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Free Greece Golden Visa Assessment — real-estate tiers (from EUR 250,000 conversions, EUR 400,000 regions, EUR 800,000 prime areas), the new Elevate Greece startup route, and financial-asset options.

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Key Takeaways

Program Fact Card

Greece Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Program typeEU residence permit (not citizenship)
Real-estate tiersEUR 250,000 (conversions / heritage restorations) · EUR 400,000 (rest of Greece) · EUR 800,000 (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, larger islands)
Property rule (400k/800k)Single property, minimum 120 m² — combining smaller units is not allowed
Startup routeEUR 250,000 into an Elevate Greece registered tech startup
Financial-asset routesFrom EUR 350,000 (regulated funds) / EUR 500,000 (bank deposit, government bonds, company equity)
Permit & stay5-year renewable permit · no minimum stay
FamilySpouse, children under 21, and parents of both spouses
ProcessingRoughly 4–9 months in 2026, backlogs reported (guidance, not a promise)
Cosmos fees[fees confirmed after assessment]
As ofJune 2026
12+ Years
Advisory experience
Evidence-First
Decision-ready files
Clear Milestones
No ambiguity
Network-Backed
Authorised agents & regulated legal practitioners

Greece Golden Visa Guidance for UAE, GCC & India

We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. Our role is to convert a tiered, fast-moving program into a clear, executable plan and to coordinate the right authorised professionals on the ground in Greece.

The objective is not speed alone — it is correctness, consistency, and a structure that holds up over the five-year permit and beyond.

How much do you need to invest for the Greece Golden Visa in 2026?

The Greece Golden Visa starts at EUR 250,000 in 2026, but only through two specific routes: commercial-to-residential property conversions or heritage-building restorations, and the new Elevate Greece startup investment. Standard residential property now costs EUR 400,000 across most of Greece, rising to EUR 800,000 in Attica, greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands.

For the EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 tiers, the law requires a single property of at least 120 square metres — you cannot combine smaller units to reach the threshold. There are also financial-asset routes from EUR 350,000 in regulated funds and EUR 500,000 in deposits, bonds or company equity. Which tier fits your budget and goals is exactly what a first assessment settles. Find out where you stand — free assessment.

The honest note. The old flat EUR 250,000 Athens apartment is gone. At that budget you are looking at a conversion, a heritage restoration, or the startup route — not a turnkey city flat. Two more honest points: Golden Visa property cannot be used for short-term or Airbnb-style rentals (long leases of 60 days or more only, with a EUR 50,000 fine and permit revocation for breaches), and a Greek passport is not part of this — citizenship takes roughly seven years of actual residence plus integration, which this visa does not provide. Tiers, rules and timelines move within a program year, so every figure here carries its as-of date.

What You Receive in Your Consultation

  • Route shortlist: real estate, conversion/heritage, Elevate Greece startup, or financial assets
  • Budget & eligibility reality check: which tier your funds and goals actually fit
  • Document roadmap: what to prepare now and what to avoid
  • Process logic: assessment → investment → biometrics → permit issuance, coordinated with authorised agents
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Do you have to live in Greece to keep the Golden Visa?

No. The Greece Golden Visa has no minimum-stay or physical-residence requirement, so you can hold it from Dubai or India without relocating. The five-year permit renews indefinitely as long as the qualifying investment is maintained.

That near-zero presence requirement is exactly why Gulf- and India-based families choose Greece over conventional residence permits — you keep your job, your business and your tax base where they are, while gaining an EU residence card and Schengen mobility. The trade-off is that this flexibility is residence, not a fast citizenship route. We will map that honestly to your goals — even if the answer is that another program fits better. Message us on WhatsApp.

How Greece Golden Visa Support Works

Greece is not a jurisdiction Cosmos is licensed to represent directly. So we work to a facilitator model: applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in Cosmos's network, while Cosmos coordinates eligibility assessment, documentation preparation and case management end to end.

How long does the Greece Golden Visa take in 2026?

Plan for roughly four to nine months end to end in 2026, with backlogs reported at the permit-issuance and biometrics stages. Well-structured cases can move at the faster end; standard files sit nearer six to nine months. There is no separate queue for Gulf- or India-based applicants.

Most of the timeline is set by the stages you control — choosing the route, securing funds compliantly, and assembling clean documents. The Greek authorities have been working through an issuance backlog, so we set expectations at the realistic end rather than the marketing end. Preparation is what separates competitive applications — and preparation is assessable.

  • Route and budget planning across all qualifying options
  • Evidence organisation and quality control
  • Coordination with authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in Greece
  • Application readiness and milestone tracking through to permit issuance

Greece Golden Visa for Indian investors — what about RBI and citizenship?

Because the Greece Golden Visa is residence and not citizenship, an Indian applicant does not renounce Indian citizenship — there is no OCI or surrender step, unlike Caribbean citizenship-by-investment. The binding constraint for Indian nationals is capital outflow, not nationality.

Outward remittance from India is governed by the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme, currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year (as of June 2026), under FEMA. The larger EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 real-estate tiers therefore require FEMA-compliant planning around how funds are moved over time. We coordinate the assessment so your file is structured correctly from the start.

This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.

Program Notes (Accuracy-Checked)

  • EUR 250,000 tier survives only via commercial-to-residential conversions or heritage restorations — not standard residential flats.
  • Single property, minimum 120 m² applies to the EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 tiers.
  • Short-term / Airbnb rental of Golden Visa property is banned — long leases (60+ days) only; breaches carry a EUR 50,000 fine and permit revocation.
  • Elevate Greece startup route (EUR 250,000) is a separate tech-investment pathway effective in early 2026.

All criteria are subject to change by the relevant Greek authorities.

What changed for 2026

  • As of 2026: all transitional deadlines under the 2024 reform have expired, so new applications pay the full tiered thresholds — EUR 250,000 (conversions/heritage), EUR 400,000 (rest of Greece) or EUR 800,000 (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, larger islands).
  • As of early 2026: a new EUR 250,000 Elevate Greece startup route was introduced, giving a tech-investment alternative to the conversion/heritage real-estate tier.
  • Standing rule worth knowing: Golden Visa property cannot be let on a short-term/Airbnb basis — only long leases of 60 days or more — with a EUR 50,000 administrative fine and permit revocation for breaches.
  • As of June 2026: demand remains strong as investors redirected from programs that closed or restructured elsewhere in Europe; applications moderated from a 2024 record after the threshold increases, with the program described as stabilising.
  • As of June 2026: permit-issuance backlogs persist, so plan for a realistic four-to-nine-month timeline rather than a fast turnaround.

Honest risk & mobility note

The Greece Golden Visa grants Greek residence plus Schengen travel of 90 days in any 180 while you hold the permit. Because this is an EU member-state residence permit — not a Caribbean passport — it does not carry the EU visa-suspension risk that affects citizenship-by-investment passports. Schengen mobility here is a travel benefit of residence, framed as currently available and subject to EU policy, not a guaranteed lifetime entitlement.

Two limits to be clear about: a Greek or EU passport is not part of this program — citizenship requires roughly seven years of genuine residence plus integration, which this visa does not satisfy on its own. And the property should be treated as a residence asset, not an Airbnb income asset, given the short-term-rental ban. We would rather set those expectations in your first session than after you commit.

View all residence-by-investment pathways on the investment-migration hub page.

Greece Golden Visa — quick answers

What is the Greece Golden Visa price now — EUR 250,000 or EUR 800,000?

Both, depending on the route. EUR 800,000 applies in Attica, greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands; EUR 400,000 across the rest of Greece; and EUR 250,000 only via commercial-to-residential conversions, heritage restorations, or the Elevate Greece startup route. There are also financial-asset routes from EUR 350,000.

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

No. There is no minimum-stay or physical-residence requirement. The five-year permit renews indefinitely as long as the qualifying investment is maintained, which is why Gulf- and India-based families use it without relocating.

Can I rent out my Greece Golden Visa property on Airbnb?

No. Short-term and Airbnb-style letting of Golden Visa property is banned — only long leases of 60 days or more are allowed. Breaching the rule carries a EUR 50,000 fine and revocation of the permit, so the property should be treated as a residence asset, not a short-let income asset.

Does the Greece Golden Visa lead to a passport?

Not directly. It is an EU residence permit, not citizenship. A Greek passport requires roughly seven years of genuine residence plus integration requirements — this is not an investment shortcut to citizenship. Treat it as EU residence with Schengen mobility.

Can Indian nationals apply, and is it FEMA-compliant?

Yes. Because it is residence and not citizenship, there is no Indian-citizenship renunciation step. Outward remittance is governed by the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme — currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year — so the larger tiers need FEMA-compliant planning. Speak to a chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.


Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. Greece is not a jurisdiction we are licensed to represent directly: for the Greece Golden Visa, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network, while we coordinate eligibility, documentation and case management. You can verify our standing on official registers in the jurisdictions where we hold credentials. Verify Our Credentials

Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.

Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether Greece fits — even if the answer is no.

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