Greece: residency, golden visa and tax regimes
GreeceEurope- Golden visa, real estate
- EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands above 3,100 residents; EUR 400,000 elsewhere
- As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Golden visa, start-up route
- EUR 250,000 in a start-up on the Elevate Greece registry, since 2025-01-01
- As of 2026-10-25 · [13]
- Digital nomad visa, income
- EUR 3,500 net per month, from work for employers or clients outside Greece
- As of 2026-10-25 · [5]
- Article 5A flat tax on foreign income
- EUR 100,000 a year, up to 15 years; EUR 20,000 per included relative
- As of 2026-10-25 · [12]
- Article 5B and 5C regimes
- 7% on foreign income for up to 15 years (pensioners); 50% exemption on Greek work income for up to 7 years
- As of 2026-10-25 · [14]
Overview
Greece suits three kinds of people: non-EU investors who want a Schengen residence permit they can hold without living in the country, remote workers paid from abroad, and retirees or investors living on foreign income. EU and EEA citizens do not need any of these permits; for them only the tax side matters.
The golden visa was tightened in 2024. Property now has to reach a higher regional threshold in a single unit of at least 120 square metres, and homes bought under the new rules may not be let short term. Financial routes start at EUR 350,000, and a start-up route was added in 2025. The programme remains open in 2026; a portfolio option floated in the national housing strategy still needs legislation.
A residence permit does not by itself make anyone a Greek tax resident. That turns on more than 183 days in Greece or the centre of your life being there. Those who do move can apply for one of three regimes for new residents: a fixed annual amount on foreign income, a 7% rate for foreign pensioners, or a 50% exemption on Greek work income.
Redomiciled organises the residence file and the move with you; Greek-qualified lawyers and tax advisers registered in Greece give the legal and tax opinions.
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in Greece in any 12-month period, or main residence or vital interests in GreeceAs of 2026-10-25 · [6]
Greece golden visa and residence permits
The Greek golden visa is a five-year renewable residence permit for non-EU investors, with no minimum stay. As of 2026, property must cost at least EUR 400,000, or EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki and the larger islands, while EUR 250,000 still applies to conversions and listed buildings. Remote workers and retirees have income-based permits instead.
For the standard property route the investment must sit in one property with at least 120 square metres of main areas; storage and parking count towards the price but not the size. Long-term letting is allowed, short-term letting is not, and selling the property while the permit is valid revokes it. The permit covers a spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21 and the parents of both partners, but it carries no right to take a job in Greece.
The EUR 250,000 level survives in two narrow cases. A non-residential building qualifies if its change to residential use was legally completed after 5 April 2024 and before the application. A listed building qualifies if it is restored in full before the first renewal; failure leads to revocation and a fine.
Investors who prefer financial assets can hold EUR 350,000 in a mutual fund or alternative investment fund that invests only in Greece, EUR 500,000 in a one-year renewing term deposit, in Greek government bonds or in new shares of a Greek company, or EUR 800,000 in Greek listed securities. The investment has to be kept for as long as the permit is renewed.
The digital nomad visa is for people employed or contracted by businesses outside Greece; freelancers need more than one client contract. Since Law 5275/2026 took effect on 6 February 2026, applicants must first obtain a national visa from a Greek consulate and can no longer switch from a visa-free stay. A two-year renewable permit follows in Greece. The financially independent person permit works on the same income level for passive income from abroad, runs for three years and allows no work in Greece.
Citizenship is possible but not quick. Investor permits count towards the seven-year naturalisation track, yet the applicant must really live in Greece, pass the written exam on language, history and institutions, and show economic and social integration.
Immigration lawyers admitted in Greece handle the filings and give legal advice, and Greek tax advisers confirm the tax position; we coordinate the steps around them.
Who it suits
Non-EU investors who will not relocate
You want a Schengen residence permit as a second base and will keep your tax residence where it is.
Families thinking about education in Europe
One investment covers a spouse, children under 21 and the parents of both partners.
Remote employees and freelancers
Your employer or clients are outside Greece and you want to live there legally on that income.
Retirees and investors with foreign income
Pensions, dividends or rents from abroad support you, and the 7% pensioner regime may follow.
Requirements
- Required
Non-EU nationality and a clean record
Applicants must not be considered a risk to public order, security or public health.
- Required
Qualifying investment held throughout
The property, deposit, bonds or fund units must be kept for the life of the permit and at every renewal.
- Required
Payment through Greek accounts
The purchase price is paid by traceable means into an account with a payment provider operating in Greece.
- Required
Private health insurance
A policy from a private insurer covering health risks in Greece for every applicant.
- Required
No short-term letting
Property bought under the current rules may only be let long term or used privately.
- Depends on your case
Power of attorney
Lets a Greek lawyer file before you arrive; signed at a consulate or before a foreign notary with an apostille.
- Depends on your case
Tax residence and a special regime
Only if you move: an application under article 5A, 5B or 5C to AADE.
Documents
- Passport and entry statusA valid passport plus the national visa, or proof of lawful visa-free entry where the route allows it.
- Notarial deed and notary certificateShows the property, the price and how it was paid, and that the seller did not use it for a permit.
- Land registry or cadastre certificateConfirms ownership and that the property is free of encumbrances.
- Income or investment evidenceBank certificates for financial routes; contracts, payslips or statements for digital nomad and FIP permits.
- Civil status documentsMarriage and birth certificates for family members, apostilled and translated into Greek.
- Real estate minimum
- EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands above 3,100 residents; EUR 400,000 elsewhereSingle property; at least 120 m² of main areasAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Conversion to residential use or listed building
- EUR 250,000, no minimum sizeChange of use completed after 2024-04-05 and before filingAs of 2026-10-25 · [3]
- Financial investment routes
- EUR 350,000 in Greece-only funds; EUR 500,000 term deposit, government bonds or company capital; EUR 800,000 listed Greek securitiesAs of 2026-10-25 · [9]
- Golden visa validity
- 5 years, renewableAs of 2026-10-25 · [2]
- Official processing estimate
- 50 to 60 days for a complete fileAs of 2026-10-25 · [2]
- Short-term letting of golden visa property
- Revocation and a EUR 50,000 fineUnfinished listed-building restoration: revocation and a EUR 150,000 fineAs of 2026-10-25 · [8]
- Financially independent person permit
- EUR 3,500 a month (EUR 42,000 a year), +20% for a spouse, +15% per child; 3-year permitAs of 2026-10-25 · [10]
- Naturalisation
- 7 years of lawful permanent residence with a qualifying permit (investor permits included); 12 years with other permitsAs of 2026-10-25 · [4]
Timeline
- 1Tax number and power of attorneyObtain an AFM, open a Greek account and sign a power of attorney so filings can start remotely.
- 2Due diligence and investmentCheck zone, size, title, use and rental plans; sign the notarial deed or place the deposit, bonds or fund units.
- 3Online applicationFile through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's e-services; the investment is checked and family members apply alongside.
- 4Biometrics in GreeceGive fingerprints and photographs; the registry estimates 50 to 60 days for a complete file, and approval rests with the Ministry.
- 5Permit and renewalsReceive the five-year card and renew while the investment is held; decide separately whether to become tax resident.
Tax notes
- You become a Greek tax resident with more than 183 days in Greece in any 12-month period, or when your main home or vital interests are there. Residents are taxed on worldwide income unless a special regime applies.
- Article 5A replaces tax on foreign income with EUR 100,000 a year, plus EUR 20,000 for each relative included, for up to 15 years. It requires seven years of non-residence out of the last eight; AADE confirms that golden visa holders are spared the separate investment condition.
- Article 5B taxes all foreign income of pensioners at 7% for up to 15 years. Article 5C exempts half of Greek employment or business income for seven years, but only for work for a Greek employer or Greek branch or a business carried on in Greece, so remote employees of foreign companies usually fall outside it.
- Your current country may keep taxing you after you leave. Its exit rules and the applicable tax treaty need checking before you rely on Greek treatment.
General information, not tax advice. Your position depends on your circumstances.
Banking fit
- The deposit and bond routes require an account with a credit institution in Greece, which also issues the certificates the authorities rely on.
- For property, a Greek account and tax number should be in place before signing, because the price must flow through the Greek payment system.
Questions
How much is the Greece golden visa now?
EUR 800,000 for property in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands above 3,100 residents, and EUR 400,000 elsewhere. Conversions and listed buildings qualify at EUR 250,000, and financial routes start at EUR 350,000.
Can I rent out my Greek golden visa property?
Long-term leases are allowed. Short-term or holiday letting, including platform rentals, is prohibited for property bought under the current rules, and a breach can mean losing the permit plus a EUR 50,000 fine. Older purchases under the previous rules are not caught.
Does the Greek golden visa lead to citizenship?
It can count towards naturalisation after seven years, but only if you genuinely live in Greece, pass the exam on Greek language, history and institutions, and show integration. Holding the permit from abroad does not lead to a passport.
Can I work in Greece with a golden visa?
Not as an employee. The investor permit gives no access to the labour market, although owning shares in Greek companies is possible. Taking a job or running a business needs a different permit, so plan the category before you apply.
Can I apply for the Greek digital nomad visa from inside Greece?
No longer. Since 6 February 2026 you must first obtain a national visa from a Greek consulate abroad; entering visa-free and then applying in Greece is no longer possible. The residence permit is issued in Greece afterwards.
How much income do I need for the Greece digital nomad visa?
At least EUR 3,500 a month, net where it comes from employment, earned from employers or clients outside Greece. The requirement rises by 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child, and freelancers need more than one client contract.
Banking in our network
We do not publish institution names: the right partner depends on your profile, and each institution keeps its own view on who it will serve.
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No partner institution in our network is based here; companies and residents here are introduced to partners in other jurisdictions.
- A Greek tax number (AFM) comes first: it is needed to buy property, sign a lease and open an account. For golden visa purchases the price has to be paid into the seller's account with a payment provider operating in Greece, by bank transfer, crossed cheque or card.
- Greek banks run full identity and source-of-funds checks on non-resident customers. For the deposit and bond routes the bank also certifies that the investment is in place and still held, so choose the institution before committing funds. Account opening is each bank's decision.
- Greek banks are not part of our banking network; we help you assemble the source-of-funds file that banks and the authorities ask for.
Questions
Is the Greek golden visa still available in 2026?
Yes. The investor permit continues under the rules in force since September 2024, with higher property thresholds, a single-property rule and a ban on short-term letting. A portfolio route linked to long-term rentals has been proposed but is not yet law.
Do I have to live in Greece to keep a golden visa?
No. The golden visa has no minimum stay, so you can keep your tax residence elsewhere. Living in Greece only becomes necessary if you later want citizenship or one of the tax regimes for new residents.
What is the minimum investment for residency in Greece?
EUR 250,000 for a property converted to residential use, a listed building that you restore or a qualifying start-up. Standard property starts at EUR 400,000. Without investing, the digital nomad and financially independent person permits require income of EUR 3,500 a month.
Sources
- 1.Government Gazette: Law 5100/2024, Article 64 (golden visa real estate investments), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 2.Mitos, Greek registry of administrative procedures: Golden visa (listed real property), initial issuance, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 3.Mitos, Greek registry of administrative procedures: Golden visa (change of use), initial issuance, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 4.Mitos, Greek registry of administrative procedures: Naturalisation of foreign nationals, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 5.Joint Ministerial Decision, Government Gazette B 1807/2024: supporting documents incl. digital nomad visa (Z.1) and I.8 permit, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 6.AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue): Tax residence for natural persons, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 7.AADE: FAQs for Greeks abroad and non-residents (articles 5A, 5B, 5C ITC), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 8.International Bar Association: The Greek Golden Visa after the 2024–2026 overhaul, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 9.TaxLaw.gr: Golden visa through Greek State bonds and other financial instruments, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 10.TaxLaw.gr: Residence permit for financially independent persons, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 11.Government Gazette A' 17/2026: Law 5275/2026 amending the Migration Code (digital nomads as national-visa category Z.1), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 12.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Greece, other tax credits and incentives, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 13.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Greece, other issues (start-up investor residence permit), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 14.International Bar Association: Preferential tax regimes for individuals moving their tax residency to Greece, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 15.Redomiciled internal notes: Greece residence permits (internal), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 16.Redomiciled internal notes: Greek special tax regimes 5A, 5B, 5C (internal), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 17.Redomiciled case experience: golden visa real estate files (internal), retrieved 2026-10-25
Reviewed by the Redomiciled team on .
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