Greece Golden Visa in 2026

The Greece Golden Visa remains active in 2026 as residence permit type B.5 under Article 100 of the Migration Code. It allows qualifying third-country nationals to obtain renewable investment residence through defined real-estate transactions.

The program now uses multiple property thresholds rather than one universal €250,000 minimum.

Current structure: ordinary qualifying property purchases generally require €800,000 in specified high-demand areas or €400,000 elsewhere. Separate special property categories can still qualify from €250,000.

€800,000 Golden Visa areas

The higher €800,000 threshold applies to qualifying ordinary real-estate acquisitions in areas defined by current law, including:

  • the Region of Attica;
  • the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki;
  • Mykonos;
  • Thira/Santorini; and
  • islands whose population exceeds the statutory census threshold.

Before signing a purchase agreement, verify the property's exact administrative location and whether the €800,000 tier applies.

€400,000 Golden Visa areas

For ordinary qualifying real estate outside the higher-threshold locations, the minimum is generally €400,000.

The threshold is not merely about aggregate portfolio value. For the ordinary €800,000/€400,000 purchase route, current rules generally require the investment to concern one property.

120 m² rule

For ordinary €800,000/€400,000 acquisitions involving built property or property with a building permit, the main-space area must generally be at least 120 m².

That condition is important because it prevents applicants from simply combining smaller ordinary residential units to reach the price threshold under the standard route.

Special €250,000 categories have different rules.

€250,000 change-of-use route

A defined special route remains available from €250,000 where qualifying property is converted from another use to residential use.

The official Mitos procedure confirms that:

  • the acquisition must meet the €250,000 minimum;
  • the investment concerns one property;
  • the ordinary 120 m² limit does not apply to this special category; and
  • the change of use must satisfy the statutory timing and completion requirements before the Golden Visa application.

For current cases, Mitos notes that the relevant change of use must have been completed after the entry into force of Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, after 5 April 2024, and before the Golden Visa application, subject to the detailed transitional wording.

€250,000 listed-building route

Another special €250,000 category covers qualifying investment in a listed/protected building requiring restoration or reconstruction.

This route carries restoration-related conditions that matter for renewal and transfer. Applicants should not assume that buying a listed property at €250,000 without satisfying the preservation/restoration rules is enough.

Short-term rental restrictions

Current Golden Visa property rules restrict use of qualifying properties for short-term rentals through sharing-economy platforms.

Additional restrictions apply to some special property categories, including use of change-of-use properties as a business headquarters or branch where prohibited by the statute.

Breaches can lead to serious consequences, including permit revocation and substantial administrative fines.

A buyer should therefore model intended property use before purchasing, not after residence is granted.

Eligibility

A typical B.5 applicant is a third-country national who makes a qualifying real-estate investment and satisfies the general immigration conditions, including valid travel documentation, lawful entry/visa status where required, insurance and security/public-health requirements.

The applicant must be able to prove the exact legal transaction, payment and ownership conditions required by Article 100 and the applicable Mitos procedure.

Required documents

The precise file varies with the property route, but can include:

  • valid passport/travel document;
  • lawful-entry or national-visa/residence evidence as applicable;
  • insurance evidence;
  • purchase/notarial deed;
  • notarial certification of transaction and payment details;
  • cadastral/land-registry documentation;
  • evidence of full payment through permitted means;
  • change-of-use or restoration evidence for the relevant €250,000 route;
  • photographs/biometric requirements; and
  • e-paravolo payment evidence.

Foreign documents can require apostille/legalization and certified translation.

Application process

1. Identify the exact Golden Visa property category

Determine whether the transaction relies on the €800,000, €400,000, €250,000 change-of-use, €250,000 listed-building or another statutory property category.

2. Conduct immigration-specific due diligence

Ordinary conveyancing due diligence is not enough. Confirm the property is legally capable of supporting the desired B.5 application.

3. Structure payment correctly

Golden Visa legislation contains rules about permitted methods and proof of payment. Build the evidence trail before completion.

4. Complete the qualifying transaction

Obtain the required deed, registry entries, notarial certificates and category-specific evidence.

5. Submit the residence-permit application

Current Mitos guidance states that Golden Visa residence applications are submitted through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's electronic services.

For investment cases under Articles 96–100, the law also allows filing through a properly authorized proxy in defined circumstances before the investor enters Greece.

6. Complete biometrics and card issuance

Follow the competent authority's biometric and residence-card procedure.

Government fees

The current official Mitos Golden Visa procedures show:

  • residence-permit e-paravolo: €2,000; and
  • electronic residence-card printing charge: €16.

Total government permit/card charges shown by the procedure: €2,016.

This excludes property taxes, notary/registry charges, legal/technical due diligence, translations, insurance and transaction costs.

Processing time

Current Mitos procedures for some Golden Visa categories show a completion target around 50 days after the competent authority has the necessary file. The statutory framework also contains a two-month issuance period after the complete file reaches the issuing authority for relevant investor applications.

Neither figure guarantees total elapsed time from deciding to buy property. Acquisition, due diligence, registry work, document legalization, biometrics and requests for additional evidence can materially extend the real timeline.

Permit validity

The B.5 Golden Visa residence permit is valid for five years.

It can be renewed for further five-year periods while the qualifying property/investment conditions continue to be satisfied.

Periods of absence from Greece do not by themselves prevent renewal of the investor residence permit.

Work rights

The Golden Visa B.5 permit does not provide a right of access to employment.

That explicit restriction appears in current official Mitos procedures.

Investment residence should therefore not be sold as a work visa. A principal investor who wants to take an ordinary Greek job must determine whether another immigration basis is required.

Family members

Golden Visa investors benefit from the special investor-family framework rather than the ordinary family-reunification waiting period.

Qualifying family can include a spouse/civil partner, qualifying children and certain direct ascendants under the investor provisions.

Family-member work rights can differ from the principal investor's no-employment rule, so each dependant's residence title should be checked separately.

Tax considerations

The Golden Visa does not automatically make a person Greek tax resident, and it does not automatically qualify the investor for a special tax regime.

Tax analysis can include:

  • Greek tax residence based on actual circumstances;
  • property-transfer and annual property taxation;
  • rental-income taxation if the intended use is legally permitted;
  • capital gains;
  • succession/gift implications; and
  • cross-border reporting.

The immigration rule allowing permit renewal despite absence must not be confused with tax-residence tests.

Long-term residence

Greek long-term-resident status generally requires five years of legal and continuous residence, together with the other statutory conditions.

A Golden Visa holder can renew B.5 without the same physical-presence pattern, but that does not mean five years of a mostly absent investor permit automatically meets long-term-residence requirements.

Citizenship

The Golden Visa is not citizenship by investment.

The Greek Citizenship Code uses actual lawful/continuous residence and other naturalization conditions. The general framework includes a seven-year continuous lawful-residence period for its principal qualifying categories, but residence-title classification and actual residence are critical.

An investor who spends little or no time in Greece should not advertise or assume “Greek citizenship after seven years.”

Golden Visa vs Startup Visa

The Startup Visa starts at €250,000 but requires investment in an eligible startup, a maximum 33% participation and the statutory two-job/five-year workforce conditions.

Golden Visa B.5 is property-based and uses property-specific ownership/use restrictions instead.

Golden Visa vs business-investor routes

The Business Investor Visa covers substantial company, productive and financial investments under Articles 97–99. Those routes can be better aligned with an applicant whose capital is intended for operating businesses rather than real estate.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Greece Golden Visa in 2026?

For ordinary property acquisitions, the principal thresholds are generally €800,000 in specified high-demand areas and €400,000 elsewhere. Defined special property categories can qualify from €250,000.

Where does the €800,000 threshold apply?

It applies to the statutory high-demand areas, including Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Thira/Santorini and certain populated islands.

Can I still get a €250,000 Greece Golden Visa?

Yes, but €250,000 is no longer a universal property threshold. It is available for defined special categories such as qualifying change-of-use property and listed-building restoration cases.

Does the 120 m² rule apply to the €250,000 change-of-use route?

The current Mitos procedure expressly states that the ordinary 120 m² main-space limit does not apply to that special change-of-use category.

Can I Airbnb a Golden Visa property?

Current rules restrict short-term rental use of Golden Visa property through sharing-economy arrangements. Check the exact statutory use restrictions before purchase.

How long is the permit valid?

Five years, renewable in five-year periods while the qualifying investment conditions continue.

Can a Golden Visa investor work in Greece?

The B.5 investor permit does not provide access to employment.

Does Golden Visa lead automatically to citizenship?

No. Citizenship requires separate residence, residence-title, integration and other statutory conditions.

Last verified: 15 September 2026. Property thresholds, geographic classifications and administrative procedures can change; verify the specific property against current Greek law before committing funds.

Official and supporting sources

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