Greece Startup Visa in 2026

Greece's so-called Startup Visa is a specific investment-residence route under Article 100A of the Migration Code, residence permit type B.6. It is not a low-cost founder endorsement program where an applicant receives residence merely for presenting an innovative business idea.

The principal statutory threshold is a qualifying investment of at least €250,000 into the capital of an eligible startup registered in Greece's National Startup Registry.

Key conditions: at least €250,000 investment, no more than 33% of the startup's capital or voting rights acquired through the qualifying investment, at least two new jobs created within the first year, and the required total employment level maintained for at least five years.

What is the Greece Startup Visa?

Article 100A was added to Greece's investment-residence framework to attract capital into eligible startups. The route is commonly marketed as the Greece Startup Visa or startup Golden Visa.

The investment can be used to acquire shares through a capital increase or bonds through a qualifying bond issue of an eligible startup.

The competent investment authorities must certify the investment before or as part of the immigration process required by the statute and implementing decisions.

Minimum investment

The minimum qualifying contribution is €250,000.

The investment must be made into an enterprise registered in the National Startup Registry. Applicants should verify the startup's current registry status and the precise investment instrument before transferring funds.

This €250,000 threshold is not a generic minimum capitalization requirement for starting any business in Greece. It is the minimum for this specific immigration route.

Maximum ownership percentage

The qualifying shares, equity participation or voting rights acquired through the investment must not exceed 33% of the company's capital or voting rights.

This makes the route structurally different from immigration programs built around majority founder ownership.

A founder who expects to own 70% or 100% of their startup should not assume the B.6 route fits simply because the company is innovative.

Two-job requirement

The startup must create at least two new jobs within one year after the investment.

The requirement is part of the immigration conditions, not merely a policy preference.

The startup must then maintain the relevant total employment count, including the new jobs, for at least five years from the investment.

Applicants should plan workforce evidence and retention before filing rather than treating job creation as a future detail.

Eligible startup

The company must be registered in Greece's National Startup Registry, commonly associated with Elevate Greece.

A generic newly incorporated Greek company is not automatically an eligible Startup Visa investment target. Registry eligibility and continued compliance matter.

Source of funds and investment evidence

Current implementing rules require traceable evidence of the investment and retention of the qualifying investment.

Applicants should expect to document:

  • the investor's identity;
  • the startup's registry eligibility;
  • the investment instrument;
  • proof that at least €250,000 was transferred and invested as required;
  • shareholding and voting-right percentages;
  • the funding chain from abroad where required by the applicable investment rules;
  • continued holding of the investment; and
  • employment evidence demonstrating the two-job and workforce-maintenance conditions.

Where investment is made through a legal entity, separate ownership rules apply and should be checked before structuring the transaction.

Application process

1. Identify an eligible startup

Confirm the company's current National Startup Registry status and that the proposed capital transaction can qualify under Article 100A.

2. Structure the investment

The investment must satisfy the €250,000 minimum while respecting the 33% participation/voting cap.

3. Transfer and document the funds

Create a clean audit trail between the investor, bank/payment route, investment intermediary where applicable and the startup.

4. Obtain investment certification

The Ministry of Development's competent foreign-investment function participates in certifying the qualifying investment.

5. Complete the entry/immigration stage

Applicants outside Greece follow the applicable consular procedure. Article 100A also interacts with the broader investor-entry framework in the Migration Code.

6. Apply for the B.6 residence permit

Submit the required immigration and investment evidence to the competent Ministry of Migration and Asylum process.

7. Monitor the post-investment conditions

The startup must create the required two jobs in the first year and maintain the required workforce level for five years. Investment retention is also monitored for renewal.

Permit validity

The initial B.6 residence permit is valid for one year.

It can be renewed for two years at a time while the investment is retained and the other statutory conditions continue to be met.

Periods of absence from Greece do not, by themselves, prevent renewal of the startup-investor permit under the special investor framework.

That renewal rule must not be confused with long-term residence or citizenship, both of which depend on genuine residence histories and separate conditions.

Renewal

Renewal evidence should demonstrate, as applicable:

  • continued holding of the qualifying investment;
  • the company's compliance with the job-creation and workforce-maintenance rules;
  • continued investor eligibility;
  • valid identity and health-insurance requirements; and
  • payment of the current statutory fees.

Current implementing decisions include specific e-paravolo charges associated with B.6 renewal. Verify the live Mitos/e-paravolo schedule at filing because the fee framework can be amended.

Can the investor work in Greece?

Do not treat B.6 as an unrestricted employment permit. It is an investment residence authorization.

An investor who also wants to take salaried employment or perform a separate regulated activity in Greece should verify whether the intended activity is permitted under the actual residence title or requires another basis.

Family members

Investor routes under the Migration Code benefit from special family provisions rather than the ordinary family-reunification timetable.

Depending on the exact investor-family provision and relationship, eligible family can include a spouse or civil partner, qualifying children and certain direct ascendants.

Family members may have different work rights from the principal investor, so principal and dependant permissions should not be conflated.

Tax considerations

The B.6 residence permit does not determine personal or company tax treatment.

Potential issues include:

  • Greek tax residence of the investor;
  • dividend, interest or capital-gain taxation;
  • tax treatment of the startup's securities;
  • company payroll and employment taxes for the required jobs;
  • social-security obligations; and
  • whether a different inbound-tax regime applies to the individual.

AADE's Article 5C regime is separate and concerns qualifying Greek-source employment/business income. A Startup Visa investment does not automatically place an investor into that regime.

Long-term residence

Greek EU long-term-resident status generally requires five years of legal and continuous residence plus the remaining resource/integration conditions.

The fact that B.6 can be renewed despite absences is therefore important: an investor can preserve the immigration permit while still failing to build the physical/legal residence history needed for long-term-resident status.

Citizenship

Greek citizenship is not a direct benefit of a €250,000 startup investment.

The Citizenship Code uses lawful and continuous residence, residence-title and integration requirements. A passive investor should not infer that holding B.6 for seven calendar years automatically produces naturalization eligibility.

Startup Visa vs business-investor routes

Choose B.6 where the investment specifically targets an eligible startup and the investor can satisfy the €250,000, 33%, two-job and five-year employment conditions.

Compare the Business Investor Visa where the transaction is a larger company participation, qualifying productive investment or financial investment under Articles 97–99.

Startup Visa vs Golden Visa

The Golden Visa property route is based on qualifying real-estate investment rather than startup capital and does not impose the Startup Visa's two-job rule.

The better route depends on the investment objective, not merely the lower headline threshold.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Greece Startup Visa active in 2026?

Yes. The Article 100A startup-investment residence framework is active.

How much must I invest?

At least €250,000 in an eligible startup registered in the National Startup Registry.

Can I own 100% of the startup under this route?

The qualifying participation acquired under Article 100A cannot exceed 33% of the startup's capital or voting rights.

How many jobs must the startup create?

At least two new jobs within the first year after the investment.

How long must the workforce condition be maintained?

The required total employment level, including the two new jobs, must be maintained for at least five years from the investment.

How long is the first residence permit valid?

One year. It can then be renewed for two-year periods while the legal conditions continue to be met.

Do I need to live in Greece to renew B.6?

Article 100A states that periods of absence do not themselves prevent renewal. That does not mean absence counts toward long-term residence or citizenship.

Is this a founder visa based only on a business plan?

No. The immigration route requires a qualifying €250,000 investment in an eligible registered startup and compliance with statutory ownership and employment conditions.

Last verified: 15 September 2026. Re-check the current Migration Code, implementing decisions, Mitos procedure and startup-registry status before investing or filing.

Official and supporting sources

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