Global Mobility / Residency by Investment / Greece

Residency by Investment · European Union

Greece

Residence in a European Union member state with no minimum stay requirement. For those who structure it correctly, it is also among the lowest entry points into the Schengen Area available today.

Last reviewed September 1, 2026

Advisory note · Current as of September 2026

The figure you have seen quoted is probably not the figure that applies to you.

Greece reformed its Golden Visa in 2024. The program now operates three thresholds rather than one, and which applies depends on where the property sits and what kind of property it is. The whole of Attica, including Athens, sits at €800,000, as do Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands. Most of the rest of the country sits at €400,000.

The widely advertised €250,000 figure still exists, but only for two narrow categories: property converted from commercial or industrial use to residential, and the restoration of listed or heritage-protected buildings. In both cases the works must be completed before the application is filed, and each property can qualify at that rate only once. It is a genuine route, not a loophole. But it is a specific one, and it requires a project that has been structured for it from the outset.

The Ministry of Migration and Asylum issued Circular No. 1/2026 in April 2026, setting out how the amended rules are applied in practice. It is now the reference point for current applications.

We state this at the top of the page because a great deal of material still in circulation quotes €250,000 without the condition attached. If your expectations have been set by that figure, the first useful thing we can do is tell you what your actual options are.

The country

About Greece

Greece is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone and the Schengen Area, with a population of just over ten million. For an investor from the Gulf, it is among the closest points of entry to Europe. Athens is around five hours from Dubai, with daily direct services.

The country has been a full EU member since 1981 and adopted the euro in 2001. Following the sovereign debt crisis of the 2010s, the Greek property market has been in sustained recovery, and the Golden Visa program has been one of the more visible instruments of that recovery.

Athens and Piraeus concentrate most investment activity. Piraeus in particular, as the principal port and a district in its own right, has attracted significant regeneration interest. It sits roughly twenty minutes from central Athens and is well served by the metro and tram networks.

Greek is the official language. English is widely spoken in professional, commercial and hospitality contexts, particularly in Athens, though official processes are conducted in Greek and translation is a normal part of any application.

Capital

Athens

Population

Approximately 10.4 million

Language

Greek (official); English widely spoken professionally

Currency

Euro

EU membership

Member state since 1981; Eurozone since 2001

Schengen

Full member of the Schengen Area

Time zone

GMT+2 / GMT+3 in summer

From Dubai

Approximately 5 hours, daily direct services to Athens

At a glance

The program in outline

Minimum investment

€250,000

Conversion and restoration routes only; €400,000 or €800,000 otherwise

Status conferred

Residence permit

Not citizenship. Renewable while the qualifying investment is held

Permit validity

5 years

Renewable every five years

Minimum stay

None

No physical presence required to hold or renew the permit

Indicative processing

6–8 months

From submission of a complete application

Family inclusion

Spouse, children, parents

Children under 21; parents of both spouses

Path to citizenship

7 years

Requires 183 days per year of actual residence, plus language competence

Requirements

Minimal

No language test, education or business experience required for the permit. Medical insurance is required

Investment thresholds

Three tiers, set by location and property type

Under the 2024 reform, the threshold that applies to you is determined by where the property is and what it is. The investment must be made in a single property, and on the standard tiers a minimum surface area applies.

€250,000

Conversion or restoration

Commercial-to-residential conversion, and listed buildings

The lowest entry point, available anywhere in Greece regardless of location. It applies to property converted from commercial or industrial use into residential use, and to the restoration of listed or heritage-protected buildings.

The conversion or restoration must be completed before the application is filed
Available in Attica and Athens as well as elsewhere; location does not raise the threshold
No minimum surface area applies, unlike the standard tiers
Each property can qualify at this rate only once
Where this route is appropriate, we review currently available qualifying projects with you

€400,000

Standard · most regions

Standard residential property outside the prime zones

The general threshold across most of the country, including much of the Peloponnese, mainland regions outside the major metropolitan areas, and smaller islands below the population threshold.

Single property, minimum surface area of 120 square meters
No conversion or restoration work required
Wider choice of property than the conversion route

€800,000

Standard · prime zones

Attica, Thessaloniki and the principal islands

Applies to the entire Attica region including Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100. If your intention is a standard apartment in central Athens, this is the applicable figure.

Single property, minimum surface area of 120 square meters
Covers the locations most investors first consider
The conversion route at €250,000 remains available in these same areas

We do not publish lists of qualifying developments. Availability changes, projects complete, and a property that suits one client may be wrong for another. Where a route is appropriate, we review currently available qualifying options with you at the assessment stage, and any commercial terms are set out by the developer or fund directly, on their own documentation.

What it confers

What the permit gives you, and what it does not

A residence permit is not citizenship, and the distinction matters more in the European Union than almost anywhere else. Being clear about it at the outset avoids the most common disappointment on this program.

What it gives you

The right to reside in Greece for five years, renewable indefinitely while the qualifying investment is held.
Short-stay travel across the Schengen Area on the standard 90 days in any 180 basis.
Residence rights extending to your spouse, dependent children and the parents of both spouses.
No obligation to spend any time in Greece to hold or renew the permit.
A defined route toward citizenship for those who do choose to live in Greece.

What it does not give you

European Union citizenship, or an EU passport. This is a residence permit in one member state.
The right to live or work in other EU member states. Schengen access is for short stays only.
A right to work in Greece; the permit is an investor residence permit, not a work permit.
Permanent status independent of the investment. Sell the qualifying property and the permit falls away.
The ability to let the property on a short-term basis; Golden Visa properties are excluded from short-term rental.

Family

Who can be included

The permit extends to immediate family on a single qualifying investment. There is no additional investment threshold per family member.

Family member

Condition

Spouse

Spouse of the principal applicant.

Children

Children under 21.

Parents

Parents of the principal applicant and parents of the spouse.

Where children are approaching 21 at the time of application, the timing of the file matters. We would want to look at that early rather than late.

There is no language test, no education requirement and no business experience requirement. Medical insurance is required as part of the application, and applicants must demonstrate that funds originate lawfully and from outside Greece.

Suitability

Who this program serves — and who it does not

We would rather tell you at the outset that a program is a poor fit than take a file we do not believe in.

Well suited to

Principals who want a European foothold without relocating. The absence of any minimum stay is the program’s defining feature.
Families seeking Schengen short-stay access for business or education-related travel across Europe.
Those including parents in an application; Greece covers the parents of both spouses, which is uncommon.
Investors comfortable holding a European property asset over a multi-year horizon.
Applicants who want an EU residence position established relatively quickly, at six to eight months.

Less well suited to

Anyone whose objective is an EU passport in the near term, since the citizenship route requires seven years of genuine residence.
Applicants seeking the right to work or live in other EU member states.
Those expecting €250,000 to buy a central Athens apartment, which is not what the threshold covers.
Investors who intend to let the property on a short-term basis, which is prohibited for Golden Visa properties.
Anyone who wants a status that survives the sale of the underlying asset.

Process

How an application proceeds

Our role is to establish whether Greece answers what you are solving for, to coordinate the legal and investment steps in the right order, and to remain accountable to you throughout.

Assessment

A confidential review of your objectives, family composition and timing. On this program we would establish early whether you are solving for Schengen access, a European base, or an eventual passport. The answer determines whether Greece is the right jurisdiction at all.
GLI Advisory conducts this review directly.

Route and threshold

Determining which threshold applies to your intended investment, and whether a conversion or restoration route is realistic for you. This is where most expectations get corrected, and it is better done now than later.
We set out the options and the trade-offs.

Investment selection

Review of currently available qualifying options. Commercial terms, projections and any exit arrangements are set out by the developer or fund on their own documentation, and we would expect you to take independent legal and financial advice on them.
We coordinate; we do not advise on investment merit.

Legal steps and acquisition

Greek tax number, bank account, power of attorney where appropriate, due diligence on title, and completion of the acquisition. Where the conversion route applies, the change of use must be complete before filing.
We work alongside Greek counsel throughout.

Application and biometrics

Submission of the residence permit application with supporting documentation and medical insurance, followed by biometric enrollment for each applicant.
We manage documentation and scheduling.

Permit issuance and renewal

Permits are issued for five years. We remain available for the renewal cycle, which depends on the qualifying investment continuing to be held.
We stay engaged beyond issuance.

Considerations

What we would want you to weigh

The permit is tied to the asset

Unlike a citizenship program, this status is conditional. The permit renews only while the qualifying investment is held, which means the property is not simply an investment you might exit on commercial grounds. It is the thing your residence rights rest on. That constrains your options in ways worth understanding before you commit.

The citizenship path is a residence path

Greek citizenship after seven years requires genuine residence of 183 days per year across that period, together with language competence. It is available, but it is a decision to move to Greece, not a by-product of holding the permit. Many Golden Visa holders never take it, and that is a reasonable outcome.

Programs in Europe change

Greece raised its thresholds in 2024, having previously sat at €250,000 across the board, and issued further operational guidance in April 2026. European residence-by-investment programs have been under sustained political scrutiny, and further adjustment is possible. We would not advise treating the current framework as fixed.

Questions

Greece Golden Visa: common questions

How much do you need to invest for the Greece Golden Visa?

Between €250,000 and €800,000, depending on where the property is and what kind of property it is. The €800,000 threshold covers all of Attica including Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100. €400,000 applies across the rest of Greece. €250,000 applies anywhere in the country, but only to property converted from commercial to residential use or to the restoration of listed buildings, with the works completed before the application is filed.

Do I have to live in Greece to keep the Golden Visa?

No. There is no minimum stay requirement to hold or renew the permit, which is the program’s principal advantage over most European alternatives. Physical residence only becomes relevant if you intend to pursue Greek citizenship, which requires 183 days per year over seven years.

Does the Greece Golden Visa give me EU citizenship?

No. It confers a renewable residence permit in Greece, not citizenship and not an EU passport. It allows short-stay travel within the Schengen Area on the standard 90-days-in-180 basis, but it does not give the right to live or work in other EU member states.

How long does the Greece Golden Visa take?

Approximately six to eight months from submission of a complete application. The property acquisition and, where applicable, the conversion works sit before that, so the full timeline from first engagement depends substantially on which route you take.

Which family members can be included?

A spouse, children under 21, and the parents of both the principal applicant and the spouse. There is no additional investment threshold per family member; a single qualifying investment covers the family unit. Where children are close to 21, timing of the application matters.

Can I rent out a Greece Golden Visa property?

Not on a short-term basis. Properties acquired to qualify for the Golden Visa are excluded from short-term rental through platforms such as Airbnb. Longer-term letting arrangements are treated differently, and this should be confirmed against your intended use before acquisition.

Is the Greece Golden Visa better than Portugal's?

They solve different problems. Greece is faster, lower at its entry tier and has no minimum stay, but its citizenship route requires seven years of genuine residence at 183 days per year. Portugal asks for only a few days of presence each year, but now requires ten years before naturalization. Where the goal is a held EU residence position rather than a passport, both work. Where it is a passport, neither is quick.

Can UAE and GCC residents apply?

Yes. The program is open to non-EU nationals regardless of current residence, subject to eligibility and lawful source of funds originating outside Greece. Athens is roughly five hours from the Gulf, with daily direct services, which makes Greece one of the more practical European positions for a Gulf-based principal. GLI Advisory is based in Dubai and works extensively with principals and families across the GCC.

A conversation
before a commitment.

We begin every engagement with a confidential assessment: your objectives, which threshold realistically applies, and whether Greece or another jurisdiction better answers what you are solving for. It is held in confidence, and there is no obligation to proceed.

Figures and requirements reflect information current as of September 2026 and are subject to change by the Hellenic Republic without notice. Nothing on this page constitutes legal, tax or investment advice, an offer of residency, or a recommendation of any investment. GLI Advisory does not provide investment advice and makes no representation as to the performance, return or liquidity of any qualifying investment. Eligibility is determined solely by the competent Greek authorities.
GLI International Advisory FZCO · Unit No: 3501–D07, Swiss Tower, JLT, Dubai, UAE