Greek Golden Visa: Thresholds, Timelines & Traps To Avoid 

For international buyers, the Greek Golden Visa can look straightforward from the outside: find a property, make the investment and apply for residency.

In reality, the property itself is often the most important part of the process.

Nikos Paterakis, Attorney at Law and founder of Paterakis Legal, works with international investors looking to obtain Greek residence through investment. Based in Athens, he advises clients on the legal and practical steps involved, including property checks, the purchase process and the residence application.

For anyone considering the Golden Visa, his advice is simple: do not assume that a property qualifies just because the price appears to meet the threshold.

 

The Greek Golden Visa is a five-year residence permit for non-EU nationals who make a qualifying investment in Greek real estate. The permit can be renewed as long as the investment is maintained.

There is no minimum stay in Greece required simply to maintain the Golden Visa.

This makes the programme particularly relevant to people who want the flexibility to spend time in Greece without immediately becoming full-time residents.

The permit also extends to certain family members. The spouse, children under 21 and the parents of both spouses can be included, making it important to consider the whole family from the beginning rather than treating family applications as an afterthought.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Golden Visa is that there is one universal property price.

There isn't.

The minimum investment is currently €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands. The threshold is €400,000 in other areas, while a €250,000 route remains available in specific circumstances, including certain conversions of commercial properties into residential use and the restoration of listed buildings.

The location of the property therefore matters just as much as its price.

A property that appears comfortably above €400,000, for example, may still not qualify if it is located in an area where the €800,000 threshold applies.

 

For the €800,000 and €400,000 investment categories, the property must generally be a single property of at least 120 square metres.

The 120 square metre requirement does not apply to the €250,000 category, although that category has its own conditions depending on the type of property and the investment route.

There are also restrictions on how properties acquired through the Golden Visa programme can be used. In particular, properties acquired through the programme cannot be used for short-term rental.

This is why a listing describing a property as “Golden Visa eligible” should never be treated as the final word.

 

For an investor, the purchase price is only one part of the equation.

Before committing to a property, its legal and technical position needs to be examined. This includes the title, existing encumbrances, planning position and any unauthorised alterations.

A property can look perfect on a property website and still present a problem once its documents are examined.

This is particularly important when the investment is being made specifically to obtain a residence permit. A problem with the property can become a problem with the immigration application as well.

The way the purchase price is transferred is another detail that should not be overlooked.

The investment needs to be paid through the banking system in a traceable way, with evidence of the payment in the form required by the authorities.

In other words, having enough money to buy the property is not the only consideration. The transaction also needs to be documented correctly.

This is one of the reasons it is better to consider the property purchase and the Golden Visa application as one connected process rather than two separate transactions.

Considering a property in Greece specifically for the Golden Visa? Nikos Paterakis can help you check whether the property and the proposed investment meet the relevant requirements before you move forward.

 

You can contact Nikos at info@paterakislegal.com or +30 694 760 1994 (WhatsApp & Viber), or connect with him on LinkedIn. 

A typical property-based Golden Visa process involves several stages.

 

First comes legal and technical due diligence on the property. Once the property has been checked, the purchase can proceed through the notarial process.

The residence application then follows, with a temporary certificate issued while the application is being examined.

The important point is that these stages should be planned together from the beginning.

There is little value in finding the right property if a legal or technical problem emerges after a deposit has already been paid.

 

There is no useful single number to attach to the entire process.

Legal due diligence can take days, while a technical inspection may take several weeks depending on the property. Completion of the purchase can also depend on how quickly the seller can provide the necessary documents.

The residence permit itself follows the application process.

For this reason, realistic planning is more useful than a promised timeline. The property, its location and the condition of its documents all influence how smoothly the process progresses.

 

Much of the Golden Visa process can be handled remotely.

An investor who is still abroad can generally arrange a power of attorney so that the necessary steps, from obtaining a Greek tax number to completing the purchase and submitting the residence application, can be handled in Greece.

A visit is still required for biometrics.

For international buyers, this means that buying a property and applying for residency does not necessarily require relocating to Greece before the process begins.

 

The Golden Visa provides the right to reside in Greece and allows free movement within the Schengen area under the applicable rules.

It does not, however, give the holder the right to work as an employee in Greece.

Family members included in the permit can study in Greece, while the investor can maintain the flexibility to spend as much or as little time in the country as their circumstances require.

Citizenship is a separate matter altogether.

For someone who eventually wants to make Greece their permanent home, the Golden Visa does not necessarily have to be the end of the journey.

Under the relevant conditions, holders can later move towards long-term resident status. This involves requirements concerning the length and continuity of residence, income, health insurance and knowledge of the Greek language.

For those planning to live in Greece rather than simply hold a residence permit, this distinction is important.

Time spent in Greece and the way absences are recorded can matter later, so anyone considering this as a long-term plan should think about it from the beginning rather than at the point of their first renewal.

Further along the same path, certain long-term residents may also be able to apply for Greek citizenship through naturalisation, subject to the applicable residence, language, examination, and other requirements. Following recent rulings of the Council of State and a Ministry of Interior circular, income on its own is no longer a reason to accept or refuse an application. It is now one of several indicators of economic integration, assessed together with stable work or other lawful economic activity in Greece and consistent compliance with tax and social security obligations.

Owning a home in Greece that the applicant lives in is also assessed positively.

For a family that genuinely intends to settle in Greece, the Golden Visa can therefore be viewed as the beginning of a longer residence journey rather than simply an investment transaction.

 

There is another issue that anyone considering a property purchase in Greece now needs to have on their radar.

In September 2026, the Greek government announced plans to increase the property transfer tax for certain residential property purchases by non-EU buyers from the current 3% rate to 15%. The proposed implementation date has since been reported as 1 July 2027.

The measure has not yet been enacted, and important details remain subject to the final legislation. This includes how the measure will apply to different categories of buyers and whether particular transactions or Golden Visa investments will receive an exemption or transitional treatment.

This is particularly relevant to Golden Visa investors because the property route is aimed at non-EU nationals.

One important distinction is that holding a Golden Visa should not automatically be confused with holding long-term resident status. They are separate residence categories, with different conditions.

For anyone considering a purchase around the proposed change, the safest approach is therefore to check the position at the time of the transaction rather than treating an announcement as settled law.

 

The proposed tax change does not change the Golden Visa investment thresholds themselves. Instead, it could affect the overall cost of buying a qualifying property.

For an investor considering a purchase in the coming months, this makes timing something to discuss early with both the legal and property sides of the transaction.

It is also important not to rush into a property simply because of a proposed tax deadline.

The property still needs to qualify, the title and planning position still need to be clean, and the purchase needs to be structured correctly.

A deadline should never replace due diligence.

 

Some of the most common mistakes are surprisingly simple.

Assuming the price is enough. A property needs to meet the requirements for its specific location and investment category.

Choosing the property first and checking it later. Legal and technical due diligence should happen before a significant commitment is made.

Relying on a property listing. “Golden Visa eligible” is not a substitute for independent verification.

Ignoring the way the money is transferred. The payment needs to be traceable and properly documented.

Overlooking the property's registered size. The relevant measurement is not necessarily the figure used in a property's marketing description.

Forgetting about the family. If family members are going to be included, it is sensible to plan for them from the start.

Treating the proposed transfer-tax change as settled law. The 15% rate is currently an announced measure, not a completed piece of legislation. Its final terms should be checked before any purchase is completed.

 

 

The Golden Visa is not simply a matter of finding a property at the right price.

The location, size, legal title, planning position, payment method and intended use can all affect whether an investment is suitable for the residence route. And with the proposed changes to property transfer tax, the overall timing and cost of a purchase are also worth considering carefully.

Done properly, the property purchase and the residence application can be planned together from the beginning.

The first step is therefore not choosing a property. It is checking that the property you are being shown can actually carry the permit.

If you are considering the Golden Visa and would like to discuss your options with Nikos Paterakis, you can get in touch with him directly. Send a short email explaining which area you are considering, roughly how much you plan to invest and which family members you would like to include, and he can advise you on which route may make sense for your circumstances. 

You can contact Nikos at info@paterakislegal.com or +30 694 760 1994 (WhatsApp & Viber), or connect with him on LinkedIn. His office is located at 64 Panepistimiou Street, Athens 106 77, 3rd floor.