What Is a Greek Golden Visa?

A Golden visa is a type of residence visa with added benefits, offered by several European countries including Greece. It is an investment scheme that ensures visa-free travel in the Schengen zone to non-European investors and their families.

The Legal Basis for a Golden Visa in Greece

Residence by investment in Greece is governed by Immigration Law 5038/2023, as amended by Law 5100/2024. It allows qualifying third-country nationals to obtain a Greek investor residence permit by making a qualifying investment; the permit supports Schengen mobility subject to the applicable rules. The permit is generally issued for five years and is renewable while the qualifying investment and the other applicable legal conditions continue. It does not itself grant dependent employment rights, and it is not EU citizenship or EU permanent-resident status.

Eligibility

The programme is open to third-country nationals whose main applicant is over 18 and whose investment meets the applicable threshold for the route: €800,000 or €400,000 on the standard property routes depending on the area, €250,000 only for special statutory property categories, and category-specific minimums for financial and business routes. Every application is subject to the standard eligibility and due-diligence checks.

Golden Visa for Families

Children under 21 years of age, parents, spouse or partner with a co-habitation agreement (concluded in Greece) and in-laws of the main investor can benefit from the same investment and receive their own Greek residence permit on the same terms too.

Investment Options

Property Acquisition — The most common way of acquiring a Golden Visa is through property acquisition, although there are alternatives related to business investments and financial products.

General Investment — Through general investment in promising fields of the Greek economy (energy, tourism, F&B, manufacturing, logistics, life sciences, ICT), we propose business ventures that suit your individual needs and expertise.

The Three Statutory Routes

Schengen Travel

A Greek residence permit allows visa-free travel across the 29-country Schengen Area for stays of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. It is a residence permit for Greece — it does not by itself grant the right to live or work in another member state.

What the Permit Does Not Give You

The Golden Visa is a residence permit, not a work permit: it does not give the holder or their family access to the Greek labour market. It does not restrict business ownership — an investor may hold shares in a Greek company and serve as a director or board member.

Renewal

The permit runs for five years and is renewed in five-year periods for as long as the qualifying investment is held in full. Time spent outside Greece does not affect renewal. If the investment is sold or otherwise given up, the basis for the permit ends — so any planned exit is worth discussing with us before it happens rather than after.

Applying from Abroad

In most cases the process can be completed without travelling to Greece. A Power of Attorney signed at a Greek consulate lets our team obtain your Greek tax number (AFM), coordinate the bank account opening, complete the investment and file the application on your behalf — though the bank retains final discretion over account opening and may request additional KYC steps. A visit to Greece is needed only to give biometric data for the residence card itself.