Greece Golden Visa Minimum Investment 2026 and Requirements

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: September 2026

Greece golden visa minimum investment 2026: €250,000 for a completed conversion or listed restoration, €400,000 for a standard home in most of Greece, and €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands. Beyond the money, the requirements are limited: a non-EU passport, a clean record, health insurance, and a documented source of funds.

Greece golden visa requirements 2026: key facts

• Minimum Investment of €250,000, €400,000 or €800,000. by property type and zone; €350,000 funds; €500,000 bonds, deposit or shares
• Open to Non-EU/EEA Adults. no nationality bar; sanctions screening applies
• Payment by Bank Transfer from Your Own Account. cash and third-party payments disqualify the purchase
• Clean Criminal Record Required. police certificate from country of residence; no entry ban in Schengen
• Greek Private Health Cover Required. for every family member, arranged before filing
• Spouse or Partner, Children Under 21 and Parents Included. children may extend to 24 on renewal
• No Minimum Stay Requirement. no language test, no income test
• Verified on 27 September 2026. Ministry of Migration and Asylum

Greece golden visa eligibility requirements

The Greek golden visa requirements are notable for what they do not include: no income threshold, no language, no minimum stay, no business plan.

Main applicant

• Non-EU, non-EEA national aged 18 or over
• Owns, or is buying, property that meets the tier for its location and the 120 m² rule where it applies; or holds a qualifying fund, bond, deposit or share investment
• Paid the full price by bank transfer from an account in the applicant's own name, in Greece or abroad
• Clean criminal record; not subject to a Schengen entry ban
• Private health insurance valid in Greece
• Entered Greece lawfully (a visitor visa or visa-free entry is enough) to give biometrics

Family members on the same file

• Spouse or registered partner
• Unmarried children under 21 of either spouse; on renewal they may keep the permit to 24
• Parents of the main applicant and of the spouse; no dependency test
• Each family member needs their own passport, insurance and police certificate where adult

The investment itself

• Registered area at least 120 m² for a single property at €400,000 or €800,000
• For the €250,000 tier: change of use to residential completed and registered, or listed-building restoration completed, before filing
• Property held in the applicant's name or through a company the applicant wholly owns
• Not used for short-term rental at any point while the permit is held
• Held for as long as the permit is renewed; sale without reinvestment ends it

Documents required for the Greece golden visa

Everything from outside Greece must be apostilled and translated by a certified translator. We prepare the list per family member and check each item before the lawyer files.

Identity and status

• Passport, full copy, valid for the whole process
• Entry stamp or visa showing lawful entry to Greece
• Four passport photographs per person
• Birth certificates for children; marriage or partnership certificate, apostilled

Investment

• Notarial purchase deed stating the price and the golden-visa purpose
• Land registry or cadastre registration certificate
• Proof of payment: bank transfer confirmations from an account in your name
• Notary's confirmation that the price was paid by bank transfer
• For conversions: the registered change of use; for listed buildings: the completion certificate

Character and cover

• Police clearance from the country of residence (FBI Identity History Summary for US residents; RCMP certified criminal record check for Canadian residents), under six months old
• Greek private health insurance certificate for every applicant
• Medical certificate from a Greek public hospital or licensed doctor for the main applicant
• State fee receipt (about €2,000 per adult application) and card fee (about €16)

Greece golden visa requirements for US and Canadian applicants

For US and Canadian citizens

These requirements are straightforward for US and Canadian citizens: FBI or RCMP clearance takes weeks, your bank transfer is traceable, and there is no income test. The key consideration is not on the list: your tax residence. Stay under 183 days a year and keep your home base in North America and your US or Canadian tax position does not change; move, and Greece taxes worldwide income under the US–Greece or Canada–Greece treaty, with departure tax for Canadians. The golden visa application does not address this; our assessment does.

For US and Canada residents on another passport

Greece imposes no nationality restriction, but sanctions and enhanced source-of-funds checks apply, and the money must move from an account in your own name; funds gifted by relatives need a documented gift. Your Canadian PR card or US visa does not count as 'residence in Greece' for anything, and the permit does not alter your status in North America. Police certificates are needed from your country of residence and usually your country of citizenship.

Common reasons Greek golden visa applications fail

• Wrong tier. A €400,000 house in a suburb that turns out to be in Attica, or on an island with 3,200 residents. We check the municipality against the law before the deposit.
• Under 120 m². The deed area, not the agent's listing, decides. Storerooms and balconies are argued about; we do not rely on them.
• Cash or a third party paid. Even part of the price paid in cash, or transferred from a spouse's or company's account, breaks the requirement. All money from your own account, by transfer.
• Conversion not registered. The €250,000 tier needs the change of use complete before filing, not promised for next year.
• Short-term rental history. A property that was on Airbnb after purchase, or where the seller's listing is still live under your ownership, exposes you to a €50,000 fine and revocation.
• Expired documents. Police certificates and medical certificates age out during a long purchase; we time them to the filing date.

There is no nationality restriction list, unlike Latvia or Malta, but EU-sanctioned persons and their close associates are refused.

Request a Greece golden visa file review before you buy

Send us your family composition, nationality, target area and budget. We reply in writing with the tier, the document list per person and any problem we see, before you commit money to a deposit. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Greece golden visa minimum investment in 2026?

€250,000 for a completed commercial-to-residential conversion or listed-building restoration anywhere; €400,000 for a standard home in most of Greece; €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands over 3,100 residents. Non-property: €350,000 in qualifying funds, or €500,000 in government bonds, a bank deposit or company shares. Figures verified 27 September 2026.

Is there an income or language requirement?

No. Greece has no minimum income, no language test and no minimum stay for the golden visa. You need health insurance valid in Greece, a clean record and proof that the investment was paid by bank transfer from your own account.

Do I need to be in Greece to apply?

Once. The purchase and filing can be done by your Greek lawyer under a power of attorney, but every family member must give fingerprints in Greece. Many clients combine this with the viewing trip. You must have entered Greece lawfully, which for US and Canadian passport holders means visa-free entry.

Can my adult children be included?

Children under 21 at filing, regardless of dependency, and they can renew until 24. Children over 21 need their own investment. Parents of both you and your spouse are included with no age or dependency test, which is unusual among European programmes.

This guide is part of our Greece Residency by Investment: Golden Visa overview.

Official sources and references

1. Greece Ministry of Migration and Asylum: residence permits for investors
2. FBI Identity History Summary Checks
3. RCMP certified criminal record check