Greece Golden Visa 2026 Explained: Requirements, Thresholds and the €250,000 Myth

"Buy any home in Greece for €250,000 and get a Golden Visa" is still printed on plenty of listings and articles. It has not been true since 2024. The programme now has three separate thresholds, and which one applies depends on where the property is and what kind of property it is. This article sets out the 2026 rules from the law itself and from dated official figures.

01What the Golden Visa is

Its official name is the investor's permanent residence permit. The programme began in 2013 under Law 4146/2013. Today's thresholds are set by Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, published in April 2024.

The permit is issued for five years and is renewed for as long as the property is held. There is no obligation to live in Greece. Our main reference for the whole programme is the Greek Golden Visa guide for international investors; this article goes deeper into the thresholds and the most common misunderstandings.

02Three thresholds in 2026: €800,000, €400,000 and €250,000

The Greek state's official housing policy portal, stegasi.gov.gr, defines the €800,000 zone as the whole of the Attica region, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100. Everywhere else falls in the €400,000 zone.

Two details are often missed. First, on the €800,000 and €400,000 routes the investment goes into a single property; two smaller apartments cannot be added together to reach the threshold. Second, the test is the administrative boundary, not the city centre: Glyfada and Kifisia are both in Attica, and Kalamaria is in Thessaloniki. Cities such as Kavala, Alexandroupoli or the Halkidiki area sit in the €400,000 group. For the region-by-region list, see our regional threshold map; for an example from the €400,000 zone, see our Alexandroupoli guide.

03The €250,000 myth: which properties qualify

The €250,000 threshold still exists, but it is now the exception rather than the rule. The law accepts this amount in two cases only:

• Conversion: a property in commercial or industrial use, such as an office, shop or workshop, converted to residential use (in Greek, αλλαγή χρήσης). The change of use must be completed before the residence permit application is filed.
• Restoration: the restoration of a listed (protected) building or part of one.

On these two routes there is no regional boundary and no 120 sq m rule; they apply in central Athens too. By contrast, if an ordinary resale apartment or a newly built home is offered as Golden Visa eligible at €250,000, that claim does not match the law. When a listing says "€250,000 Golden Visa", the first question to ask is this: what was the property's previous use, and is there a change-of-use document? We explain the paperwork for this route step by step in our commercial-to-residential conversion guide.

04Who can apply and which family members are covered

Citizens of countries outside the EU and the EEA can apply. A single investment also covers these family members:

• the spouse,
• children under 21,
• the parents of both spouses.

For the documents and how the age limit works, see our family reunification article. The figures show who is using the programme: according to the Ministry's August 2026 bulletin, of the 26,690 investor permits granted for the first time, 12,664 (47.4%) are held by Chinese nationals and 5,107 (19.1%) by Turkish nationals, the second-largest group.

05What the Golden Visa gives and what it does not

What it gives:

• A five-year right of residence in Greece, renewable without limit.
• Visa-free travel in the other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• The right to let the property on a long-term lease and earn rental income.
• Access to Greek state and private schools for children.

What it does not give:

• It is not a work permit for employment. The holder cannot work for an employer in Greece, but can own shares in a company and receive dividends.
• It is not citizenship or an EU passport. Greek citizenship requires seven years of actual, lawful residence in the country, tax residency and passing a language and history exam. For an investor who visits a few weeks a year, that clock does not start.
• It does not allow short-term letting. A property bought for the Golden Visa cannot be let short-term (Airbnb-style). Law 5100/2024 provides for a €50,000 administrative fine and revocation of the permit for a breach.

If the property is sold, the permit ends. For what to do when the card expires, see our card renewal guide.

06Costs: what comes on top of the threshold

The threshold is the price stated in the deed; taxes and fees come on top. The largest item is transfer tax. Today, on purchases subject to transfer tax, the rate is 3.09% including the municipal surcharge.

Added to this are notary, land registry and lawyer's fees, plus the state fee for the residence permit: €2,000 for the main applicant and €150 for each family member. For an item-by-item calculation, see our Golden Visa total cost article. This table is not investment advice; it is a checklist for budgeting.

07The application process in six steps

1. Choose the route: €800,000, €400,000 or the €250,000 conversion. This is decided before the property search starts.
2. Tax number and bank account: obtain a Greek tax number (AFM) and open an account with a Greek bank for the payment.
3. Property selection and legal due diligence: an independent lawyer checks title, mortgages, planning status and, for a conversion, the change-of-use documents.
4. Preliminary contract and deed: the transfer is signed before a notary, the tax is paid and the deed is registered.
5. Application: the file is uploaded to the online system; the application receipt lets the investor stay in Greece lawfully.
6. Biometrics and card: fingerprints are taken and the card is printed.

For how long each stage takes, see our processing time and timeline article. Waiting time depends on the queue: at the end of August 2026, 7,686 investor applications were pending.

08The draft bill to watch for 2027

On 18 October 2026 the Ministry of Finance opened a draft bill for public consultation. It raises transfer tax on home purchases to 15% for individuals who are tax resident outside the EU and the EEA, and applies it to contracts signed from 1 July 2027. The text contains no exemption for Golden Visa investors. The consultation closed on 1 November 2026. As of 6 November 2026, the date of this article, we found no record of the bill being tabled in Parliament; it is a draft, not a law, and it may change in Parliament. The thresholds are not part of the bill: €800,000, €400,000 and €250,000 remain in force.

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AuthorM. Sami Akbeniz

A senior economist, graduate of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and a graduate of Istanbul University Business Administration with 33 years in business; founder of Avla. Today the focus is Greece: homes for Golden Visa and for investment. He reads every shortlist and every agreement himself.

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