Check Greek Golden Visa property thresholds, special EUR 250,000 routes, rental restrictions, family applications, travel and renewal.
Editorial author: Karabatsou Legal editorial team. Source-checked with AI-assisted editorial support on .
Legally reviewed by Nadia Karabatsou. Approval of this revision confirmed on . General information only, not advice for an individual case. Our editorial policy.
The property Golden Visa is an investor residence route, not citizenship by investment. Standard thresholds are EUR 800,000 or EUR 400,000 depending on location; special EUR 250,000 routes require qualifying conversion or listed-building conditions. Check the property and intended use before committing funds.
Legal support for golden visa
For the property-investment route, Article 100 of the Migration Code, as amended by Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, distinguishes standard regional thresholds from two special EUR 250,000 routes. A property advertisement is not a legal eligibility decision. Law 5100/2024, Article 64: property investment residence.
| Property route | Minimum investment | Important conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard higher-threshold regions | EUR 800,000 | Attica; Thessaloniki regional unit; Mykonos and Thira regional units; islands with more than 3,100 residents under the applicable census. One property; 120 sq m of principal space for built property or property with a building permit. |
| Other standard regions | EUR 400,000 | One property; the same 120 sq m principal-space condition for built property or property with a building permit. |
| Qualifying residential conversion | EUR 250,000 | Specific change-of-use route, not an ordinary renovation. One property; conversion completed before the residence application. Additional planning and evidence conditions apply. |
| Qualifying listed-building restoration | EUR 250,000 | Specific listed-building route. Restoration and renewal obligations apply; transfer before completion is restricted. |
The 120 sq m rule belongs to the standard regional routes described above; it should not be presented as a universal condition for the special conversion and listed-building routes. Older investments may fall under transitional provisions and need their own date and payment review.
For a conversion proposal, compare the title, authorised use, planning file, building identity and evidence of completed change of use. A lawyer and an engineer have different roles: a marketing description cannot substitute for either assessment. For an industrial building, the statutory history-of-use conditions also need attention.
Planning permission to convert and eligibility for investor residence are separate tests. Article 56 of Law 5322/2026 introduced planning provisions for certain residential conversions and a separate letting restriction for the dwellings it covers. It does not make every conversion eligible for the EUR 250,000 Golden Visa route. Law 5322/2026, Article 56: planning rules for residential conversions.
For a listed building, identify the restoration obligations, permissions, completion evidence and restriction on transfer before restoration. Ask who bears the cost and risk if works or the immigration application cannot proceed.
Article 100(7A) restricts short-term letting through the sharing economy and subletting of properties covered by the investor-residence rules. Conversion-route properties also have a business-headquarters/branch restriction. A management company or a contract labelled "12 months" does not by itself establish compliance. Have the acquisition date, route, proposed occupancy and management agreement checked before relying on rental income. Law 5100/2024, Article 64: property investment residence.
Check the exact statutory scope and any relevant transitional position for the acquisition. Do not assume an older permit, a platform listing or a guaranteed-yield offer settles the legal question. Letting arrangements also have tax, planning and contractual consequences.
Family eligibility depends on the statutory relationship and, where relevant, age or dependency conditions. Prepare an individual evidence and attendance plan for every applicant. A relative is not included solely because the investor pays their living costs.
A properly drafted power of attorney can support parts of the property and application process, where permitted. It does not remove required lawful entry, biometric enrolment or other personal steps. Avoid booking travel on an assurance that the entire process can always be completed without visiting Greece.
A valid Greek residence permit or long-stay visa generally permits short visits to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, subject to the applicable entry conditions. It does not give a general right to live or work in another EU country. Do not treat an application receipt as interchangeable with a residence card: departure, transit and re-entry need a document-specific check. European Commission: travel to another EU country with a residence permit.
An investor permit does not itself grant general access to employment in Greece. Holding it for seven years is not an automatic route to citizenship: any naturalisation application must meet the applicable actual-residence, language, integration and other requirements.
The property route provides a five-year permit, renewable subject to its conditions. Continued ownership or the qualifying contractual basis and other statutory requirements must be checked. The specific rule that absences do not prevent investor-permit renewal should not be confused with tax residence, long-term resident status or citizenship requirements. Law 5100/2024, Article 64: property investment residence.
The investment price is not the complete budget. Obtain separate estimates for taxes, notarial and registration charges, legal work, engineering, translations, insurance and public application fees. No rental yield or processing date is guaranteed.
The statutory higher-threshold regional rule covers Attica, not just central Athens. Special conversion or listed-building routes must be assessed separately.
No. The cited 120 sq m principal-space condition applies to the standard regional routes for built property or property with a building permit, not indiscriminately to all special routes.
The current standard property routes described here require one property. Do not assume several purchases can be added together; historical and special cases need separate review.
No. Greek residence and short visits to other Schengen states are different from permission to reside or work in another country.
Sources checked on 10 October 2026. Read the relevant provision together with amendments and the requirements for your case.
Request an initial 20-minute discovery call, or send a brief outline of your situation. The firm will confirm availability and the scope and fees for any further work. An enquiry does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
For an imminent deadline, telephone the office. Do not rely on the enquiry form to protect a deadline.