Greece Business Investor Visa in 2026

Greece does not have one single low-capital “entrepreneur visa” covering every business owner. Instead, Articles 97–99 of the Migration Code contain several investment residence categories for productive investment, substantial company participation and defined financial investments.

The correct route depends on the structure of the transaction.

Headline company route: one current category covers a third-country national with at least 33% participation in a Greek company and at least €500,000 personally paid into the company.

Other routes use different tests, including a €4 million asset/turnover test for certain unpaid directors, legal representatives and managers, and category-specific financial-investment thresholds.

Why “Greece entrepreneur visa” can be misleading

A search for “Greece entrepreneur visa” often suggests that forming a small Greek company is enough to obtain residence. That is not how the current investment framework should be analyzed.

Company incorporation, tax registration and immigration permission are separate. A third-country national can participate in Greek commerce only within the rights attached to an appropriate immigration status.

ReloTide therefore uses Business Investor Visa as the editorial umbrella for the current substantial-investment routes rather than implying a universal startup/freelancer permit.

Article 97 productive investment

Article 97 covers investment activity with a positive effect on national development and the economy.

A current route can support qualifying third-country investors and certain executives connected to an investment project. The investment is assessed through the competent direct-investment authorities rather than simply by registering a company.

For company-establishment/operation cases, a commonly relevant minimum is €500,000, but the exact legal route, applicant capacity and certification process must be matched to the transaction.

Article 98 company participation

A clear current company-participation route covers a third-country national who:

  • holds at least 33% of the capital of a Greek company; and
  • has personally contributed at least €500,000.

This is materially different from merely buying a small shareholding or incorporating a low-capital private company.

Applicants should document:

  • the company's legal identity;
  • the investor's percentage ownership;
  • the amount personally contributed;
  • source and transfer of funds;
  • corporate resolutions and filings; and
  • any investment certification required by the competent authority.

€4 million company test for certain executives

Article 98 also covers defined unpaid corporate roles connected to qualifying companies or branches, including certain board members, legal representatives and managers.

The official Mitos investment procedure currently identifies a threshold of at least €4,000,000 in assets or turnover for the latest closed financial period for the relevant company/branch category.

This is a corporate-capacity route with specific conditions. It is not an open-ended executive visa for every director of a newly formed company.

Article 99 financial investments

Article 99 contains multiple qualifying financial-investment categories. Current official investment procedures include, among others:

  • €500,000 capital contributions or qualifying securities in specified Greek-company structures;
  • €500,000 in qualifying Greek government bonds meeting the remaining-maturity conditions;
  • €500,000 in a qualifying Greek bank time deposit subject to the statutory holding/renewal conditions;
  • €800,000 for certain listed securities/bond portfolios; and
  • €350,000 for qualifying units in an Alternative Investment Fund meeting the statutory Greece-focused investment and asset requirements.

The precise requirements are technical and depend on the instrument. Do not move funds based only on a headline threshold.

Documents and certification

A business-investor file can require evidence such as:

  • passport and lawful-entry/visa evidence where applicable;
  • proof of health insurance;
  • corporate certificates and registry documents;
  • evidence of the applicant's legal capacity in the company;
  • bank transfer and source-of-funds evidence;
  • shareholding/investment account certificates;
  • audited or official company financial statements for routes using financial tests;
  • investment-plan or direct-investment certification; and
  • current e-paravolo/payment evidence.

The exact list depends on whether the application relies on Article 97, 98 or 99.

Application process

1. Identify the exact article and investment instrument

Do not structure the transaction around a generic “business visa” label. Determine which legal provision the proposed investment actually satisfies.

2. Model applicant capacity

Confirm whether the applicant is qualifying as the direct investor, shareholder, director, manager, legal representative or beneficiary of a qualifying legal-entity investment.

3. Structure the funds and investment evidence

Use traceable banking and corporate documentation from the beginning.

4. Obtain any required investment recommendation/certification

The Ministry of Development's direct-investment functions are part of the certification architecture for relevant investment categories.

5. Complete the immigration filing

Follow the entry and residence-permit procedure applicable to the exact B-category investment route.

6. Maintain the investment

Renewal depends on continued satisfaction of the underlying investment/corporate conditions.

Permit validity and renewal

Investor residence permits under the general investment framework are commonly issued for five years and can be renewed for further five-year periods while the legal investment conditions remain satisfied.

The startup-specific B.6 route is an exception: it has its own one-year initial and two-year renewal cycle. See the Greece Startup Visa.

For investor categories whose statutes expressly permit renewal despite absences, that flexibility preserves the investment residence permit but does not automatically establish long-term-residence or citizenship residence history.

Work rights

Do not treat business-investor residence as a general open-work permit.

The principal applicant's lawful economic role is connected to the investment/corporate capacity recognized by the route. A person who wants an unrelated salaried job in Greece should verify whether another work authorization is required.

Family members

The investment framework includes special family treatment for qualifying investors. It should not automatically be analyzed through the ordinary family-reunification waiting rule.

Depending on the exact B permit, qualifying family can include a spouse or civil partner, children and certain direct ascendants. Family-member residence and employment rights should be checked separately from the principal investor's restrictions.

Fees

Government charges depend on the exact B-category permit and can include the residence-permit e-paravolo and the electronic-card printing charge.

Because several investment categories use different administrative charges, confirm the current Mitos/e-paravolo entry for the exact article rather than assuming the Golden Visa's €2,016 total applies universally.

Processing time

There is no single trustworthy end-to-end “Greece business investor visa processing time” covering Articles 97–99.

Timing can include:

  • company/investment structuring;
  • banking and source-of-funds work;
  • investment certification;
  • consular or entry formalities;
  • residence-permit filing; and
  • requests for further evidence.

Official administrative deadlines should be presented as decision/service targets, not guaranteed relocation timelines.

Tax considerations

A business-investor residence permit does not determine company or personal tax treatment.

Potential issues include:

  • Greek corporate tax and accounting;
  • dividend/interest/capital-gain taxation;
  • beneficial ownership and source-of-funds reporting;
  • Greek tax residence of the investor;
  • payroll and social security where the business employs staff; and
  • permanent-establishment or management/control questions for cross-border groups.

AADE's Article 5C inbound-taxpayer regime is separate and applies only if its specific tax conditions are met.

Long-term residence

EU long-term-resident status in Greece generally requires five years of legal and continuous residence, plus sufficient resources and integration conditions.

Investor permit renewal based on maintaining an investment is not equivalent to satisfying the long-term-residence continuity test. Applicants who want permanent settlement should plan physical residence as well as investment compliance.

Citizenship

Greek citizenship by naturalization is not purchased through a €500,000 company investment.

The Citizenship Code considers lawful/continuous residence, residence-title eligibility, language/integration and other statutory conditions. Passive or frequently absent investors must not assume that the calendar age of their investment permit equals naturalization residence.

Business Investor vs Startup Visa

The Startup Visa is specifically for at least €250,000 invested in an eligible National Startup Registry company, with a 33% cap plus job conditions.

The business-investor framework covers other productive, substantial company and financial investment structures, often at higher thresholds.

Business Investor vs Golden Visa

The Golden Visa is the property-focused B.5 route. It has separate property thresholds, property-use restrictions and an explicit no-employment rule.

Frequently asked questions

Does Greece have an entrepreneur visa?

Greece has business/investment residence routes, but they should not be simplified into one low-capital entrepreneur visa. Articles 97–99 use specific investment and corporate tests.

Can €500,000 in a Greek company qualify?

One current Article 98 route covers at least 33% participation in a Greek company with at least €500,000 personally contributed, subject to the full statutory conditions.

What is the €4 million rule?

Certain unpaid directors, legal representatives or managers connected to qualifying companies/branches rely on a company asset or latest-closed-period turnover threshold of at least €4 million.

Are there financial-investment routes?

Yes. Article 99 includes multiple qualifying securities, bank deposit, bond and fund routes with different thresholds and holding rules.

Is every investor permit five years?

General B investor routes commonly use five-year periods, but the startup B.6 permit uses one year initially and two-year renewals.

Can an investor take any salaried job?

Do not assume so. Investor residence is tied to the investment/corporate framework and is not a general open-work authorization.

Last verified: 15 September 2026. Obtain transaction-specific Greek immigration, corporate and tax advice before committing capital.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Greece