What are the main benefits of the Greek Golden Visa?

A 5-year renewable Greek residence permit with no minimum-stay requirement, covering your spouse or partner, children under 21 and both sets of parents on a single qualifying investment from €250,000 (the conversion route; standard property purchases from €400,000), with 9 routes to choose from and short-stay travel across the Schengen area.

Do you have to live in Greece to keep the Golden Visa?

No. There is no minimum-stay requirement to hold or renew the permit, which is the programme's defining benefit. Note that this is also why the permit does not build the residence a citizenship application later needs.

Does the Greek Golden Visa include your family?

Yes. One qualifying investment covers a spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21, and the parents of both the investor and their partner, with no additional qualifying investment for each person.

Does the Greek Golden Visa let you live or work anywhere in the EU?

No. It is residence in Greece, not an EU-wide right. It does not by itself let you live or work in other EU countries; it gives residence in Greece plus short-stay travel within the Schengen area.

Can you work in Greece with a Golden Visa?

No. The permit carries no work rights in Greece (Greek Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, article 100 paragraph 9). It is a residence-and-investment permit; working in Greece requires a different permit.

The benefits, and the ones most people overstate.

A Greek Golden Visa is a 5-year renewable residence permit with no minimum stay, covering your family on one investment from €250,000. It is a strong residence product. It is not, on its own, a passport, a work permit, or an EU-wide right — and knowing the difference is part of the benefit.

What are the benefits of the Greek Golden Visa?

A 5-year renewable residence permit with no minimum-stay requirement, covering your family on a single qualifying investment from €250,000 (the conversion route; standard property purchases from €400,000), with 9 routes to choose from and short-stay travel across the Schengen area.

A 5-year residence permit, renewable: The permit runs 5 years and is renewable indefinitely for as long as the investment is held. Renewing it is a matter of confirming the investment is still held, not of re-qualifying.
No minimum stay: There is no minimum-stay requirement to hold or renew the permit. You are not obliged to move to Greece, live there for part of the year, or spend any set number of days to keep it valid.
Your family on one investment: One qualifying investment covers a spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21, and the parents of both adults, at no additional qualifying amount. A narrow further route covers an adult child who lacks legal capacity.
9 ways to qualify, from €250,000: Property is the common route, but it is not the only one: qualifying investments also include Greek fund units, a bank deposit, government or corporate bonds, listed shares and a registered startup. That choice lets you match the investment to what you actually want to hold.
Residence in Greece, inside the Schengen area: Greece is a member of the Schengen area, so the permit comes with the practical convenience of short-stay travel across the other Schengen countries.

Permit term, renewal and stay rule: Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) arts. 99 and 100, and art. 100A added by Law 5162/2024. Family scope: article 95(2). Investment figures are read from the route model.

What the Greek Golden Visa does not give you

Three things are routinely overstated: that the permit is a route to citizenship in itself, that it grants EU-wide rights, and that it comes with the right to work in Greece. None is true.

Common questions

What people ask once they separate what the permit gives from what it is often said to give.

What are the main benefits of the Greek Golden Visa?: A 5-year renewable Greek residence permit with no minimum-stay requirement, covering your spouse or partner, children under 21 and both sets of parents on a single qualifying investment from €250,000 (the conversion route; standard property purchases from €400,000), with 9 routes to choose from and short-stay travel across the Schengen area.
Do you have to live in Greece to keep the Golden Visa?: No. There is no minimum-stay requirement to hold or renew the permit, which is the programme's defining benefit. Note that this is also why the permit does not build the residence a citizenship application later needs.
Does the Greek Golden Visa include your family?: Yes. One qualifying investment covers a spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21, and the parents of both the investor and their partner, with no additional qualifying investment for each person.
Does the Greek Golden Visa let you live or work anywhere in the EU?: No. It is residence in Greece, not an EU-wide right. It does not by itself let you live or work in other EU countries; it gives residence in Greece plus short-stay travel within the Schengen area.
Can you work in Greece with a Golden Visa?: No. The permit carries no work rights in Greece (Greek Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, article 100 paragraph 9). It is a residence-and-investment permit; working in Greece requires a different permit.

Sources

Permit term, renewal and stay rule: Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) arts. 99 and 100, and art. 100A added by Law 5162/2024.
Family scope: Greek Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) article 95(2).
Qualifying routes and minimum amounts: read from the Aegalis route model.

Not yet reviewed by a Greek-qualified lawyer. Last checked 2026-08-27. General information about the Greek Golden Visa, not advice on your circumstances.

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