Advantages of Residence Permit

Live in Greece without restrictions during the validity of the permit, without being obliged to become its tax resident

Freely travel within the Schengen area and live in its territory for 90 (ninety) days every six months

Have access to public health services in Greece

Have access to the public education system in Greece

GOLDEN VISA / Residence permit for investors

The Greece Golden Visa Program is a residence-by-investment program that allows non-EU citizens and their family members to obtain permanent residence permit in Greece. To qualify, you must invest a minimum amount of €250,000. The permit is valid for five years and can be renewed indefinitely.

You can include your spouse, children under 21, and parents in your residency application.

NEW RULES for the Greece Golden visa have been implemented since September 2024.

As of Article 64 of Law 5100/2024, the Greek government introduced new investment restrictions into three main price tiers, based on property location and type.

To qualify for the Golden Visa program, the minimum property value threshold is set at:

  • €800,000 in a single property of at least 120 sq.m. in regions of Attica (including Athens), Thessaloniki, and all islands with a population of more than 3,100 such as Mykonos, Santorini, Crete.
  • €400,000 in a single property of at least 120 sq.m. in other areas of Greece.

Based on the same legislation, the minimum amount of investment remains at €250,000 in the following cases:

  • Property where a conversion to residential use is permitted. Such a property is exempt from the minimum area and region requirements.
  • An industrial building or part of it, if it has not operated as such for the last 5 years. The change of use must have been completed before the submission of the application for the residence permit.
  • A building or part of a building under maintenance to be restored or renovated and if the restoration or renovation is completed.

These properties are not permitted to be used as the headquarters or branch of a company.

Rental restrictions: Short term rentals of Golden visa properties are prohibited, including subleasing. It is unclear if this restriction will be applied to existing Golden Visa holders.

To be qualified you will have to prepare the following documents:

  • Passport with a valid visa of any Schengen member country.
  • Purchase and sale agreement of the property and the certificate of the agreement’s registration in the competent Land Register.

Or

  • Purchase and sale agreement of an agricultural plot and a construction contract for the construction / reconstruction of a residential property, registered with the tax authority, a building permit issued in the name of the applicant, Invoices of the builder / constructors and the corresponding receipts of payment.

Full payment of the purchase cost has to be maid via bank transfer.

Types of Residence Permit

This residence permit allows foreigners to reside on the territory of Greece and to travel freely throughout the Schengen area, but does not provide the right to work.

1) Visa of type D

It is necessary to provide the following package of documents:

Passport

Health certificate with Apostille stamp

Certificate of criminal record with Apostille stamp

An official document confirming a permanent official monthly income of two thousand euros (2.000,00 euros) and above, with a surcharge of 20% of the above amount for the spouse and 15% for each minor child

2) Upon arrival in Greece with visa of type D

It is necessary to provide the following package of documents:

Application

Two (2) color photographs whose specifications are identical to passport photos, on paper, and also in the digital format JPEG2000 on an optical disc (CD)

Certified copy of a valid passport or travel document.

State duty in electronic form in accordance with the provisions of Article 132 of Law 4251/2014, where necessary.

Health insurance agreement with a private Greek insurance company, where it is permitted by applicable law.

Official documents confirming that the person concerned has sufficient means of subsistence in the form of a stable annual income, the amount of which is determined by a joint decision of the ministers

Visa type D (certificate of criminal record, minimum monthly income 2,000.00 euros)

Official bank document confirming that the person concerned has an amount corresponding to a minimum of funds sufficient for the existence of his personal bank account in Greece.

Lease agreement or a sales contract of any value.

The owed payment is also allowed.

  • ▪ The residence permit is issued for the period of two years with the possibility of a subsequent extension for two years

  • ▪ The right to residence permits is given to minors under 18 years of age

As a digital nomad who is in search of a new country to work remotely from, Greece, which is full of islands and beautiful beaches, is a great option.

To be qualified for a Greece digital nomad visa, you must meet the eligibility criteria below:

You need to prepare the following documents before you apply for the Greece digital nomad visa:

  • A valid passport.
  • Residential lease or purchase contract in Greece
  • Type C or D visa
  • Private medical insurance
  • Responsible Declaration, declaring his intention to stay in the country for the provision of remote work and his commitment that he will not provide work or services or work in any way to an employer based in Greece
  • Administrative fee + fee for card.
  • Duration up to two years
  • Work Access to work is not granted
  • You must be a non-EU citizen.
  • You must prove that you are a digital nomad.
  • You must prove that you will work by using telecommunications technology.
  • You have an employment contract with a company registered outside Greece.
  • You must have a monthly salary of at least €3,500 and is increased by 20% for the spouse or partner and 15% for each child.

Cost of residence permit in Greece

According to the program "Golden Visa"

Owner

4000€

Spouse

1500€

Minor children (all children, under 21)

1000€

Parents (each)

1500€

For financially independent persons

Owner

3000€

Spouse

1500€

Minor children (all children, under 18)

1000€

Parents (each)

-

7 basic steps for obtaining a residence permit

Gathering of all necessary documents in the country of residence
Arrival in Greece
Signing a power of attorney to an authorized lawyer and purchase of medical insurance
Translation of documents and their submission to the corresponding authorities
Receiving the receipt of a “blue certificate” confirming the submission of documents
Fingerprinting at the corresponding authorities
Issuance of electronic plastic card (Residence Permit)

Since February 20th, 2017, a new sample of residence permits has been introduced. In particular, the residence permit will no longer be issued as a sticker in the passport, from now on it is a separate document that has the form of an electronic card and includes the owner's biometric data (digital face image and two digital fingerprints), and the RF Chip (RF Chip) to store this data.

Electronic residence permit is designed as a secure document, with high standards, which provides all necessary guarantees against a possible forgery.

Detailed and attentive acquaintance with the nuances of both the process of buying real estate and after-sale is possible with the competent support of experts of the real estate market, as well as lawyers of MBGcs will provide competent assistance in preparing documents for obtaining a residence permit in Greece and submitting documents to immigration services.