How Long Does the Greek Golden Visa Take? Processing Time & Timeline (2026)

AVLA REAL ESTATE · GREEK GOLDEN VISA

How Long Does the Greek Golden Visa Take in 2026?

Quick answer: Budget about 4 to 6 months from engaging an advisor to giving biometrics if your file is clean; the physical permit card follows a few weeks later. You can legally live in and travel through Greece on the application receipt while the card is produced.

Processing times improved through 2025: pending Golden Visa cases had piled to the tens of thousands, but the Ministry cleared much of the backlog and wait times fell to a roughly 14-month low. As of December 2025, Greece had issued 79,056 residence permits under the program. The single biggest variable in your own timeline is not the government — it is whether your source-of-funds file and the property title are clean before you submit.

By M. Sami Akbeniz — Founder, Avla Real Estate, Istanbul. Greek Golden Visa & Turkish Citizenship by Investment.

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Timeline at a glance

Stage	Typical duration	Who controls it
Property search & reservation	2–8 weeks	You
Due diligence, AFM, bank, funds transfer	4–6 weeks	You
Notary deed & title registration	1–3 weeks	Shared
Application, biometrics & permit card	2–4 months	Authorities

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01 The part you control (about 1–3 months)

Choosing a qualifying property, due diligence and the title check, getting a Greek tax number (AFM) and bank account, transferring funds and signing before a notary. Clean, well-organised source-of-funds paperwork is what keeps this phase short. Most of it can be done remotely by power of attorney. See the full step-by-step process →

02 The part the authorities control (2–4 months)

After submission you receive a biometrics appointment and then the permit card. This is where the backlog lives; it varies by region and season (summer is slower). You are legally allowed to stay in Greece on the application receipt throughout.

03 What quietly adds months — and how to avoid it

• An incomplete or unclear source-of-funds file

• A property whose title is not legally clean

• Documents not properly translated into Greek and apostilled

• Submitting in peak summer months

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Frequently asked questions

Can I speed up the Greek Golden Visa? You cannot speed up the authorities, but you control 1–3 months of the timeline: a clean file, pre-verified title and complete apostilled documents avoid the most common delays.

Do I have to be in Greece the whole time? No. Most steps are done remotely by power of attorney; typically you visit once for the deed/biometrics.

How long until I can travel Schengen? Once the residence permit card is issued you have full Schengen mobility (90 days in any 180).

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Sources: Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum (migration.gov.gr), December 2025; Investment Migration Insider — processing-time reporting.

Avla Real Estate manages the full Greek Golden Visa timeline for Turkish and international investors — clean files, legally vetted titles, and an independent Greek legal partner. realestate@avla.com.tr · +90 532 282 2657