a five-year renewable residence permit under Law 5100/2024, from €250,000 in Greek real estate
Greece residency by investment, the Greece golden visa, is a five-year renewable residence permit for buying property from €250,000 (approved conversions) or €400,000 for a standard home, rising to €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands. There is no minimum stay. It is a permit, not a passport, and the property cannot be let short-term.
Figures verified 27 September 2026 · Licensed CICC consultant, Toronto
Real estate is the route almost everyone uses. The three price tiers are set by location and property type; full detail on the tiers page. Non-property routes exist for clients who do not want to own a home.
€800,000
€400,000
€250,000
€350,000
€500,000
Government costs on top: about €2,000 state fee per adult application, a residence card fee of about €16, transfer tax of 3.09% (or 24% VAT on new builds where the developer has not opted into the VAT suspension, which runs to 31 December 2026), notary and lawyer fees of roughly 3–4% of the price, and annual ENFIA property tax. Figures verified 27 September 2026.
Jane Katkova has advised on citizenship and residence by investment since 1998. We confirm eligibility, the complete fee schedule and the realistic processing time before you pay anything, and we advise against a programme when it does not fit your circumstances.
The Greece golden visa has three prices since Law 5100/2024: €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands over 3,100 residents; €400,000 everywhere else; €250,000 for completed commercial-to-residential conversions or listed-building restorations anywhere. At the two higher tiers the purchase must be one property of at least 120 m².
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 property investment for residency follows a clear procedure: acquire a qualifying home at the threshold for its zone and file. The obligations that most often create cost apply after completion: no short-term rental (€50,000 fine, permit revoked), 3.09% transfer tax or 24% VAT, annual ENFIA, and a proposed 15% transfer tax for non-EU buyers from 2027.
Greece citizenship by investment is not a programme. Greece has no golden passport; what it grants for investment is a residence permit. A Greek passport comes only through naturalisation after seven years of actually living in Greece, a B1 Greek certificate and a citizenship exam. Years spent holding the golden visa from Toronto or Texas do not count toward naturalisation.
Read more about the path from Greece residence to citizenship
Six to twelve months on average in 2026. We manage the file from Toronto with a Greek lawyer acting under power of attorney; you make one trip for biometrics, or none if the appointment is done during a viewing trip.
We confirm your tier, family composition, source of funds and whether you will exceed 183 days. You receive a written cost estimate including tax and fees.
The lawyer obtains your AFM (tax number) and opens a Greek bank account. The purchase price must arrive from an account in your name by bank transfer; no cash.
Title, planning, encumbrances, the 120 m² test and the short-term-rental history are checked before you commit. Preliminary contract with a deposit.
Final deed, transfer tax paid, registration at the land registry. The deed states the golden-visa purpose.
The application goes to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum through the decentralised administration for your region. You receive a temporary certificate that lets you remain in Greece while it is pending.
Fingerprints and photograph at the appointment; then the five-year permit card for each family member.
The residence card complements your passport. Below is what it changes and what it does not.
| Your situation | What Greece adds | What it does not change |
|---|---|---|
| US citizen | A home in the EU, Schengen movement without the 90/180 rule, a permit for the whole family, no obligation to move | US worldwide taxation, FBAR and FATCA; no EU passport without seven years in Greece |
| Canadian citizen | The same, plus a winter base; Canadian tax residence untouched under 183 days | Departure tax and loss of provincial health cover if you actually move; no fast passport |
| US/Canada resident on another passport | Visa-free Schengen on the residence card; an EU contingency residence; children can study in Greece | Your US or Canadian status; entry to the UK, US or Canada; nationality-based visa rules elsewhere |
Photo: George Girnas / Unsplash
Photo: George Girnas / Unsplash
Photo: Mark / Unsplash
Photo: Eleni Afiontzi / UnsplashSearch results call this 'Greece permanent residence by investment'. Legally it is a five-year residence permit for investors (Law 5100/2024), renewable indefinitely while the investment is held. It does not become permanent on its own, and it lapses if you sell without reinvesting. Long-term EU residence status is a separate application after five years of actual residence in Greece with A2 Greek; citizenship after seven with B1. We set this out because clients often expect a permanent card, and a passport in year seven without living in Greece; neither is correct. What the programme does provide: a permit with no minimum stay, a home you own, and family members on the same application. Detail on requirements, property rules and the citizenship path.
Our typical Greece golden visa client in Toronto wants a home in Europe to use at any time, Schengen movement without the 90/180 rule, and a permit that remains valid without relocation. Greece provides exactly that, and nothing more. Tax follows residence, not the card. Stay under 183 days a year and keep your centre of vital interests in North America and you remain a US or Canadian tax resident with a Greek holiday home. Cross 183 days, or move the family, and Greece taxes your worldwide income, with the US–Greece and Canada–Greece treaties preventing most double taxation but not the filing. Americans file US returns, FBAR and FATCA wherever they live; a Greek bank account is reported. Canadians who sever residential ties pay departure tax on deemed dispositions of most assets the day they leave. Establish which of these positions applies to you before you sign a preliminary contract.
For clients from India, China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan and the Gulf, the Greek residence card means visa-free movement across the Schengen area and a base in the EU if your US or Canadian status ends. It does not change that status, and it does not admit you to the UK, the US or Canada. Greece does not bar nationalities the way some programmes do, but source-of-funds checks are thorough, and money must arrive from a bank account in your name. Naturalisation is possible but requires actual residence: seven years of living in Greece and a B1 Greek exam. For most clients in this group the €400,000 tier outside the €800,000 zones is the appropriate choice.
Thirty minutes with Jane Katkova, licensed CICC consultant, in Toronto. We tell you which tier fits your budget, whether the 183-day question matters for you, and what the purchase costs in writing, including the 2027 tax proposal.
Video coming: the three investment tiers, the short-term rental ban and the 183-day tax residence rule.
From €250,000 for an approved commercial-to-residential conversion or listed-building restoration, €400,000 for a standard home in most of Greece, and €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents. Add about 3.09% transfer tax, 3–4% notary and legal fees, and about €2,000 state fee per adult. Figures verified 27 September 2026.
No. There is no minimum stay. You renew every five years while you still own the qualifying property or hold the qualifying investment. That is the programme's principal advantage for clients in the US and Canada who want the option without the move.
Only if you actually live in Greece. Naturalisation needs seven years of lawful residence, a B1 Greek certificate and a citizenship exam. Years spent holding the permit from abroad do not count. Long-term EU residence is available after five years of residence with A2 Greek.
Not by itself. Tax residence follows where you live: 183 days or your centre of vital interests. Under that line, nothing changes except a Greek property tax bill (ENFIA) and any Greek rental income. Above it, Greece taxes worldwide income, treaties relieve double taxation, US citizens still file with the IRS, and Canadians face departure tax on leaving.
Long-term lets, yes. Short-term rental on Airbnb-style platforms is banned for golden-visa property; the fine is €50,000 and the permit can be revoked. Plan your yield on annual tenancies, not tourist lets.
Not at the €400,000 or €800,000 tiers: the rule is one property of at least 120 m². The exception is the €250,000 conversion tier, which has no size rule. We check the tier and the size before you sign a preliminary contract.
Greece if you want a home you own, a lower entry price and no stay requirement. Portugal if you want a fund rather than property and are prepared for AIMA delays and a ten-year path to citizenship. Neither gives a passport without living there.
Compare them side by side: investor residence options and Europe's open investor residence programmes. Looking for a passport rather than a permit? See citizenship of Dominica by investment or Turkish citizenship through property.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Programme rules change; we confirm every figure before you commit.
A confidential consultation with a licensed CICC consultant. We assess eligibility and total cost before you commit to any programme.