Greece's Golden Visa is one of the calmest ways to get EU residency: you buy real estate, include the whole family in the status, and you're not required to live in Greece. Here we cover the terms, who you can bring, the real budget — and, honestly, what the Golden Visa does not do.
What the status is
- Residency is kept as long as the main applicant owns the real estate.
- The residence card is issued for 5 years and renewed every 5 years — indefinitely.
- Residency is granted in 2–3 months; the physical cards follow in another 5–6 months.
- No residence requirement: the status doesn't oblige you to move and doesn't automatically create EU tax residency.
- EU residency opens access to European bank accounts and free travel across the Schengen area.
Who you can include
One of the programme's strengths is a broad family in a single application:
- spouse, including a domestic partner;
- parents — of both the applicant and the spouse;
- children under 21, whose residency is kept until 24.
For a family that's effectively an EU status for everyone at once, with no one required to relocate.
Eligibility
Eligibility can depend on your current citizenship, and the rules are reviewed periodically. We confirm your personal eligibility and map out the route on a consultation — including, where relevant, obtaining a suitable second citizenship first (for example Vanuatu, the fastest passport, in 2–3 months).
The €250,000 threshold — with an important caveat
€250,000 is a preferential threshold and it does not apply to any property. Under current law an object in this price band must be located in specific areas and be a conversion — from commercial to residential real estate. For other properties, higher entry thresholds apply. We work with objects in central Athens that meet the preferential conditions and rent out quickly on long-term leases — so the asset isn't "frozen", it earns.
What it really costs
The "from €250,000" is the entry price, not the total budget. Here's a transparent estimate for a family of four:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Real-estate investment | €250 000 |
| Lawyer certifying the deal | €2 500 |
| Notary (1.5% of price/cadastral value) | €3 750 |
| Tax (3.03% of price/cadastral value) | €7 575 |
| Cadastre amendment fee | €1 000 |
| Legal services for residency (family of 4) | €20 000 |
| Government residency fee | €2 600 |
| Total | €287 425 |
And the €250,000 of that is not money spent "into the void" — it's your asset: the property stays yours and can earn rental income.
Who it suits
Those who want a foothold in the EU without relocating: Schengen mobility, European banks, a status for the whole family (parents included) and real estate as an asset in the eurozone. If a fast, permanent EU status is the priority, compare it with Cyprus permanent residency from €300,000 — a different balance of timelines and terms.
What the Golden Visa does NOT do (the honest part)
- It's residency, not citizenship. The Golden Visa grants the right to reside, not an EU passport. Greek citizenship is a separate, long road that requires real residence and integration; the "no relocation" status doesn't lead to a passport on its own.
- €250,000 applies only to conversion properties in specific areas; for ordinary real estate the threshold is higher. Choosing an object that qualifies for the preferential terms is critical — and that's exactly our job.
- Residency is tied to ownership. While you hold the property, you keep the status; sell without replacing the object and the basis for residency is lost.
- An EU status doesn't change your tax residency by itself and doesn't remove home-country reporting duties (such as CRS and CFC rules) — check the rules of your country of citizenship.