Greek Golden Visa in a Child's Name: Can a Minor Be the Main Applicant? (2026)
AVLA REAL ESTATE · GREECE GOLDEN VISA · LEGAL GUIDE
Yes: in Greece the property can be bought in your child's name and the residence application can be filed in the child's name. The law sets no minimum age for the investor, and since 2020 this has been the Migration Ministry's binding practice. Three things decide whether the file works: a court permission for the purchase, full payment by bank transfer before the application, and an honest expectation about the parents' own residence.
At a Glance
No age requirement: Article 100 of the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) sets no minimum age for the investor; being an adult is required only where the property is acquired by inheritance or parental gift.
Official basis: Legal Council of State opinion 22/2020 — a third-country minor who owns the property, lawfully acquired, qualifies as an "investor". The Migration Ministry adopted the opinion on 16 November 2020 and circulated it to all regional directorates as binding.
Court permission: Under the Greek Civil Code, buying real estate in a minor's name requires the permission of the Magistrate's Court (Eirinodikeio); a contract signed without it can be voided.
Payment: The full price is paid by bank transfer before the application; a parent may pay from their own account. A minor cannot be put into debt, so the purchase is outright, not in instalments.
The child's permit does not lapse at 21: the child is the investor; the permit is renewed every five years for as long as the property is held.
Parents' residence: A parent cannot obtain an "investor" permit on the strength of the child's property (opinion 230/2019). Whether parents qualify as family members is not expressly regulated; there are approved cases in practice, but it is not promised without written confirmation for the specific file.
No age bands: Claims such as "the child must be at least 12", "no title deed under 14" or "no issues after 15" have no basis in law; the rule is the same from 0 to 18.
What the law says: no minimum age for the investor
Today's legal basis for the Greek Golden Visa is Article 100 of the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023). It requires the investor to be a third-country national who acquires real estate at the applicable threshold; it says nothing about a minimum age. The only place the law requires an adult ("of full age") is where the property is acquired by inheritance or parental gift. The purchase route carries no such condition.
The question reached the Ministry in 2019 through two real files: an apartment in Voula bought in the name of a 13-year-old, and a joint purchase by a 15-year-old. The Ministry asked the Legal Council of State whether a minor can count as an investor. Opinion 22/2020 answered that a third-country minor falls within the concept of "investor" as long as the minor owns the property and the acquisition was lawful; the minor acts through the legal representatives, the parents. The Migration Ministry adopted the opinion and, by its letter of 16 November 2020, made it binding on the regional directorates.
The same letter adopted a second opinion: under opinion 230/2019, a parent cannot obtain an "investor" residence permit for themselves on the basis of the child's property. The investor is the child.
The Hellenic Cadastre's official manual of uniform legal-review rules, applied at title registration, expressly recognises Golden Visa buyers under 18. This is not a loophole; it is a recorded and applied rule.
The process, step by step
Tax number (AFM): obtained for the child and, in practice, for both parents; there is no age limit. An apostilled birth certificate, passports and the consent of both parents are required.
Court permission: both parents apply, through a lawyer, to the Magistrate's Court. The petition describes the property, the maximum price, the source of funds and why the purchase serves the child's interest. In published decisions the process took roughly 3.5 to 6 months; the summer recess adds time.
Transfer-tax return: the buyer is the child; the tax can be paid from a parent's account.
Notarial deed: the parents sign as holders of parental responsibility (or through their attorney-in-fact), with the court decision attached. The full price is paid by bank transfer and the notary records the method of payment in the deed.
Cadastre registration: the deed is filed with the Cadastre office, which checks the representation and the court permission.
Golden Visa application: the child applies as the investor; the fee is €2,000 and is paid only for the investor. Children under six give no fingerprints and need not attend; a child aged six or over attends once, with a parent.
For a family living abroad most of the work is done remotely through an apostilled power of attorney; the child does not need to be in Greece for the court, notary or bank stages.
Why the court permission is essential
Under the Greek Civil Code, an acquisition of real estate for consideration in a minor's name is not an act the parents can complete on their own: the Magistrate's Court must permit it (Civil Code articles 1526 and 1624). A deed signed without permission is relatively void, and a permission obtained afterwards does not cure the defect. The court looks at the child's interest and may attach conditions, such as a maximum price or payment from a specified account.
One nuance matters in practice. Some notaries and cadastre offices accept a transaction under the law of the child's nationality; Turkish civil law, for example, does not require a judge's approval for a purchase in a child's favour, parental representation suffices. Other offices insist on the Greek court permission. This difference of interpretation is the real source of the observation that "some cadastre offices cause problems". Your lawyer should therefore confirm with the notary and the cadastre office of the property's district which document they will require, before the transaction. The safe route is to obtain the Greek court permission from the outset.
The payment rule: by bank, in full, upfront
The Golden Visa law requires the entire price to be paid by bank transfer or crossed cheque and to be fully paid before the residence application is filed. Cash is prohibited; the notarial deed records how payment was made. The law allows the payment to be made by the spouse or by a blood relative up to the second degree, so the parents may pay for the property bought in the child's name from their own accounts. A Greek bank account in the child's name is not required.
A second rule applies specifically to minors: a child cannot be put into debt. Deferred payment, seller credit, a bank loan or a mortgage in the child's name would each need a separate court permission and are not done in practice; Turkish law takes the same line. The correct structure for a purchase in a child's name is therefore full payment before or at the signing of the deed.
Common myths about age
"The main applicant must be over 18": false. The law sets no age; minor investors have been accepted since 2020.
"The child must be at least 12": false. No such threshold exists.
"No title deed can be issued under 14": false. The Cadastre's manual treats buyers under and over 14 identically; the number 14 appears only in the Ministry's question to the Legal Council and carries no consequence.
"No issues after 15": false. Age 15 concerns the capacity to sign an employment contract under the Civil Code; for real estate the rule is the same from 0 to 18: representation plus court permission.
The only age line is biometric: children under six give no fingerprints.
The parents' residence: an honest picture
The most frequent question about this structure is: "If I buy in my child's name, do I get residence too?" The answer has three parts.
The first is settled: a parent cannot obtain an "investor" permit on the strength of the child's property (opinion 230/2019).
The second is not expressly regulated. The Migration Code's list of family members covers the ascendants of the investor and of the spouse, that is, their parents; there is no separate provision for the parents of a minor investor. The Council's majority did not address the point, and the minority noted that the family clause was written with an adult investor in mind.
The third is practice: files published in 2025–2026 show parents receiving family-member cards alongside a child who bought a converted apartment; at the same time, some Athens law firms take the view that parents cannot obtain a permit this way.
Avla's position: we do not build this structure on the parents' residence. If the goal is residence for the whole family, the safe route is for a parent to be the main applicant with the child included as a dependant until 21; a child who turns 21 receives an independent three-year permit. If the goal is to give the child a residence right in their own name, one that does not expire with age, plus an asset, a purchase in the child's name is a strong option. The two can be combined: one property at the parent's threshold and one at the child's. Each property must meet the threshold on its own.
One trap to avoid: buying in your own name first and gifting the property to the child later does not work. When ownership changes, the parent's permit ends, and a child who acquires by gift cannot use that property for a Golden Visa unless they are an adult.
Advantages and drawbacks
Advantages
The child's residence permit is in their own name; the age-21 limit does not apply, and it is renewed for as long as the property is held.
The property is in the child's estate from the start, an early foundation for succession planning and for future study, work or relocation.
Greece is the only European programme that formally recognises this option; Portugal, Malta and Cyprus require the main applicant to be 18.
Drawbacks
The property is "locked" until the child turns 18: a sale or a mortgage again requires court permission.
The court permission adds 3 to 6 months to the timeline and a lawyer's fee.
The parents' residence is not guaranteed; written confirmation is needed for the specific file.
After 18 the child may sell freely, and a sale ends the Golden Visa.
Tax and financial notes
Parental gift in Greece: money given by parents to a child is taxed at 0% up to €800,000 when it passes through a bank; whether a declaration is required depends on the payment route, and your lawyer will confirm.
Home country: a Turkish-citizen child receiving money from a parent, or property abroad, falls under Turkey's Inheritance and Gift Tax Law; a reduced rate applies between parent and child and a filing deadline exists. Plan it with your accountant.
Transfer tax: 3.09%. In September 2026 the government announced that transfer tax on residential purchases by non-EU individuals would rise to 15% from 1 July 2027; it has not been enacted and its application to Golden Visa purchases is unclear. Completing a purchase in a child's name before mid-2027 removes that risk.
Annual property tax (ENFIA) is declared under the child's tax number; any rental income is added to the parent's income.
Frequently asked questions
From what age can property be bought in a child's name? At any age. The rule is the same from 0 to 18: parental representation and court permission. There are no age bands.
Does the child have to travel to Greece? Not for the court, notary or bank stages. For the residence application a child aged six or over attends once for biometrics, with a parent; under six it is not required.
Who pays the price? The parents may pay by bank transfer from their own accounts. The full price must be paid before the application; cash is not accepted.
Can the child take a loan or pay in instalments? No. A minor cannot be put into debt; the purchase is paid outright.
Can we sell the property later? Until the child turns 18 a sale requires court permission; after 18 the child may sell freely, but a sale ends the Golden Visa.
Do the parents get residence as well? A parent cannot obtain an "investor" permit themselves. A family-member permit for the parents is not expressly regulated; there are cases in practice, but it is not promised without written confirmation for the specific file. For certain residence for the whole family, the structure with a parent as main applicant is safer.
Is the threshold different for a child? No. The threshold follows the property and its location: €800,000 in the Attica region, €400,000 in most other regions, and €250,000 regardless of location for properties whose conversion from commercial to residential use has been completed or for the restoration of listed buildings.
If you are considering a property in your child's name and a residence right of their own, let us map the structure together: the court-permission timeline, the payment flow and the confirmation on the parents' permits. → WhatsApp: +90 532 318 4567 · info@avlarealestate.com
Golden Visa eligibility and threshold confirmation are verified through independent legal due diligence; reservation formalities follow the completion of that review. This article is general information; each file requires the opinion of a lawyer admitted in Greece.
Sources: Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code) articles 95 and 100; Legal Council of State opinions 22/2020 and 230/2019; Migration Ministry letter 39055/16.11.2020; Greek Civil Code articles 127–137, 1510–1528, 1624; Hellenic Cadastre, Manual of Uniform Legal-Review Rules (5th edition); Law 2961/2001 (gift tax) article 44; Turkish Inheritance and Gift Tax Law (7338) articles 1 and 4.
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