Worth it for the right goal. Not for every goal.

There is no single answer, because the programme is good at some things and not built for others. The useful question is not whether it is worth it in the abstract, but whether what it does matches what you are trying to achieve. The two lists below are the honest version of that test.

You want an EU residence base for your family

One qualifying investment covers a spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21 and both sets of parents. For a family, the per-person economics are strong.

You do not want to relocate

There is no minimum-stay requirement to hold or renew the permit, so it works as a standby residence you are not obliged to live in.

You want optionality on the investment

Property is one route among several — funds, a deposit, bonds, shares and a startup also qualify — so you can match the investment to what you actually want to hold.

Your main goal is a passport soon

Citizenship is a separate step that needs genuine residence and Greek tax residence over years; passive permit years do not count. If a quick passport is the point, this is the wrong instrument. How the citizenship path actually works.

You want to live or work elsewhere in the EU

It is residence in Greece, not an EU-wide right, and it carries no work rights in Greece either. It gives residence plus short-stay Schengen travel, not free movement. What the permit does and does not give.

You want short-let or holiday income from the qualifying property

A property used to obtain a Greek Golden Visa may not be let on a short-term basis or subleased. Breach means revocation of the residence permit and a fine of €50,000. Long-term residential letting is allowed, but the short-let, Airbnb-style yields quoted on other sites are not available on the asset that backs the permit. The short-term rental ban in detail.

Well-prepared file, uncongested office

4 to 6 months

Average

6 to 9 months

Attica and backlogged offices

12 to 16 months or more

8,977 investor-permit applications pending as at June 2026. Statutory deadline: two months from the date a complete file reaches the authority (Law 5038/2023 art. 100 par. 10), which is the deadline, not the observed timeline.

We do not quote a yield or an appreciation figure, because the programme does not come with one and any specific number would be a guess. What can be stated are the facts that shape the return, and they cut against treating it as an investment play:

• · The qualifying property may not be let short-term or subleased, so the short-let yields quoted elsewhere are not available on this asset.
• · Transaction and government costs of several per cent are paid on entry, a sunk cost any future sale has to clear first.
• · Capital gains tax on individual transfers of Greek real estate is suspended through 31 December 2026. Without the suspension a flat 15% would apply.

Short-let ban: Migration Code (Law 5038/2023) art. 100 §7A. Capital gains: Law 4172/2013 art. 41, suspension extended by Law 5162/2024 art. 90.

Is the Greek Golden Visa worth it?

It depends on the goal. As a low-obligation EU residence base for a family — no minimum stay, spouse or registered partner, unmarried children under 21 and both sets of parents on one investment from €250,000 (the conversion route; standard property purchases from €400,000) — it is strong. As a route to a fast passport, EU-wide work rights or short-let income from the property, it is a poor fit, because none of those is what the permit provides.

How much does it really cost beyond the investment?

On a property purchase, transfer tax alone is about 3.09%, and notary, legal and registry fees take the total to several per cent of the price on top of the investment. The full breakdown, including the fixed government fees, is on the cost page.

How long does it take to get?

The statutory deadline is two months from the date a complete file reaches the authority, but 6 to 9 months is a realistic expectation and Attica runs to 12 to 16 months or more. There are 8,977 investor-permit applications pending as at June 2026.

Is it worth it at €250,000?

€250,000 is a specialist floor — the change-of-use conversion, listed-building and startup routes — not a general property price. A standard property purchase starts at €400,000. Judge the value against the route you would actually use, not the lowest figure quoted.