Last updated 14 October 2026. By Demetre E. Katsouris, Managing Partner, Katsouris Law Firm.
The short answer: the thresholds have not changed — €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands; €400,000 elsewhere; €250,000 for a lawful conversion to residential use or a listed building under restoration. What changed on 22 April 2026, when the Ministry of Migration issued Circular 1/2026, is how the regional offices check the file. A property that is advertised as “Golden Visa eligible” is not eligible until the nine points below have been checked by a lawyer and an engineer, and the application is decided on the file, not on the price.
1. One property
Under the €800,000 and €400,000 routes the investment must be in a single property. Two apartments in the same building whose prices add up do not qualify. A storage room or parking space bought in the same deed, in the same building, can form part of the investment value, but does not count towards the size test. Where a buyer takes a co-ownership share, the value of the share itself must meet the threshold.
2. The 120 sq.m. test
Built property, or property with a building permit, must have at least 120 sq.m. of main-use space. Balconies, storage, parking and auxiliary spaces do not count. The figure is taken from the permit and the engineer’s measurement, not from the sales brochure. Many apartments on the Athens Riviera are marketed at 115–119 sq.m.; they fail. The test does not apply to the €250,000 change-of-use route.
3. Change of use: completed, not promised
The €250,000 route for property converted to residential use requires the conversion to have been lawfully completed and documented before the residence application is filed: original permit, approved prior use, change-of-use approval, revised plans, electronic building identity, engineer’s certificate, and the notarial description of the converted property. The seller may carry out the conversion, but the file must show it is done. Where the building was industrial, evidence that no industrial activity was operating during the relevant period may be required. A property already used once under the €250,000 route cannot necessarily be resold to a second applicant at the same threshold.
4. Payment through the bank, in full, traceably
The deed must state the full price, the price must be paid through the banking system, and the bank records must match the deed. The circular signals scrutiny of side arrangements: rebates paid back to the buyer, guaranteed-return schemes funded from the buyer’s own money, inflated contract prices, circular transfers. These lead not only to refusal or revocation but to referral to the anti-money-laundering authorities. The payment plan should be designed before the first euro moves.
5. No short-term letting
A Golden Visa property may not be placed on short-term rental platforms. The ban cannot be avoided by using a management company, a hotel operator, a relative or a lessee who sublets. The fine is €50,000 and the permit is revoked. Long-term residential letting is permitted; the lease should prohibit subletting and short-term use.
6. Selling and replacing
An investor who sells the property loses the basis of the permit unless a replacement qualifying investment is already in place. The sequence is: buy the replacement, then sell. A gap, even of weeks, puts the investor’s and the family’s permits at risk. A listed building under the €250,000 route cannot be sold at all until the restoration is complete.
7. Death of the investor
The permit does not pass automatically with the property. A surviving spouse who inherits the qualifying investment can, under conditions, keep an investment-based residence position, but only after the Greek inheritance formalities — acceptance deed, tax declaration, Cadastre registration — are complete and a new application or renewal is filed with the evidence. Estate planning belongs in the Golden Visa plan from the start, particularly after Law 5303/2026 changed the rules on who inherits.
8. Renewal
Permits run five years from the date the card is issued (Law 5275/2026 fixed this; previously the clock could run from an earlier date). Renewal is applied for in the two months before expiry. Late filing is accepted for up to three months after expiry with a fine of €100 per month, and should not be relied on. At renewal the investor proves the investment still exists, has not been used for short lets, and that any restoration obligation has been met.
9. Family members
Spouse, registered partner, children under the age limit, the spouse’s children, and the parents of both spouses can be included. Children between 18 and 21, foreign civil partnerships, divorced parents and family members of different nationalities each raise documentary questions that should be answered before the application, not after. A defect in the investor’s file affects every dependent permit.
What the file looks like when it is right
Title search and encumbrances; horizontal-property deed; building permit and electronic building identity; engineer’s certificate of main-use area and lawful construction; for conversions, the full change-of-use record; the preliminary agreement making Golden Visa eligibility a condition with a refund if it fails; the bank route for the price; the final deed matching the bank records; and the migration application prepared in parallel so that it is filed as soon as the deed is registered. Our practice is to clear points 1 to 4 before the buyer pays a reservation deposit, because those are the points that cannot be cured later.
Frequently asked questions
Does the proposed 15% transfer tax affect the Golden Visa? Not the thresholds. If enacted as announced, from 1 July 2027 a non-EU individual would pay 15% transfer tax instead of 3% on the purchase, which changes the cost of the investment, not its eligibility. See our separate article.
Can I buy off-plan? Yes, where the building permit exists and the file shows the main-use area and the completion route; the circular gives worked examples for off-plan and auction purchases. The application is filed once the deed is registered.
Do I need to live in Greece? No minimum stay is required for the Golden Visa itself. Different rules apply if you later want long-term residence or citizenship.
This article is general information, not legal advice; it reflects the position on the date above and may change.
To have a property checked against Circular 1/2026 before you commit, send us the listing and the floor plans: info@katslaw.eu or +30 210 8982 864.
