---
title: Getting a Greece Golden Visa (Investor Residence Permit)
country: greece
service: "golden-visa"
category: immigration
difficulty: complex
estimated_time: "The statutory deadline for deciding the application is 50 days, reduced to 40 days where the expedited procedure applies, counted from a complete electronic submission. Assembling the property purchase, registration, and document set beforehand typically takes considerably longer."
cost_range: "An electronic application fee plus a 16 € residence-permit card fee, paid through the *e-παράβολο* state-fee system; the qualifying investment value is set separately by law and depends on the property's location and type."
last_verified: 2026-06-04
canonical: https://publicservices.guide/greece/golden-visa/
status: current
confidence: low
tags:
  - "golden-visa"
  - "investor-residence"
  - immigration
  - "real-estate"
  - "third-country"
  - "permanent-residence"
  - expat
sources:
  - https://en.mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:Permanent_golden_visa_(change_of_use)_%E2%80%93_Initial_issuance
  - https://migration.gov.gr/en/golden-visa/
  - https://stegasi.gov.gr/programs/afxisi-oriou-elachistis-ependysis-se-akinita-gia-apoktisi-golden-visa/
  - https://newsletters.enterprisegreece.gov.gr/newsletter-articles/greece-adjusts-golden-visa-program-amid-rising-outlook-for-property-market/
  - https://apdattikis.gov.gr/en/process/2-1-3-family-members-of-permanent-investors-spouse-partner-minor-children-ascendants-of-spouses-partners-article-20-paragraph-b4-law-4251-14-issuance/
---

# Getting a Greece Golden Visa (Investor Residence Permit)

**Country:** 🇬🇷 Greece  
**Last verified:** 2026-06-04  
**Estimated time:** The statutory deadline for deciding the application is 50 days, reduced to 40 days where the expedited procedure applies, counted from a complete electronic submission. Assembling the property purchase, registration, and document set beforehand typically takes considerably longer.  
**Cost:** An electronic application fee plus a 16 € residence-permit card fee, paid through the *e-παράβολο* state-fee system; the qualifying investment value is set separately by law and depends on the property's location and type.

## Required documents

- **Application form**
  - What is required: The investor residence-permit application form, submitted electronically through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum e-services.
- **Valid travel document with entry status**
  - What is required: A copy of the valid passport or travel document, together with the valid entry visa, or proof of entry under a visa-waiver or visa-free regime, or a valid Greek residence permit.
  - _Note:_ The travel document must be recognised by the Greek authorities and meet the criteria of the Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399).
- **Passport photographs**
  - What is required: Four recent printed digital passport photographs, also supplied digitally on CD in JPEG2000 format.
- **Notarial certificate**
  - What is required: A certificate from the notary who drew up the transfer deed, confirming the purchase details, that payment was made, and the property's acquisition value.
- **Proof of property-transfer registration**
  - What is required: Proof of registration of the transfer with the Land Registry, or registration with the cadastral office; or proof of the registration application; or a lawyer's certificate.
- **Engineer's technical report (change-of-use route only)**
  - When required: Where the property is being converted from commercial to residential use, an engineer's technical report on the change of use is required.
- **Private insurance contract**
  - What is required: A private insurance contract covering health and accident risks, as required under Article 136 paragraph 3 of Law 4251/2014.
- **Conditional supporting documents**
  - Where applicable: A real-estate declaration (E9) and company-ownership documentation, where these apply to the investment.
- **Greek tax registration number** *(ΑΦΜ)*
  - Why it is needed: A Greek tax registration number is needed to purchase property and register the transfer. Obtain it before the purchase.
  - _Note:_ The ΑΦΜ (AFM) underpins the property purchase and the deed registration; arrange it, and a Greek bank account for the qualifying payment, before you begin.

## Costs

- **Electronic application fee:** 2000 EUR — Stated by the source as 2.000 €. Paid through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum e-services when the application is submitted electronically.
- **Electronic residence-permit card:** 16 EUR — Stated by the source as 16 €. The charge for issuing the electronic residence-permit document.
- **Family-member electronic fee (per adult family member) (optional):** 150 EUR — Stated by the source as 150 € per adult family member; minors are exempt. A separate 16 € card fee applies per family member. Charged only if you include family members.
- **Family-member residence-permit card (per family member) (optional):** 16 EUR — Stated by the source as 16 €. Applies per family member included in the application.

## Steps

### 1. Get Your ΑΦΜ and a Greek Bank Account First *(ΑΦΜ)*

- Obtain your ΑΦΜ (AFM) Greek tax registration number, which you need to purchase property and register the transfer.
- Open a Greek bank account, because the qualifying payment must route through recognised banking channels rather than cash.

> **Tip:** Both the notarial deed and the residence-permit application depend on your ΑΦΜ. Arranging it and a bank account first prevents a stalled purchase.

### 2. Confirm the Qualifying Investment and Complete the Purchase

- Confirm which investment threshold applies to your chosen property by its location and type. The figures are route-divergent, not a single national amount: under the figures current under Law 5100/2024, 800.000 € applies in high-demand areas (the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants), 400.000 € applies in all other regions, and 250.000 € applies to change-of-use conversions and to restoring listed or industrial buildings into housing.
- On the standard routes the property must be a single residential unit of at least 120 m². This minimum surface rule does not apply to the change-of-use route.
- Complete the purchase and pay the agreed consideration in full through recognised banking channels — the payment may also be made by the spouse.

> **Tip:** The agreed consideration for the property must have been paid in full by crossed bank cheque, credit transfer, or via POS terminal. The above payment may also be made by the spouse.

### 3. Obtain the Notarial Certificate and Register the Transfer

- The notary who draws up the transfer deed issues a certificate confirming the purchase value and that payment was made.
- Register the transfer with the Land Registry or the cadastral office and obtain proof of registration, or a lawyer's certificate of the registration application.

> **Tip:** Cash purchases do not qualify. Keep the notarial certificate and the registration proof together — both are core to the application file.

### 4. Take Out a Private Insurance Contract

- Arrange a private insurance contract covering health and accident risks, as required under Article 136 paragraph 3 of Law 4251/2014.

> **Tip:** The insurance contract is a standing requirement of the file, not an optional extra; assemble it before you submit.

### 5. Submit the Application Electronically and Pay the Fees *(Golden Visa)*

- Submit the Golden Visa application electronically through the e-services of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, uploading the supporting documents.
- Pay the electronic application fee and the 16 € card fee through the e-παράβολο system.

> **Tip:** Upload a complete file. A missing core document — the notarial certificate, the registration proof, or the insurance contract — is the most common reason a submission stalls.

### 6. Wait for the Decision and Collect Your Card *(Άδεια Μόνιμης Διαμονής Επενδυτή)*

- The Directorate of Residence Permits of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum reviews the application within its statutory deadline and issues the electronic residence-permit card — the Άδεια Μόνιμης Διαμονής Επενδυτή (investor permanent residence permit).
- The investor permit is valid for five years and is renewable for as long as the qualifying investment is held.

> **Tip:** Investor residence permits do not establish a right of access to any form of employment. Plan your finances on the basis that this permit does not give you the right to work in Greece.

### 7. Add Family Members (Optional)

_Applies when: If you wish to include family members_

- File a separate family-member application for the spouse or partner, minor children, and the ascendants of the spouses or partners.
- Pay the family-member electronic fee (per adult, minors exempt) and the 16 € card fee per family member.

> **Tip:** The family scope is the spouse or partner, minor children, and the ascendants of the spouses or partners — confirm each person's eligibility against the issuing authority's current list before filing.

> **If this fails:** If you resell the qualifying property during the validity period, the resale of the real property during the period of validity of the residence permit results in the simultaneous revocation of the residence permit of the third-country national who is the seller. Maintain the qualifying investment to keep the permit and the family members' permits valid.

## FAQ

### How much do I need to invest for the Greece Golden Visa?

The minimum depends on the property's location and type — it is not a single national figure. Under the amounts current under Law 5100/2024 it is 800.000 € for properties in the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants; 400.000 € in all other regions; and 250.000 € for converting a commercial property to residential use or restoring a listed or industrial building into housing. On the standard routes the property must be a single residential unit of at least 120 m²; the change-of-use route has no minimum surface restriction. Because these thresholds are set by reform legislation and revised by law, confirm the current figures before committing to a purchase.

### How long is the investor permit valid?

Five years, renewable for as long as the qualifying investment is maintained. Reselling the qualifying property during the validity period revokes the seller's permit.

### How long does the application take?

The statutory deadline for a decision is 50 days from a complete electronic submission, reduced to 40 days where the expedited procedure applies. Assembling the purchase, registration, and document set beforehand typically takes considerably longer than the decision window itself.

### Can my family join me?

Yes. The spouse or partner, minor children, and the ascendants of the spouses or partners can be granted residence permits alongside the investor. The family-member electronic fee is 150 € per adult family member (minors exempt), plus a 16 € card fee per family member. You file a separate family-member application for them.

### Can I work in Greece on this permit?

No. The investor residence permit does not establish a right of access to any form of employment in Greece. If access to the labour market is your goal, the investor route is not the right one.

### How do I pay for the property, and can my spouse pay?

The agreed consideration must be paid in full by crossed bank cheque, credit transfer, or via POS terminal; cash purchases do not qualify. The payment may also be made by the spouse. The notary who draws up the transfer deed issues a certificate confirming the purchase value and that payment was made.

### Which authority issues the permit?

The Ministry of Migration and Asylum, acting through the Directorate of Residence Permits, issues the investor permit. Family-member permits are processed by the relevant Decentralized Administration (for example the Decentralized Administration of Attica) through its Directorate for Aliens and Migration. A notary issues the transfer-deed certificate, and the Land Registry or cadastral office handles the property-transfer registration.

## Local tips

- The minimum qualifying investment is not a single national figure. It differs by the property's location and type, and the amounts are set by reform legislation rather than fixed permanently. Always read the current figures as those in force under Law 5100/2024, and confirm them before committing to a purchase.
- The qualifying payment routes through a Greek bank, and you will need a Greek tax registration number, the *ΑΦΜ* (AFM), to purchase property and register the transfer. Open a Greek bank account and obtain your ΑΦΜ before you start, because the notarial deed and the application both depend on them.
- The investor permit does not allow you to work in Greece. If employment is your aim, this is the wrong route — it is designed around holding a qualifying investment, not around access to the labour market.
- The 120 m² minimum residential-unit rule attaches to the standard real-estate routes only. The change-of-use route — converting a commercial property to residential use, or restoring a listed or industrial building into housing — carries no minimum surface restriction on the main spaces, but it does require an engineer's technical report on the change of use.

## Sources

- [National Registry of Administrative Public Services (en.mitos.gov.gr) — Permanent golden visa (change of use), Initial issuance](https://en.mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:Permanent_golden_visa_(change_of_use)_%E2%80%93_Initial_issuance) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — Legal basis: Article 100 of Law 5038/2023 as amended by Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, implemented by Joint Ministerial Decision 1/2025. The investor residence permit is valid for five years; the permit does not establish a right of access to any form of employment. The application is submitted electronically through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum e-services, with a 2.000 € application fee and a 16 € electronic-permit charge. The Directorate of Residence Permits decides within a 50-day statutory deadline, reduced to 40 days under the expedited procedure. Required documents include a notarial certificate of the purchase value and payment, proof of Land Registry or cadastral registration (or a lawyer's certificate), a private insurance contract (Article 136 paragraph 3, Law 4251/2014), and for change-of-use properties an engineer's technical report. The agreed consideration must be paid in full by crossed bank cheque, credit transfer, or POS terminal, and may be paid by the spouse. The change-of-use route has a 250.000 € minimum acquisition value with no surface-area restriction on the main spaces; resale during validity revokes the seller's permit.
- [Ministry of Migration and Asylum — Golden Visa](https://migration.gov.gr/en/golden-visa/) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — The investor residence permit is issued by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum; applications are filed electronically, with a 16 € electronic residence-permit card charge. The document set includes the application form, four printed digital passport photographs (supplied digitally on CD in JPEG2000 format), a certified valid passport or travel document with the national visa, a private insurance contract under Article 136 paragraph 3 of Law 4251/2014, the notary's certificate confirming purchase, payment and value, and land-registry registration and encumbrance certificates.
- [Housing Policy Portal (stegasi.gov.gr, official)](https://stegasi.gov.gr/programs/afxisi-oriou-elachistis-ependysis-se-akinita-gia-apoktisi-golden-visa/) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — Under the threshold increase enacted by Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, the minimum qualifying investment, current under that law, is 800.000 € in high-demand areas (the entire Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini (Thira), and all islands with a population above 3,100 inhabitants, with the property a single residential unit of at least 120 m²) and 400.000 € in all other regions of Greece (also a single residential unit of at least 120 m²). These figures rose from the earlier 500.000 € and 250.000 € minimums respectively.
- [Enterprise Greece (official)](https://newsletters.enterprisegreece.gov.gr/newsletter-articles/greece-adjusts-golden-visa-program-amid-rising-outlook-for-property-market/) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — Under the post-reform thresholds, the minimum qualifying investment is 800.000 € in greater Athens, greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants, with a minimum 120 m² residential unit; 400.000 € in other areas, also a minimum 120 m²; and 250.000 € for industrial buildings converted into housing and for historic buildings restored into housing. Short-term rental of qualifying properties is explicitly prohibited.
- [Decentralized Administration of Attica (official) — Family members of permanent investors](https://apdattikis.gov.gr/en/process/2-1-3-family-members-of-permanent-investors-spouse-partner-minor-children-ascendants-of-spouses-partners-article-20-paragraph-b4-law-4251-14-issuance/) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — Family members who may be granted a residence permit alongside the permanent investor are the spouse or partner, minor children, and the ascendants of the spouses or partners (Article 20 paragraph B4 of Law 4251/2014). The family-member electronic fee is 150 € per adult family member, with minors exempt, plus a 16 € card fee. Family-member permits are processed by the Decentralized Administration through its Directorate for Aliens and Migration.

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Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/greece/golden-visa/