Greece Golden Visa: The 2026 Guide to Residence Through Property

A five-year residence permit for buying property in Greece. The thresholds have risen, the property now comes with conditions, and most mistakes happen before the contract is signed.

The Golden Visa is Greece's residence permit for property investors. A non-EU national who buys qualifying real estate in Greece receives a five-year residence permit, renewable for as long as the property is kept. In the Migration Code it is the permit for investors in real estate, type Β.5, one of the investment permits of articles 96–100Α.

How much you need to invest

• €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents.
• €400,000 in the rest of Greece.
• Both higher tiers apply to a single property of at least 120 m². Several smaller flats no longer add up to the threshold.
• €250,000 for converting a commercial building to residential use, or restoring a listed building, anywhere in Greece.
• These are the thresholds as of October 2026. They have changed repeatedly, so the law in force on your filing date decides your case.

What it gives you — and what it does not

• The right to live in Greece for five years, renewable while you still own the property.
• Short stays in the other Schengen countries, as with any Greek residence permit.
• No right to employment in Greece. If you will work for a Greek employer, you need a different permit.
• Residency, not citizenship. Naturalisation has separate and much longer requirements.
• Tax is a separate question: living in Greece for more than 183 days a year generally makes you Greek tax resident.

How it works, step by step

1. Choose the property and have a lawyer check the title, building permits and any debts before you commit money.
2. Get a Greek tax number (AFM). You need it to buy, and usually a Greek bank account as well.
3. Sign the purchase contract before a notary and pay the price through the banking system, not in cash.
4. Register the transfer at the land registry or cadastre. The registration certificate goes into your file.
5. Apply for the residence permit with your passport, health insurance, the contract, the registration certificate and proof of payment, and give your biometrics.
6. Renew every five years, as long as you still own the qualifying property.

Family members

Your family can come with you and receive permits that expire together with yours. Since Law 5275/2026 that covers your spouse or registered partner, your unmarried children under 21, the parents of either spouse, and adult children who cannot manage their own affairs and live with you and depend on you. A child who turns 21 receives a separate three-year permit, on showing the previous family permit.

Common mistakes

• Counting several small flats towards the €400,000 or €800,000 tier, which requires one property of at least 120 m².
• Planning to rent the property out on Airbnb or a similar platform.
• Paying part of the price in cash or outside the banking system.
• Relying on last year's thresholds or an old article.
• Expecting the permit to allow work in Greece.