Greece Golden Visa Property Rules 2026: A Practical Guide to the €250K, €400K and €800K Routes
The Greece Golden Visa new rules have made choosing the right property more important than ever for investors seeking Greek residency in 2026. The program continues to offer a property-based route to residence, but investors now need to match their purchase with one of several clearly defined investment categories.
The most important thresholds are €800,000, €400,000 and €250,000.
Which amount applies depends on factors such as the property's location, registered use, floor area and whether it falls within a special conversion or listed-building category.
For this reason, investors should establish Golden Visa eligibility before making a property purchase rather than trying to make the property fit the immigration rules afterward.
What Changed Under the Greece Golden Visa New Rules?
Greece significantly revised its property investment framework through Law 5100/2024 and subsequent administrative implementation.
Instead of applying one minimum property value across most of the country, the current system separates investments into different routes.
The main structure for 2026 is:
Property Route | Minimum Investment | Main Eligibility Feature |
|---|---|---|
High-demand locations | €800,000 | Standard qualifying property, generally minimum 120 m² |
Other qualifying areas | €400,000 | Standard qualifying property, generally minimum 120 m² |
Change-of-use property | €250,000 | Qualifying conversion to residential use |
Listed building | €250,000 | Qualifying restoration or reconstruction property |
The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum oversees the investor residence permit framework and remains one of the primary official sources for applicants.
These categories mean that the advertised value of a property is only the beginning of the eligibility assessment.
The €800,000 Golden Visa Property Route
The €800,000 threshold applies to standard real estate investments in designated high-demand parts of Greece.
Important areas include:
Attica
Thessaloniki Regional Unit
Mykonos
Santorini
Greek islands with populations exceeding the applicable 3,100-resident threshold
Because Attica includes Athens and many surrounding districts, the higher threshold affects a substantial part of the market traditionally favored by international Golden Visa investors.
Someone planning to purchase an ordinary residential property in Athens should therefore generally expect to evaluate opportunities under the €800,000 category.
Investors considering the broader Greece Golden Visa 2026 framework should establish which investment route applies before narrowing their property search.
What Is the 120 m² Golden Visa Rule?
For standard real estate investments under the €400,000 and €800,000 routes, the qualifying property generally needs to provide at least 120 square metres of main space.
This rule is especially important in high-value urban areas.
An apartment can have a purchase price above €800,000 but still fail to qualify if it does not meet the required property-size criteria.
Investors should therefore verify the property's official documentation rather than relying solely on information in a listing.
Important checks include:
registered property area
legal property use
title ownership
cadastral records
planning documentation
exact geographical location
applicable Golden Visa threshold
The financial value of the transaction and the legal characteristics of the property need to work together.
Can You Still Get a Greece Golden Visa for €250,000?
Yes, but only through specific property categories.
The €250,000 level should no longer be treated as the ordinary Golden Visa minimum for residential property throughout Greece.
Instead, it applies primarily to two special routes:
1. Qualifying property conversions
Certain properties converted from an eligible non-residential use into residential use may qualify from €250,000.
2. Qualifying listed buildings
Certain officially listed properties that require restoration or reconstruction may also qualify from €250,000.
For investors seeking the lowest property investment threshold, these options can be attractive. However, they require more detailed legal and technical verification than a straightforward residential purchase.
How the €250,000 Conversion Route Works
The conversion category is one of the most important exceptions under the revised Golden Visa framework.
A property originally registered for a qualifying non-residential use may become eligible when it is legally converted into residential property.
Examples can potentially include former:
offices
retail premises
commercial units
industrial spaces
other qualifying non-residential buildings
However, an investor should not assume that buying a commercial property and planning to convert it at some future date is sufficient.
The change of use needs to meet the applicable legal requirements and be completed according to the conditions governing the Golden Visa application.
Greece's National Registry of Administrative Public Services provides official procedural information regarding investor residence permits, including relevant change-of-use cases.
Another important distinction is that the standard 120 m² requirement attached to the €400,000 and €800,000 categories does not apply in the same way to this qualifying €250,000 route.
This can make conversion projects particularly interesting in urban areas where smaller properties might otherwise fail the standard floor-area test.
Can You Purchase Multiple Properties to Reach the Threshold?
Under the current standard property framework, the €400,000 and €800,000 investment routes generally require the qualifying acquisition to concern one property.
This is important because older investment strategies sometimes involved combining the value of several smaller units.
Investors entering the market now should not assume the same approach remains available under the standard routes.
Instead, the selected property should independently satisfy the requirements attached to the relevant investment threshold.
This is why investors reviewing Greece Golden Visa properties should examine individual eligibility rather than simply comparing total purchase prices.
Why Investors Should Be Careful With Older Golden Visa Information
Greece has changed its Golden Visa property rules several times, which means older articles can easily lead new investors toward incorrect assumptions.
One of the most common examples is the idea that €250,000 remains the standard nationwide investment threshold.
That is no longer the position for ordinary residential property purchases.
Earlier investors could also benefit from transitional arrangements when the revised thresholds were introduced, provided they had made the necessary qualifying commitments within specified deadlines.
Those transitional provisions should not be viewed as a route available to a completely new applicant beginning the process in 2026.
For a new investment, the current rules should be used from the start.
What About Investors Who Already Have a Golden Visa?
Existing Golden Visa holders should not automatically apply the new investment thresholds to their renewal.
An investor who originally qualified under an earlier legal framework does not necessarily need to increase the property investment to €400,000 or €800,000.
Renewal generally depends on maintaining the qualifying investment and satisfying the requirements attached to the original residence permit.
Existing investors should therefore confirm:
continued ownership of the qualifying property
original investment conditions
current renewal requirements
required supporting documents
whether any changes have been made to the property
A renewal application and a new Golden Visa investment should be treated as separate situations.
Is the Greece Golden Visa Still Valid for Five Years?
Yes.
The investor residence permit generally continues to be issued with a five-year validity period.
It can normally be renewed when the qualifying investment and relevant legal conditions remain in place.
Another significant feature is that investors are generally not required to live in Greece for a minimum number of days solely to maintain the Golden Visa residence permit.
This flexibility can be particularly attractive to business owners, international investors and families who want Greek residency without immediately relocating full time.
However, investors should distinguish the Golden Visa residence rules from separate requirements that may apply to tax residency or future citizenship applications.
Does the Golden Visa Include Schengen Travel?
Greece participates in the Schengen Area.
A valid Greek residence permit can therefore support short-term travel within other Schengen countries according to the applicable European rules.
The European Commission's Schengen information provides official guidance on the wider European travel framework.
However, a Greek Golden Visa should not be interpreted as unrestricted permanent residence or employment authorization throughout the European Union.
It remains a residence permit issued by Greece.
Which Greece Golden Visa Route Is Best?
There is no single property route that works best for every investor.
The €800,000 category may suit buyers who specifically want premium property in Athens, Thessaloniki or another designated high-demand location.
The €400,000 route can be attractive to investors willing to consider a wider selection of Greek regions.
The €250,000 conversion route may suit investors looking for a lower initial threshold and comfortable with a more technical property structure.
Listed buildings can also provide access at €250,000, but restoration obligations need to be included in the overall investment calculation.
The better strategy is to choose the immigration route before selecting the asset.
A practical process is:
define the residence objective
choose the appropriate property route
establish the applicable investment threshold
identify eligible locations
shortlist suitable properties
conduct legal and technical due diligence
complete the acquisition
prepare the residence permit application
Following this order can reduce the risk of investing in a property that is financially attractive but unsuitable for the Golden Visa.
For investors comparing Greece with other residency and citizenship-by-investment programs, Level Immigration provides international investment migration guidance and can help applicants evaluate different programs according to their mobility, investment and long-term residence objectives.
What is the 120 m² requirement?
Standard properties purchased under the €400,000 and €800,000 routes generally need at least 120 m² of main space. The special €250,000 routes are subject to different conditions.
Can I combine several apartments to qualify?
Investors should generally expect the standard €400,000 and €800,000 property routes to require a single qualifying property rather than several smaller properties combined together.
Can a Golden Visa property be used for short-term rental?
The current Golden Visa framework contains restrictions on short-term rental use of qualifying properties. Investors should verify permitted use before purchasing a property based on a tourist-rental strategy.
Do existing Golden Visa investors need to invest more money?
Not automatically. Existing permit holders generally renew according to the conditions associated with their original qualifying investment rather than being required to meet the current entry threshold.
How long does the investor residence permit remain valid?
The Golden Visa residence permit is generally valid for five years and can be renewed when the qualifying investment and relevant requirements continue to be maintained.