Greece grants EU residence through property investment, with a tiered threshold: 923,000 USD in the highest-demand areas such as Attica, Mykonos and Santorini, 462,000 USD elsewhere, and 289,000 USD for commercial-to-residential conversions. The permit has no minimum-stay requirement.
Buy an apartment in Mykonos and Greece asks for 923,000 USD; buy the same square metres on the mainland or a smaller island and the price roughly halves to 462,000 USD, with a further discount to 289,000 USD for converting a shop into a flat. That tiered geography is what sets Greece apart from most EU golden visas, and it comes with no minimum-stay rule at all. Short-term renting through platforms like Airbnb is out since 2025 — the property must go to a longer lease instead. None of this creates tax residence on its own; that still runs through 183 days or the centre of vital interests. See how Greece compares with Portugal and Cyprus on our side-by-side golden visa comparison.
| Programme | Status | Verified on | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece Golden Visa (Permanent Residence Permit for Investors) | Open | Loi 5100/2024 codifiée avec la loi 5167/2024 (ΦΕΚ Α΄ 49/5.4.2024) — texte hébergé par le ministère de l’Immigration |
Residency by investment
Read the full Greece Golden Visa (Permanent Residence Permit for Investors) page →
| Route | Official minimum | Real total, family of four | Hold | Recoverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estateResidential property of at least 120 m² in the highest-demand areas: Attica, the municipality of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants. Figure corroborated by professional sources; the official detail page was unreachable on the verification date. | env. $923 000 | ≈ $1 232 686 | — | No |
| Real estateResidential property of at least 120 m² elsewhere in the country. Professional-source figure, to be reconfirmed on migration.gov.gr. | env. $462 000 | ≈ $616 343 | — | No |
| Real estateConversion of a commercial building to residential use, or restoration of a listed heritage building. Professional-source figure. | env. $289 000 | ≈ $385 214 | — | No |
The programme announces 4–6 months. That is the official figure, not a commitment.
Property-to-permit processing is commonly cited at four to six months, against a backlog estimated at around 50,000 applications at the end of 2025.
Under the ordinary rules, Greek tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income at progressive rates from about 9% to 44% in 2026. On its own that is a normal European burden — the reason Greece appears on tax-planning lists is the pair of special regimes below, not the standard scale.
For high-net-worth individuals who move their tax residence to Greece and invest at least 577,000 USD, Greece offers an alternative regime: a flat 115,000 USD per year that covers all foreign-source income, whatever its amount or origin, plus 23,000 USD for each additional family member. It can apply for up to fifteen years. For someone with large foreign income relocating alongside the golden visa, this is the real tax attraction.
Separately, foreign retirees who transfer their tax residence to Greece can elect a 7% flat rate on all their foreign-source income, including pensions, for up to fifteen years. It is a distinct, lighter regime aimed at pensioners rather than active HNWIs.
Company profits are taxed at a corporate rate of 22%, below the OECD average. The standard VAT rate is 24%, historically reduced on several islands. So while personal foreign income can be sheltered under a special regime, corporate profit and domestic consumption are taxed at normal levels.
The Greece golden visa is a real-estate residence permit with no minimum-stay requirement; it does not by itself make you tax-resident or grant a special regime — those are separate elections with their own conditions. Tax residency follows 183 days or your centre of vital interests. Weigh Greece beside Portugal and the others on our golden visa comparison, understand the residency-versus-tax line in our guide to second citizenship and taxes, and see our methodology for how each figure is verified.
| Route | Official minimum | Real total, family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | env. $923 000 | ≈ $1 232 686 |
| Real estate | env. $462 000 | ≈ $616 343 |
| Real estate | env. $289 000 | ≈ $385 214 |
| — | Greece | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Official minimum | env. $289 000Identical on this line | env. $289 000Identical on this line |
| Real total, family of 4 (fees included) | ≈ $385 214Identical on this line | ≈ $385 214Identical on this line |
| Announced processing | 4–6 monthsfaster | 12–24 months |
| Presence required | None. | Seven days in the first year, then fourteen days in each subsequent two-year period. |
| Years to citizenship | 7 yearsfaster | 10 years |
| Investment routes | Real estate | Investment fund, Business, Donation |
| A route returns the capital | NoIdentical on this line | NoIdentical on this line |
| Open to Russian applicants | YesIdentical on this line | YesIdentical on this line |
| Region | EuropeIdentical on this line | EuropeIdentical on this line |
Open the country page · GreeceOpen the country page · Portugal
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