Permanent residence, long-term resident status and citizenship are separate questions with real presence requirements of their own.
Can I rent the property out?
On a long lease, generally yes. Short-term letting of a property used for a golden visa is restricted under the current rules, so a flat bought with holiday lettings in mind needs that checked before contracts rather than after. We put the question to Greek counsel on every purchase.
What does it cost beyond the purchase price?
Where transfer tax applies, the current AADE rate is 3% plus a municipal levy of 3% of that tax, or 3.09% of taxable value. Add registry, notarial, legal, technical and applicable VAT costs. Residence application and card charges and health insurance must be calculated for the family. Check AADE’s transfer-tax guidance and obtain an itemised transaction quotation.
Who can I bring with me?
A spouse or registered partner, children up to twenty-one, and the parents of both spouses. That reach up and down the family is wider than most European programmes allow, and each member needs their own certificates, insurance and biometrics.
Does it lead to citizenship?
It can, after seven years of lawful residence, but not by holding the card alone. A naturalisation application asks for real presence in Greece, Greek at the level the examination sets and the integration requirements in force at the time. Many holders stop at long-term resident status, which comes earlier and asks less.
Can I travel in Schengen with the application receipt?
A pending-application receipt or blue paper does not itself provide visa-free Schengen travel. Travel requires the appropriate valid passport and residence card or visa. Official consular guidance distinguishes a Greek residence permit from an application receipt.
Other residency routes in Europe
Compare this programme with the other European routes we cover. Figures are starting investment amounts; government payments, fees, taxes and other costs are additional.
