How much do you need to invest for a Greece Golden Visa in 2026? Thresholds by zone

Short answer: €800,000 in all of Attica, the Thessaloniki Regional Unit, Mykonos, Santorini and every island with more than 3,100 residents, including Crete, and €400,000 everywhere else (Law 5100/2024). The money must go into a single home with at least 120 m² of main living space. €250,000 applies only to converting a non-residential building into a home or restoring a listed building (Ministry Circular 1/2026).

Last reviewed October 2026. Written for non-EU buyers (US, UK, Canadian, Middle Eastern and Asian) weighing a Greek home with residence rights attached. The full rules are in our Greece Golden Visa guide, and homes that qualify are on our Golden Visa homes for sale page.

What are the Greece Golden Visa thresholds in 2026?

Under Law 5100/2024, the minimum real estate investment is:

• €800,000 in all of Attica, the Thessaloniki Regional Unit, Mykonos, Santorini and every island with more than 3,100 residents. That includes all of Crete.
• €400,000 in the rest of Greece: the Peloponnese (including Kalamata and Nafplio), islands with 3,100 residents or fewer, the inland mainland and northern Greece outside the Thessaloniki Regional Unit.
• €250,000 anywhere, but only for two kinds of property: a non-residential building converted to residential use, or a formally listed building you restore (a lawyer confirms the listing).

The €800,000 and €400,000 tiers also need at least 120 m² of main living space. Parking and storage do not count, and the rule does not apply to the €250,000 routes.

The investment must be one property: you cannot combine smaller units to reach the threshold.

What does each Golden Visa tier buy in practice?

The sizes below divide each tier by the Q2 2026 average asking price per m² (Spitogatos, our calculation). Averages mix old and new homes, so a new build costs more per m² than the average.

€800,000 tier: Athens, Attica and the large islands

These are the most liquid markets, where resale is easiest. At average asking prices, €800,000 buys about:

• 189 m² in Athens' southern suburbs, such as Glyfada and Voula;
• 109 m² in Vouliagmeni, below the 120 m² minimum, so budget more;
• 227 m² in the northern suburbs and 313 m² in the Municipality of Athens;
• 113 m² on Mykonos, also below 120 m², and 152 m² on Paros;
• 356 m² on Crete.

€400,000 tier: the Peloponnese, the mainland and smaller islands

This tier gives the most space for the money. At Q2 2026 average asking prices, €400,000 buys about 189 m² in Argolida, Nafplio's region (€2,111/m²), and about 199 m² in Messinia, Kalamata's region (€2,008/m²) (Spitogatos, our calculation).

Typical purchases are a restored house in Nafplio old town or a coastal villa near Kalamata, in Verga or the Mani.

€250,000 routes: narrow eligibility

Few homes qualify, but the entry price is the lowest. There are two paths:

• Conversion to residential use: buy a former office, warehouse or shop and turn it into a home. These are common in central Athens (former workshops in Plaka and Monastiraki) and Piraeus. The change of use must be complete before you apply, and the home cannot serve as a company seat or branch.
• Listed buildings: restore a formally listed building; a lawyer confirms the listing. They are found in Nafplio old town, Plaka, Hydra, Symi and heritage villages. Restoration must be complete before the first renewal, and the property cannot be sold before then. A breach means revocation plus a €150,000 fine (IBA, September 2026).

Symi is in the Dodecanese, a border area under Law 1892/1990, where non-EU buyers need prior approval from a committee.

What does the Greek Golden Visa give you in 2026?

• A five-year renewable residence permit for the main applicant.
• The same permit for your family: a spouse or registered partner, children up to 21 (from 21 to 24 they can move to their own permit), and the parents of both spouses.
• Schengen travel: visa-free travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180.
• No minimum stay: you do not have to live in Greece, or even visit, to keep the permit.
• No automatic tax residence: holding the permit does not by itself make you a Greek tax resident; ask a tax adviser.
• Citizenship, as a separate application: naturalisation needs seven consecutive years of lawful residence and a written exam on Greek language, history, geography and culture. The years must be genuine residence in Greece; confirm with a Greek lawyer.
• Long-term letting: long leases are allowed. Short-term (Airbnb-type) letting is banned for Golden Visa homes bought under the current rules, on pain of revocation and a €50,000 fine.

What are the Greece Golden Visa requirements in 2026?

You qualify through real estate if all of these are true:

1. You are not an EU citizen, for example a US, UK or Canadian citizen.
2. You buy a qualifying property at or above the threshold for its area and type: €250,000, €400,000 or €800,000.
3. The home has at least 120 m² of main living space. Parking and storage do not count, and the €250,000 routes are exempt.
4. You hold the property in your own name. Buying through a company adds documents and complexity, so ask your lawyer first.
5. You have no criminal record in your home country or anywhere you have lived (an FBI or national background check).
6. You hold health insurance valid in Greece, from an international or a Greek insurer.
7. You can show where the money came from: bank statements that document a clean source of funds under anti-money-laundering rules.

How long does a Golden Visa purchase take in 2026?

1. Weeks 1–4: find a qualifying property and negotiate. Get your Greek tax number (AFM), remotely through myAADE with a video identity check or through a lawyer holding your power of attorney.
2. Weeks 4–10: legal due diligence: title search, encumbrance check, planning permits and a structural survey. Sign the preliminary contract with a 10% deposit.
3. Weeks 10–14: notary closing. You pay the full price and the 3.09% transfer tax, sign the deed and register it at the Cadastre.
4. Next: your lawyer files the Golden Visa application with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. You need the title deed, a Greek tax certificate, your passport, a criminal background check, proof of health insurance and proof of the source of funds. The fee is €2,000 per main applicant plus €150 per family member (secondary source, Wise 2026), and €16 for the permit card.
5. Then: processing takes several months; there is no official processing time. The authorities review the file, may ask for clarifications and schedule biometrics: one visit to Greece for fingerprints and a photo.
6. Finally: the residence permit card is issued, and your five-year permit is active.

Week ranges: BUY GREECE® client files, not an official figure. From property search to permit card usually takes several months in total.

How much does the Golden Visa cost in total?

• Transfer tax: 3.09% of the higher of the price and the objective value, which is €12,360 on €400,000 and €24,720 on €800,000.
• Notary: about 0.8–1.2% of the price.
• Lawyer: about 1–2% for full due diligence and the closing.
• Land registry or Cadastre: about 0.5%.
• Agent's commission: commonly 2–3% plus VAT (BUY GREECE® estimate; there is no official scale, and the seller sometimes pays or shares it).
• Permit fees: €2,000 per main applicant plus €150 per family member (secondary source, Wise 2026), and €16 for the card.
• Health insurance: a yearly policy for each applicant.
• Translations and apostilles of foreign documents.

In all, purchase costs come to about 5–7% on top of the price, or 8–10% with an agent's commission, plus permit fees, insurance and translations. On a new build, 24% VAT applies instead of the transfer tax unless the developer suspends it, which is possible until 31 December 2026 (Law 5246/2025).

Which Golden Visa tier is right for you?

• "I want the most liquid asset and the easiest resale": the €800,000 tier on the Athens Riviera (Glyfada, Voula) or in central Athens, the strongest resale market.
• "I want the lowest entry point": the €400,000 tier in Kalamata or Nafplio, where value for money is also highest.
• "I want a home I'll actually use": match the tier to where you want to spend time, such as Mykonos at €800,000 for summers or Crete at €800,000 for a year-round Mediterranean base.
• "I want to spend as little as possible": the €250,000 conversion or listed-building routes, but they need active renovation work and add complexity.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Greece Golden Visa thresholds by region in 2026?

Two tiers apply to standard home purchases under Law 5100/2024. €800,000 covers all of Attica, the Thessaloniki Regional Unit, Mykonos, Santorini and every island with more than 3,100 residents, including Crete and Evia. €400,000 applies everywhere else, such as the Peloponnese, the mainland and small islands. A €250,000 route exists anywhere for conversions to residential use or listed-building restorations.

Does the €800,000 or €400,000 Golden Visa investment have to be in a single property?

Yes. Under Law 5100/2024 and Ministry Circular 1/2026, the €800,000 and €400,000 tiers must be met with one property; several smaller units cannot be combined. You may own other property as well, but it does not count. Co-owners qualify only if each person's share reaches the threshold, while the 120 m² minimum applies to the whole home.

Is the Greece Golden Visa still €250,000 or €500,000?

No, not for a standard home purchase. The old €250,000 and €500,000 thresholds applied only where a 10% deposit was paid by 31 August 2024 and the purchase was completed by 31 December 2024. Today €250,000 is limited to converting a non-residential building to residential use, with the change of use finished before applying, or restoring a listed building.

What property requirements apply to a Golden Visa purchase in 2026?

One property at or above the tier for its area, with at least 120 m² of main living space. In the €800,000 and €400,000 tiers, parking spaces and storage rooms do not count toward that size. The home cannot be let short term or on Airbnb-type platforms, on pain of revocation and a €50,000 fine. Long-term leases are allowed, and there is no minimum stay.

What is the Golden Visa minimum investment in Crete in 2026?

€800,000. Crete had 624,408 residents in the 2021 census, far above the 3,100-resident line that puts an island in the top tier, and the Ministry applies that test to whole islands, as it did for Evia. No official text splits Crete by municipality, but confirm the tier for each property with a Greek lawyer. The €250,000 routes also apply there.

Can my family join me on the Greek Golden Visa?

Yes. One qualifying investment covers your spouse or registered partner, the children of either of you up to age 21, and the parents of both spouses (Ministry Circular 1/2026). Children aged 21 to 24 can move to a permit of their own. The circular does not require parents to be financially dependent on you.

How to start a Golden Visa purchase

1. Read the full rules, family cover and renewals in our Greece Golden Visa guide, or see the homes for sale that qualify.
2. Shortlist homes of at least 120 m² at or above the tier among our properties for sale in Greece.
3. Book a free Golden Visa eligibility call. Our licensed agents in Chicago and Glyfada check the tier and size of each address before any deposit, and your Greek lawyer files the application.