The minimum investment, without the €250,000 myth.

Standard property purchase, outside the high-demand zones€400,000

A single property of at least 120 m² of main areas, paid in full before the permit is issued.

Property in a high-demand zone€800,000

Applies in Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and any island with a population over 3,100.

Change of use or listed-building restoration€250,000

Available anywhere in Greece, but only for these two specialist property types.

Units in a Greek fund (UCITS or AIF)€350,000

The lowest financial route, for investors who prefer not to buy property.

Registered Elevate Greece startup€250,000

A capital contribution to a startup registered with Elevate Greece, subject to job-creation conditions assessed on application.

Every figure is a statutory threshold under the Greek Migration Code (Law 5038/2023), articles 99, 100 and 100A. The property tiers were set by the amendment in Law 5100/2024; the startup route was added by Law 5162/2024. Full conditions for each route are set out on the investment-routes page.

€250,000 is a route type, not a general price band. It applies anywhere in Greece, but only where a property’s main areas are lawfully converted to residential use, or where the investor buys a listed building to restore. For a change of use the conversion must be completed before the first permit application; for a listed building the restoration need only be finished before the first renewal. Either way it is a project rather than a shortcut. A conventional apartment or house qualifies at €400,000 or €800,000, depending on where it is.

• Attica (including all of Athens)
• Regional Unit of Thessaloniki
• Mykonos
• Thira (Santorini)
• Any island with a population over 3,100, including Crete, Corfu and Rhodes

The rise to €400,000 and €800,000 raised the earlier property thresholds. That change is why so many older pages, and answer engines trained on them, still name €250,000 as the minimum. As of 2026-08-26, no further threshold change has been announced for 2026.

The minimum tells you what qualifies, not what the whole exercise costs or how long it takes. Three pages carry the rest of the picture.

What is the minimum investment for the Greek Golden Visa?

The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000, but only through two specialist routes: a change-of-use conversion or listed-building restoration, and a capital contribution to a registered Elevate Greece startup. A standard property purchase starts at €400,000, rising to €800,000 in high-demand zones such as Attica, Thessaloniki and the larger islands.

Is the Greek Golden Visa really available from €250,000?

€250,000 applies only to change-of-use conversions and listed-building restorations. Standard property purchases start at €400,000, or €800,000 in high-demand zones.

Has the minimum investment changed for 2026?

No. The current property thresholds took effect on 1 September 2024 under Law 5100/2024 and remain the rule as of 2026-08-26. They raised the earlier, lower figures, which is why older guides still quote €250,000 as the general minimum.

What is the cheapest way to qualify overall?

Both the conversion route and the Elevate Greece startup route qualify from €250,000. The lowest route that involves neither a conversion project nor a startup is the €350,000 Greek fund route.

Is the minimum investment the whole budget?

No. The threshold is the qualifying investment only. On a property purchase you also pay transfer tax, notary, legal and registry fees, plus fixed government fees for the permit, which together add several per cent to the total. Those are set out in full on the cost page.