The Greek Golden Visa Law sets out specific requirements regarding the implementation and the characteristics of the investment like the payment structure, the type of the acquired asset, value, duration and other features. All investments should be made in Greece.
Your Golden Visa investment in Greece must meet specific criteria and the investment process requires certain specific steps.
It is not enough to buy a property for 250k or shares for 400k. The Golden Visa Law requires a strict step-by-step process for the implementation of the investment. The real estate transactions should be made under a strict payment scheme, while many of the financial products must be pre-approved by the Government to qualify for the Golden Visa.
At the same time, there are several other legal requirements that should be fulfilled according to the Greek Tax law and the European anti-money laundering regulations.
The Golden Visa process requires specialized legal advice due to its cross-border characteristics and the many different fields of Greek and European legislation as 1) real estate law (only for the real estate option); 2) tax law; 3) banking law; 4) anti-money laundering regulations; 5) immigration law; 6) international taxation and 7) private international law.
You may invest a minimum of €250,000 in real estate.
The investment may consist of a single property or multiple properties with
a combined value of €250,000 and over.
The value of the property is determined based on the value indicated on
the purchase contract or the lease contract, in case of long-term
timeshare agreements.
There are no restrictions regarding the type or age of the property.
You may invest in residential properties, commercial properties or land.
There is no requirement for investing in new developments either. You may buy
second-hand or old properties in the free market.
It is explicitly stated that it is possible to buy a leased property or to rent your
property and generate a stream of stable income.
The following property types are considered eligible investments for the Greek Golden Visa:
Full ownership of properties and plots of land, acquired either through purchase with minimum price €250,000, or through inheritance or parent-child transfer with a minimum objective value of €250,000.
Plots of land with the intention to build. In this case, the minimum investment criterion applies to the total investment value, i.e. the sum of the purchase price and the construction costs should be more than €250,000.
Long-term leases for hotel accommodation or furnished tourist residences in integrated tourist resorts (10 years for €250,000) or times-share leases of tourist accommodation with hotel units and regulated tourist facilities (1-60 years).
Previously acquired real estate. Real estate purchased before 2013, with a current objective value of more than €250,000, qualifies for the Golden Visa. However, real estate purchased after 2013 should meet the current Golden Visa Law requirements.
The Greek Golden Visa Law offers investors more flexible investment options, such as time deposits. According to the European Union’s regulations, €100,000 per deposit is guaranteed by the State, even in the unlike event of bankruptcy.
The following eligibility criteria should be met:
The Greek Golden Visa Law has expended its scope to include various types of financial investments. Requirements vary according to the particulars of each asset.
The potential investors can combine different financial options to reach the minimum investment amount.In many categories, the Golden Visa Law requires the investment to be done only in pre-approved schemes by the Ministry for Development.
Greek Government Bonds
Mutual Funds
Equity Investment
Equity Investment in a REIC
Closed-end Funds
Alternative Investment Funds
Publicly Traded Financial Instruments
Greek Government Bonds
Mutual Funds
Equity Investment
Equity Investment in a REIC
Closed-end Funds
Alternative Investment Funds
Publicly Traded Financial Instruments
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may invest in Greek Government bonds with a residual maturity of at least 3 years.
The transaction should be conducted through a credit institution (bank) established in Greece, which will also act as custodian.
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may invest in a mutual fund that meets the following conditions:
1. It invests solely in shares, corporate bonds and Greek government bonds trading in regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities operating in Greece.
2. Its net asset value amounts to at least €3,000,000.
3. The mutual fund and its manager are licensed by their local capital market authority, and such authority has entered into a bilateral information exchange agreement with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission.
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may invest in a company with registered offices or an establishment in Greece, by participating in a:
• Share capital increase, or
• Corporate bond issue, when bonds are admitted for trading in regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities operating in Greece.
Investment funds and Real Estate Investment Companies do not fall under this category.
All transactions should be executed via an investment company or credit institution with registered offices or a branch in Greece.
The investor should also have an Investor Share in the Dematerialised Securities System of the Hellenic Central Securities Depository SA.
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may participate in a share capital increase launched by a Real Estate Investment Company (REIC) which solely invests in Greece.
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may invest in a:
For the investment to be considered eligible, the Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) should have the sole purpose of investing in companies with registered offices or an establishment in Greece.
Minimum investment: €400,000
You may invest in an alternative investment fund that meets the following conditions:
Minimum investment: €800,000
You may invest in financial instruments:
All financial instruments should be admitted for trading in regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities operating in Greece.
All transactions should be executed via an investment company or credit institution with registered offices or a branch in Greece.
The investor should also have an Investor Share in the Dematerialized Securities System of the Hellenic Central Securities Depository SA.
