The Greece golden visa is open in 2026, but real estate now needs €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and large islands, and €400,000 elsewhere, in a single property of at least 120 square meters. A reduced €250,000 route exists only for converting commercial buildings to homes or restoring listed buildings.
Greece launched its golden visa in 2013 with a €250,000 property purchase. The thresholds have risen sharply since then, and new rules ban short-term rentals on qualifying properties. This guide explains the current thresholds, the reduced €250,000 categories, the permit rules, the family members you can include, the tax points to check and the mistakes that cost investors money. The thresholds and rental rules come from a legal analysis dated 9 September 2026 and a second guide dated 6 July 2026. The filing statistics come from a third page covering the first half of 2026 and the end of July 2026. All three are secondary sources, so confirm every figure with the Greek authorities and a Greek lawyer before you sign a contract. If you are an American planning a move, your passport comes first, and our US passport guide covers how to get or renew one.
Is There a Greece Golden Visa in 2026?
Yes, the Greece golden visa is open through real estate, with higher thresholds than in the past. The current rules came from Law 5100/2024, which amended the Migration Code.
The legal analysis dated 9 September 2026 says Article 64 of Law 5100/2024 amended Article 100 of the Migration Code and introduced the current thresholds and categories. A Joint Ministerial Decision published in the Government Gazette on 11 November 2025 is cited as a further source. The permit is a renewable five-year residence permit with Schengen access.
Compare this with the closed Spanish route in our Spain golden visa guide, and with the fund-based Portuguese route in our Portugal golden visa guide. Greece is one of the few European programs where a property purchase still leads to a residence permit.
What Are the Investment Thresholds?
The thresholds are €800,000 in high-demand areas, €400,000 elsewhere and €250,000 for two special categories. The table shows the details.
| Category | Amount | Main condition |
| High-demand areas | €800,000 | Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100 |
| Rest of Greece | €400,000 | Single property of at least 120 m² |
| Change of use | €250,000 | Non-residential building converted to residential after 5 April 2024 |
| Listed building | €250,000 | Restoration or reconstruction of a listed building |
The legal analysis adds three rules. The investment must be in a single property, so smaller units cannot be added together. Built property, or property with an issued building permit, must have main areas of at least 120 square meters, and storage and parking do not count toward that size. The second guide agrees and says combining smaller properties is no longer allowed under the standard categories. A third page gives the same size as roughly 1,291 square feet.
A guide to the history gives the earlier steps: €250,000 at the 2013 launch, then €500,000 in high-demand areas from August 2023, then the 2024 amounts of €800,000 and €400,000.
How Do the €250,000 Categories Work?
The €250,000 route is limited to changing a building to residential use or restoring a listed building, and each has strict conditions. It is not a bargain route for a normal purchase.
The legal analysis gives these conditions:
- Change of use: The change from non-residential to residential must be legally completed before filing, must have occurred after 5 April 2024 and must be evidenced by the prescribed engineer’s certificate. The 120 m² rule does not apply.
- Listed building: Full restoration is required before the first renewal after five years, and a transfer before the restoration is complete is void.
- Other non-residential uses: These may also qualify if the statutory conditions are met.
These are projects, not simple purchases. Costs for engineers, permits and works are extra, and the timeline depends on the building. Ask a Greek lawyer to review the title, the building permit and the certificate before you pay a deposit. Our Italy golden visa guide shows how another country handles investor visas without a property link.
What Does the Permit Give You?
The permit lasts five years, can be renewed every five years while the investment is held, and carries no minimum stay. Family members can be included.
The second guide gives these points:
- Validity: Five years, renewable every five years if you keep the investment.
- Family: Spouse, children up to age 21 and the parents of both spouses.
- Stay: No minimum stay requirement.
- Tax: Holding the permit does not make you a Greek tax resident unless you spend more than 183 days a year in Greece.
- Citizenship: May be possible after seven years of lawful residence, according to the same guide.
- Processing: Applications are “commonly completed within a few months,” and a certificate of submission lets you remain legally in Greece in the meantime.
The guide does not state government fees. It mentions a property transfer tax paid through the banking system but gives no rate. Ask your lawyer for a written cost sheet that lists the transfer tax, notary, lawyer, registry and permit fees before you commit. US citizens remain subject to US tax reporting wherever they live, so also speak with a cross-border tax adviser.
What Is the Short-Term Rental Ban?
Properties acquired for a golden visa cannot be let short term through the sharing economy or subleased, and a breach can mean revocation and a €50,000 fine. The ban matters for island buyers.
The legal analysis states the rule clearly:
- Restriction: Properties acquired for the grant or renewal of a permit may not be let short term within the sharing-economy framework, nor subleased.
- Penalty: Breach can lead to revocation and a €50,000 fine.
- Not retroactive: The ban does not apply to properties acquired under the previous regime or completed within the transitional period.
- Long-term lets: These are not prohibited, and the owner is not required to lease.
This changes the math for a buyer who planned to cover costs with holiday rentals. Before you buy, ask whether your property falls under the old or the new regime, and get the answer in writing. Compare it with the UAE route in our UAE golden visa guide, where the property rules differ.
How Popular Is the Program Now?
New applications fell about 44 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025, but permits granted rose about 21 percent. The numbers show how the higher thresholds changed demand.
A page on the filing statistics gives these figures:
- New applications: 4,553 in the first half of 2025 and 2,551 in the first half of 2026.
- Permits granted: 4,057 in the first half of 2025 and 4,919 in the first half of 2026.
- Active permits: 34,278 Active Investor Permanent Residence Permits at the end of July 2026.
- Pending: 7,850 applications at the end of July 2026, made up of 6,315 initial applications and 1,535 renewals or reissuances.
- Location: Attica, including Athens, accounted for 5,730 of the pending cases.
The page does not explain every cause, so treat the drop as a sign that higher thresholds reduce demand, not as proof. The rise in permits granted suggests the backlog is being worked down.
What Could Change Next?
A national housing strategy for 2026 to 2035 proposes a future portfolio-based category, but it is not in force. Do not assume you can combine properties.
The legal analysis says the strategy went through consultation from 18 June to 3 July 2026, was approved on 23 July 2026 and was published in the Government Gazette on 17 August 2026. It proposes a portfolio-based golden visa category in future. The analysis warns that transactions should not assume multiple properties can be aggregated. In other words, plan around today’s single-property rule and do not buy based on a proposal.
What Documents and Steps Do You Need?
Prepare your passport, proof of funds, a tax number, a Greek bank account and the property title documents. Your lawyer should handle the title checks.
A typical order of steps looks like this:
- Choose the region and the category, and check the 120 m² rule.
- Have a lawyer check title, permits, debts and planning status.
- Open a Greek bank account and transfer the funds.
- Sign the purchase contract and register the title.
- File the residence application and receive the certificate of submission.
- Attend biometrics and collect the permit.
Our visa documents checklist tool helps you keep papers together, and the visa processing time calculator gives a rough timeline. If your passport is close to expiry, American applicants can use our passport renewal guide first.
How Do You Spot a Greece Golden Visa Scam?
Be careful with any seller who promises a golden visa for a property below the threshold or guarantees rental income. Verify the title yourself.
Be careful when a seller:
- Offers a €250,000 property in a €800,000 area.
- Promises short-term rental income from a qualifying property.
- Sells several small flats to reach the threshold.
- Asks you to pay a deposit before a lawyer checks the title.
- Guarantees approval or a fixed return.
Only the Greek authorities decide applications, and no agent can guarantee the result. Check the property register and building permit yourself, with a Greek lawyer of your own choosing.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Buying several small units, ignoring the rental ban and skipping title checks cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Buying more than one property to reach the threshold.
- Buying a property under 120 square meters.
- Counting parking and storage toward the main area.
- Planning holiday lets on a qualifying property.
- Using an old guide that still shows €250,000 or €500,000.
- Skipping legal checks on title and building permits.
- Forgetting the 183-day tax test and US tax reporting.
- Relying on secondary sources instead of Greek authorities.
When unsure, use the official source and a Greek lawyer. For other countries, compare our guides to the Germany golden visa, the UK golden visa, the Canada golden visa and the US golden visa.
FAQs
How much is the Greece golden visa in 2026?
€800,000 in high-demand areas, €400,000 elsewhere and €250,000 for special categories, according to a September 2026 legal analysis.
Can I combine two properties?
No. The investment must be in a single property of at least 120 square meters, according to the same analysis.
Do I have to live in Greece?
No. The permit has no minimum stay requirement, according to a July 2026 guide.
Can I rent the property on Airbnb?
No. Short-term lets on qualifying properties are banned, with a possible €50,000 fine and revocation, with exceptions for older regimes.
Who can I include as family?
A spouse, children up to age 21 and the parents of both spouses, according to a July 2026 guide.
Does the permit make me a Greek tax resident?
Not by itself. A July 2026 guide says residency applies only if you spend more than 183 days a year in Greece.
Conclusion
The Greece golden visa is open, but the price has risen to €800,000 in key areas and €400,000 elsewhere, with a single-property rule and a short-term rental ban. The €250,000 route is limited to conversions and listed buildings. Plan around today’s rules, hire your own Greek lawyer, get a written cost sheet and avoid any seller who promises guaranteed rental income or approval.
