Eighty questions our clients ask most often — across Golden Visa, citizenship, property, inheritance, residence permits and immigration. Answers current under Law 5275/2026 and the May 2026 legal framework.
Three tiers apply: €250,000 (only for commercial-to-residential conversions and certified heritage restorations); €400,000 (standard regions including most of mainland Greece and smaller islands); €800,000 (central Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with population above 3,100). The 120 m² minimum applies to all tiers.
No. The Greek Golden Visa has no minimum stay requirement — you can hold and renew it for life without spending any time in Greece. This is one of its key advantages over Portuguese, Spanish, Maltese or Cypriot programmes.
Yes. Spouse, children under 21 (extendable to 24 if studying), and dependent parents of both you and your spouse can be included under one application. Each family member receives their own residence permit card. No additional investment is required.
From signed engagement to residence card in hand: typically 4-6 months for clean cases. The biometric appointment in Athens — usually combined with a property visit — is the only step that requires physical presence in Greece.
Only on long-term leases of 12 months or more. Law 5275/2026 prohibits short-term rental (Airbnb, Booking.com etc.) on Golden Visa property with a €50,000 fine for violation. Long-term rental income is fully permitted.
Yes, after 7 years of continuous residence under the Golden Visa, you become eligible to apply for naturalisation — subject to passing the Πάνελ language and civics exam and meeting other criteria.
Your Golden Visa is tied to the underlying investment. If you sell without replacing with property of equivalent or higher value in the same tier, your permit will not renew at the next 5-year cycle. Property rotation is allowed; complete divestment is not.
No. The Golden Visa is available to all non-EU and non-EEA nationals. Some properties in Greek border regions or strategic islands require additional Ministry of Defence approval for non-EU buyers.
For a €400,000 property in a standard region, total all-in costs add approximately 6-7% on top: transfer tax (3.09%), notary fees (~1%), Land Registry (~0.5%), engineer's certificate (€500-€1,500), legal fees (from €3,500), apostille and translation costs.
The Golden Visa is a residence permit (immigration status). The Non-Dom regime is a tax election (€100,000 flat tax on worldwide foreign income). They can be combined — the Golden Visa property purchase satisfies the Non-Dom regime's €500,000 investment requirement.
If you have a Greek parent, grandparent or great-grandparent, you are likely eligible. The key test is whether the family chain of Greek citizenship is unbroken — meaning each ancestor in the line possessed Greek citizenship at the time of their child's birth. The first call confirms eligibility for your specific case.
No. There is no language requirement for citizenship by descent. The Greek language exam (Πάνελ) applies only to citizenship by naturalisation — the route for long-term residents and spouses, not for descendants.
Typically 12-24 months for grandchild cases, 18-30 months for great-grandchild cases, and 8-14 months for clean parent-line cases. Cases involving the pre-1984 maternal-line rule add 4-6 months.
Yes. You can hold Greek citizenship alongside your existing nationality with no requirement to renounce. Most of our descent clients are dual or triple-passport holders.
Children born after your formal Greek registration are eligible at birth — they are Greek citizens by descent through you. Children born before your registration must be added through a separate sub-procedure, which we include in the same engagement.
Yes, but the documentary work is more involved than a grandparent case. If the maternal line passes through a woman born before 5 August 1984 who was married to a foreign man, the determination-of-Greek-citizenship procedure applies — adds 4-6 months to the timeline.
Your birth certificate and your parent's/grandparent's birth and marriage certificates from your country (apostilled and translated). The Greek ancestor's Greek birth certificate (which we recover from the Greek municipality if your family doesn't have it). Apostilles from your country, translations into Greek by an authorised translator.
Common — and not a deal-breaker. We work from the Greek-side original name. US naturalisation records and the original Greek birth record together prove same-person identity. We have completed many cases involving name changes on emigration.
Not just because you're a citizen. Greek tax residence is based on physical presence (more than 183 days per year in Greece) or centre of vital interests. Most diaspora dual citizens never trigger Greek tax residence and owe no Greek tax on their worldwide income.
Most rejections are appealable, and many come down to a curable documentary gap. We assess each rejection — some are appealable, others indicate the application should never have been filed. The first call covers the specifics of your rejection if there is one.
Yes. There are no general nationality restrictions on property ownership in Greece. A small number of "border-region" properties (certain frontier islands and strategic zones) require Ministry of Defence approval for non-EU buyers — we screen for this on the discovery call.
No. Almost every transaction we handle for international buyers runs end-to-end under Power of Attorney. Some buyers fly in for the notarial signing as a personal milestone; most do not. The whole process can run remotely.
Approximately 6.5-7% on top of the headline price: 3.09% property transfer tax, ~1% notary fees, ~0.5% Land Registry/Cadastre fees, ~0.5% stamp duty, €500-€1,500 engineer's certificate, legal fees (from €3,500 or 1% of purchase price), apostille and translation costs (€300-€800).
ENFIA is the annual Greek property tax, calculated on the property's official tax value. For typical Golden Visa-tier properties, expect €400-€2,500 per year. Payable in instalments through the calendar year via the Greek Tax Authority's online portal.
Yes. Greek banks offer mortgages to non-residents, typically up to 60-70% LTV with rates and terms depending on income evidence and the property. Mortgage approval adds 4-8 weeks to the transaction timeline.
Non-permitted constructions. Roughly 30-40% of older Greek properties have at least one unauthorised structural addition (an enclosed balcony, an unpermitted extension, a basement converted to a bedroom). These must be regularised by the seller before sale — but only if your due diligence catches them.
Currently suspended through 31 December 2026. If you sell within the suspension window, no Greek capital gains tax applies. Your home country may still tax the gain under its own rules — coordinate with your home-country accountant.
Depends. Non-Golden-Visa property: yes, with registration on Greece's short-term-rental portal. Golden Visa property: NO — Law 5275/2026 prohibits short-term rental with a €50,000 fine for violation. Always confirm eligibility before listing.
Typically 6-10 weeks for clean transactions from engagement to keys in hand. Longer if title issues need cleanup or if Greek-side document recovery is required.
No — Greek bar rules prohibit one lawyer representing both sides of a sale-purchase contract. Each transaction has its own buyer-side lawyer and seller-side lawyer. Our office acts buyer-side or seller-side on any given file, never both.
Four months from the date you became aware of the death and your heir status, extended to twelve months for heirs living abroad. Missing the window means you are deemed to have accepted — and under the pre-September-2026 rules, that exposes your personal assets to the deceased's debts. From 16 September 2026, the new framework limits heir liability.
Almost always yes. There is no statutory deadline on the acceptance of inheritance (only on renunciation and tax declaration). We reopen frozen estates routinely — including estates from the 1970s and 1980s. The longer you wait, the harder it gets, but the door does not close.
It depends on your home country. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and most EU countries each have their own inheritance / estate tax frameworks. Greece has bilateral tax treaties with most major countries that prevent double taxation. We coordinate with your home-country advisor on the cross-border treatment.
Greek law guarantees a minimum share of an estate ("legitim" or νόμιμη μοίρα) to certain close relatives — descendants, the surviving spouse, and ascendants in the absence of descendants. The legitim equals half the share the protected heir would have received under intestacy. No will can fully disinherit a forced heir.
Acceptance with reservation of benefit limits the heir's exposure to the value of the estate's assets — creditors can't claim against personal assets beyond the estate. Outright acceptance (pre-September-2026) exposes personal assets to estate debts. From 16 September 2026, the two converge — the new framework limits heir liability by default.
Three categories. Category A (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents): €150,000 allowance, 1-10% rates. Category B (siblings, grandparents): €30,000 allowance, 5-20% rates. Category C (non-relatives, distant): €6,000 allowance, 20-40% rates.
Yes — under Power of Attorney. Once the acceptance of inheritance is filed and the Land Registry shows you as owner, the sale runs under the same remote mechanics as any other Greek property sale.
Greek law has procedures for co-heirs in disagreement, but the better tool is usually mediation — particularly for diaspora families. As accredited mediators with the Greek Ministry of Justice, we resolve most multi-country inheritance disputes in 3-5 sessions over 4-12 weeks without going to court.
Partially. Under the EU Succession Regulation, you can elect the law of your nationality to govern your Greek estate. But Greek forced heirship is an overriding mandatory rule under Article 35 of the Regulation — it still applies to Greek-situs assets. Plan accordingly.
A unified document under EU Regulation 650/2012 that proves heirship across all EU member states. The ECS is increasingly the cleanest way to establish heirship for cross-border estates with EU assets — Greek notaries and Land Registries accept it, and EU banks accept it for account access without separate national probate.
Both require €3,500/month income with family uplifts (+20% spouse, +15% per child). FIP is 3-year initial validity, accepts any non-Greek-source income including passive. Digital Nomad is 2-year initial validity, specifically designed for remote employment with non-Greek employers. Both prohibit work for Greek employers.
No. Under Law 5275/2026 (February 2026), the in-Greece application route was abolished. Applications must now be filed at a Greek Consulate in your country of residence first, as a Type D National Visa, before entering Greece.
Depends on the permit type. FIP: 3-5 months. Digital Nomad: 4-6 months. Family Reunification: 4-7 months. Work Permit: 5-9 months including labour-market test. Student: 2-4 months. Long-Term Resident upgrade: 4-8 months.
Yes — most long-term permit types (FIP, Digital Nomad, Work, EU Blue Card, Family Reunification, Long-Term Resident, Golden Visa) count toward the seven-year naturalisation threshold. Time on a tourist visa or short-stay status does not count.
Not for a Greek employer or Greek clients. FIP is designed for income from outside Greece. Greek employment income invalidates the basis of the permit and risks non-renewal.
Most permit types allow family inclusion at the initial application (FIP, Digital Nomad, Family Reunification when sponsored by a Greek citizen, Golden Visa). For Work Permit and EU Blue Card, family reunification follows separately, typically after 12 months of the lead applicant's residence.
€3,500 per month for the main applicant (€126,000 for the 3-year permit), +20% for a spouse (€4,200/month), +15% per child (€525/month each).
Yes — most renewals run under Power of Attorney via the Digital Residency Portal introduced under Law 5275/2026. The renewed card is forwarded to the client.
Not automatically. You become a Greek tax resident only if you spend more than 183 days per year in Greece or have your centre of vital interests there. Many residence-permit holders deliberately stay under the threshold.
Only at the Golden Visa threshold (€400,000+ in standard regions, €800,000+ in high-demand zones). Owning a sub-Golden Visa property in Greece doesn't by itself confer residence rights, but it can support FIP or Digital Nomad applications as evidence of stable ties.
12-18 months before you intend to actually move is the sweet spot. Earlier and the planning becomes academic; later and you start losing optionality on permit types, tax timing and family inclusion.
Marriage to a Greek citizen with at least one shared child: three years of marriage and Greek residence, then naturalisation. Effectively four years from marriage to oath. Other naturalisation paths take seven years of qualifying residence.
Often yes. Switching usually requires a fresh application, but continuity of residence is maintained for the citizenship clock if the transition is clean. Common switches: Digital Nomad → FIP at year 2; FIP → Long-Term Resident at year 5; LTR → naturalisation at year 7.
No. The Golden Visa carries no residence requirement and you can hold it indefinitely without becoming a tax resident. Even on permits that require physical presence, careful day-counting keeps you under the 183-day threshold if the non-resident path is preferred.
A special Greek tax regime under Article 5A: a flat €100,000 per year on worldwide foreign-source income, with optional family inclusion at €20,000 per member per year. Requires €500,000 investment (Golden Visa property qualifies) and not having been Greek tax-resident for 7 of the previous 8 years. 15-year duration.
For foreign pensioners moving to Greece: 7% flat tax on foreign pension income for 15 years. Requires becoming Greek tax resident. Greece has treaties with most pension-source countries that prevent double taxation, so the 7% often becomes the total tax burden.
No closure has been announced. The 2024 and 2026 reforms were designed to refine the programme rather than wind it down. EU pressure on golden-visa programmes is sustained, but Greek political signals lean toward continuation.
No. Greek tax law and immigration law require Greek-side expertise. The right structure is a Greek lawyer + a home-country tax advisor working together. We coordinate with US accountants, UK chartered accountants and Australian tax agents routinely.
Greek public education is free and accessible to residence-permit holders' children. Private and international schools are widely available in Athens and Thessaloniki. School-year timing is something we plan around — moving in autumn aligns better than mid-year.
Most permits lapse after 24 months of absence from Greece (longer for LTR holders). Re-entering on a fresh permit is possible but restarts the residence clock for citizenship purposes. Plan absences carefully if naturalisation is on the horizon.
Our fixed-fee packages start at €3,500 for Greek citizenship by descent (parent-line cases), €3,500 for Golden Visa property purchase or 1% of price (whichever is higher), €4,500 for Golden Visa main applicant file, €1,800 for residence permits, and €3,500 for inheritance acceptance. Complex cases are quoted up front.
No. The first 20-minute discovery call is free. We use it to confirm eligibility, scope the engagement, and give you an honest read on whether you have a case. Engagement begins only if both sides agree to proceed.
Fixed-fee for most predictable work (Golden Visa, citizenship, residence permits, property, standard inheritance). Hourly for genuinely open-ended work (contested litigation, complex cross-border structuring, ongoing advisory). Hourly rates: €120-€280 depending on seniority.
Disbursements (state fees, notary fees, translations, apostilles in your country) are billed separately at cost. We estimate them upfront and reconcile at the end of the matter — never marked up.
Yes. Typical structure: 50% on engagement, 50% on file submission. Longer cases (e.g., great-grandchild citizenship) can be structured in 3-4 instalments aligned with milestones.
If you describe your situation in our 'Tell us about your case' form, we usually send a ballpark range within one business day. The fixed quote is confirmed on the discovery call.
Often yes — legal fees relating to property acquisition or income production are typically deductible. Confirm with your home-country accountant. We provide professional invoices that meet most foreign-tax authority requirements.
Yes — via Stripe. We also accept wire transfer (EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, AUD), SEPA transfer for EU clients, and bank cheque. Cash is accepted but not preferred.
Scope changes are discussed and quoted before any extra work is done. We send a written addendum with the new scope and the additional fee. You approve in writing before we proceed. No silent scope creep.
Yes, at any time. We invoice for work completed up to that point, hand over your closure file with all documents, and revoke any Power of Attorney with you. No exit penalties, no surprise bills.
No. Almost every case we handle for international clients runs end-to-end under Power of Attorney. Some clients visit Athens for milestones (notarial signing, citizenship oath) but it's never required.
Email is the default. WhatsApp is encouraged for quick questions. Video calls are scheduled rather than ad-hoc. Phone is always available for urgent matters. We reply within one business day on standard matters and within two hours on urgent matters during business hours.
Greek (native), English (fluent — US-trained), French (working — Sorbonne). All client communication for international clients is in English; Greek documents are always accompanied by an English explanation.
We draft the PoA in Greek and English with a narrowly defined scope. You sign before a notary in your country, apostille it (your country's apostille authority), and courier the original to Athens. Typical round-trip: 2-4 weeks.
Yes. GDPR-compliant data handling. Secure file upload for client documents. Attorney-client privilege under Greek law is absolute — nothing you tell us is shared outside the firm without your written authorisation.
We screen for conflicts before accepting any matter. If we already represent a party adverse to you, we decline — even if it means losing the case. We do not accept both sides of any property transaction or inheritance dispute.
Yes — and we recommend it for cross-border cases. We coordinate routinely with US accountants, UK chartered accountants, Australian tax agents, Canadian notaries and EU lawyers. Bringing your existing advisor into the loop early prevents surprises.
You receive a final report and a closure file containing every document we generated or received on your behalf. Many clients return for follow-up matters (renewals, additional property, sub-procedures for family members) — we maintain client files indefinitely for this.
The 20-minute discovery call confirms it. We're honest with prospective clients — if your case doesn't have a clear path, we say so and decline rather than take an engagement that won't succeed. About 25% of discovery calls don't lead to engagements; we view that as the system working.
Yes. We provide second-opinion consultations on cases in progress. The fee is the standard 60-minute consultation (€150, credited if you transfer the case to us). Common scenarios: stalled citizenship files, unclear fee structures, disagreements with the current lawyer on strategy.
Book a free 20-minute call and we'll cover your specific situation.