Greek Golden Visa 2026 updates — the current framework.
The Greek Golden Visa was restructured significantly during 2024-2025. The single-threshold programme of earlier years was replaced with a zoned structure that prices Athens, Athens Riviera, Thessaloniki and popular islands at €800,000 while keeping lower thresholds available elsewhere. Here's the 2026 picture for prospective applicants and current holders.
The zoned structure
The current Greek Golden Visa programme has three investment thresholds depending on location:
Zone A — €800,000
The "premium" zone covers the most-demanded property markets:
- Athens (most municipalities of greater Athens)
- Athens Riviera (Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonisi)
- Thessaloniki municipality
- Mykonos and Santorini in their entirety
- Specific high-demand municipalities defined in the legislation
For applicants whose preferred property is in Zone A, the minimum qualifying investment is €800,000 in a single property. The investment can be a single residential property or a single commercial property meeting the threshold; cannot be aggregated across multiple smaller purchases.
Zone B — €400,000
Most of the rest of Greece — wider Attica beyond the highest-demand zones, the broader Peloponnese, most popular islands not in Zone A, Crete, Chalkidiki, Larissa, Patras, etc. €400,000 minimum investment per single property.
Zone C — €250,000 (with conditions)
Specific property categories at the lowest threshold:
- Conversion of commercial buildings to residential
- Restoration of buildings classified as historic or listed
- Some other defined categories with social/development objectives
The €250,000 tier requires the property to meet specific criteria; it's not simply "any property under €400K." The legal review of qualifying category is important and is best done with a lawyer experienced in Golden Visa applications.
The application process
For prospective applicants, the broad steps:
- Greek tax representation and ΑΦΜ acquisition. Required before property purchase. See our tax representative guide.
- Identify qualifying property. Must meet the zone-specific threshold; due diligence essential. See our true costs piece and cadastre due diligence.
- Property purchase via Greek lawyer. See our lawyer selection guide. The purchase funds must be paid through Greek bank account from outside Greece, with full source-of-funds documentation.
- Residence permit application. Submitted to the Greek Migration Office within a defined window after property purchase completion. Documentation includes: purchase deed, ΑΦΜ, valid passport, health insurance covering Greece, criminal record checks from all countries of residence in past 10 years, biometric data.
- Approval and permit issuance. Typical processing 3-9 months depending on Migration Office workload.
- Family members. The main applicant can include spouse, dependent children, and (with conditions) parents and parents-in-law.
What changed in the 2024-2025 restructuring
Before the restructuring:
- Single national threshold of €250,000 anywhere in Greece
- Could be aggregated across multiple smaller properties
- Heavy concentration of investment in central Athens, Riviera, and popular islands — driving local price inflation
After the restructuring:
- Zoned thresholds as above
- Single-property requirement (no aggregation in Zone A)
- Specific qualifying categories for Zone C
- Stricter source-of-funds documentation
- Renewal cycle and minimum-stay requirements adjusted
The policy intent: shift investment toward less-saturated markets and toward property categories that produce social benefit (urban regeneration via Zone C conversion, restoration of historic stock).
Holding period and use restrictions
Once granted, the Golden Visa requires the qualifying property to remain in the holder's ownership for the duration of residency. Specifics:
- Cannot sell during residency period. Sale terminates the residency unless replaced with another qualifying investment.
- Can let the property. Short-term or long-term rental is permitted, subject to Law 5170/2025 STR compliance if let on Airbnb-type platforms. Some Zone A properties in central Athens Districts 1-3 are inside the STR freeze, so STR is currently not available even though the visa allows it.
- Minimum-stay requirements. Currently 7 days per 2-year renewal cycle, which most owners exceed naturally. Greek Migration Office tracks entry/exit through standard immigration data.
Renewal cycle
The Golden Visa is issued for 5 years initially, renewable indefinitely as long as:
- Qualifying property is still owned
- Minimum stay requirements met
- Holder has not committed disqualifying offences
- Documentation kept current
After 7 years of continuous Golden Visa residency, eligibility for permanent residency or naturalisation becomes possible (subject to Greek language and integration requirements).
What current Golden Visa holders should be aware of
- Existing visas remain valid under their original terms. The 2024-2025 changes apply to new applications, not retroactively to existing visas.
- Property care and documentation matters more than under earlier programmes. Stricter renewal scrutiny means clean property documentation, ENFIA compliance, and good local representation reduce friction.
- STR compliance is necessary if you let. The 5170/2025 framework applies to your Golden Visa property if you Airbnb it.
- The property staying in your name matters. Family-internal transfers (gifting to children, etc.) need careful planning — they can affect visa status.
The practical service question
Golden Visa holders typically live abroad. Property care between visits is the operational issue. The visa requires you to remain owner; it doesn't require you to be present. Our Golden Visa Property Care service is built for exactly this — documented oversight during the holding period, STR audit if you let, full bill and admin coordination.
Our Golden Visa Property Care service supports holders through the full residency period. Schedule a 30-minute call — we can talk through your specific situation.