Greece Law 5275/2026 Changes Golden Visa Permit Validity and Filing Procedure

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

Greece amended its immigration code at the start of the year. Law 5275/2026 was published in the Government Gazette (FEK A' 17) on 6 February 2026 and took effect on publication. Its main purpose is to transpose EU Directive 2024/1233 on a single application procedure for combined residence and work permits, but several provisions affect the investor residence permit, the Greece golden visa.

The investment thresholds set by Law 5100/2024 are not changed by the new law: €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents, €400,000 elsewhere, and €250,000 for qualifying conversions and listed-building restorations.

Provisions affecting investor permits

• Permit validity: the five-year investor permit now runs from the date the residence card is issued. Under earlier practice the period could be counted from an earlier date, so that processing time reduced the usable life of the first card.
• Investment and filing dates: Greek legal commentary reports that the law tightens the link between the date of the investment and the date of the application, ending the more flexible earlier practice.
• Family reunification documents: certified documents must be filed with the initial application, not supplied later. That means apostilled marriage and birth certificates with Greek translations, evidence of financial support for each dependant, and an individual health insurance policy for each family member.
• Pending and renewal status: the filing certificate continues to confirm lawful residence in Greece until a decision is issued, and renewal applicants benefit from longer transitional periods. The certificate does not by itself permit travel within the Schengen Area.
• Digital filing: the scope for electronic submission is widened, reducing the steps that need physical presence.

Points on which published sources differ

Several summaries state that the law obliges the authorities to decide golden visa applications within 90 days. A Greek law firm's analysis states the opposite: the 90-day deadline applies to the single-permit categories, and investor files remain without a statutory decision deadline. We follow the more cautious reading until a ministerial decision or circular says otherwise.

Some commentary also attributes the €250,000 start-up investment route to this law; other sources date that route to Law 5162/2024, in effect from 1 January 2025. Certain provisions of Law 5275/2026 depend on implementing ministerial decisions, which were expected during the first half of 2026.

The ban on short-term letting of golden visa property is unchanged, with a €50,000 fine and revocation of the permit for a breach.

What this means for applicants

For US and Canadian citizens, and for US and Canadian residents holding other passports, the validity rule is a clear improvement: a full five years from the day the card is issued, whatever time the Decentralised Administration takes. We continue to plan on roughly 6 to 12 months of processing.

The documentation rule calls for earlier preparation. US vital records need a state-level apostille; Canada has issued apostilles since January 2024. Certified Greek translations and individual insurance policies for each dependant should be ready before the file is lodged, since an incomplete family file can now delay the whole application.

Separately, the Government proposed a 15% property transfer tax for non-EU buyers in September 2026, which we cover in its own update. Buyers weighing Greece against the other programmes on our European residence pages should consider both developments together. To plan a Greek application under the current rules, book a consultation.

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