1. The Three-Tier Property Thresholds

The headline change for 2026 is that the minimum property investment now depends on location. Prime, high-demand areas require EUR 800,000: this covers the Attica region (including Athens), Thessaloniki, the islands of Mykonos and Santorini, and any island with more than 3,100 residents. Most other regions of Greece require EUR 400,000. In both cases the investment must be a single property of at least 120 square metres.

A reduced EUR 250,000 threshold is preserved for two specific routes: a compliant commercial-to-residential conversion, or the restoration of a listed or protected building. These are the only ways to qualify at EUR 250,000 in sought-after locations such as central Athens. Separately, a financial-investment route (bank deposit, Greek government bonds, or qualifying funds) is available from EUR 500,000.

For international investors this means the right question is no longer only how much, but where and what type. The same budget buys a very different residency strategy depending on whether you target a prime-area apartment, a regional property, or a conversion project.

2. The EUR 250,000 Route: Commercial-to-Residential

Commercial-to-residential (C2R) means legally changing the use of a commercial property into a residence. Because the EUR 250,000 tier is no longer available for ordinary homes in prime zones, C2R is the only compliant way to enter areas like central Athens at that level.

The key compliance test is whether the change of use (in Greek, allagi chrisis) has been approved by the competent authority — not the standard of the renovation. A property marketed as a conversion is only Golden-Visa eligible once that change of use is granted. This is where independent legal and engineering review matters most, and where buyers most often need local expertise.

3. What Law 5275/2026 Changed

Law 5275/2026 took effect on 6 February 2026 and modernised processing. First, applications are now auto-allocated to the migration office with the smallest backlog, which speeds up decisions for both first applications and renewals. Second, the five-year validity of the permit is counted from the date the residence card is issued, removing earlier ambiguity. Third, it transposes the EU single residence-and-work-permit procedure with a 90-day review target. The three-tier property thresholds and the short-term-rental ban are set separately by Law 5100/2024.

A EUR 250,000 startup and strategic-investment route also exists, introduced by Law 5162/2024; it requires a viable business plan, evidence of job creation, and approval by the competent investment-screening authority, suiting investors willing to deploy capital into operating businesses rather than real estate. The core property thresholds, meanwhile, remain stable.

4. Total Cost Beyond the Purchase Price

On top of the investment amount, budget for a transfer tax of 3.09% calculated on the property objective value (the same rate applies to residents and non-residents). Add legal, notary, registry and residence-card fees, which together usually come to roughly EUR 20,000–30,000 depending on the property and the number of family members.

Newly built property falls under VAT rather than the transfer tax, although Greece has applied a staged VAT suspension on new builds — the current status should be verified for each transaction. A clear, itemised cost sheet before signing is the mark of a serious advisor.

5. Rules Every Investor Should Know

Short-term rental is prohibited for Golden Visa properties under Law 5100/2024, with fines up to EUR 50,000 and possible permit consequences. Investors seeking yield should plan for compliant long-term letting, where central Athens gross rental yields are around 4–6%.

There is no minimum-stay requirement to maintain the permit; you only need to re-enter once per five-year renewal cycle. The permit extends to three generations — the main applicant, spouse, the parents of both spouses, and children under 21 — with no age limit on parents and no need to prove financial dependency. Greek citizenship is a separate path requiring seven years of residence at 183+ days per year.

6. How to Choose Your Tier and Verify Your Agent

Match the tier to your objective. If the priority is a prime-location asset with strong liquidity, the EUR 800,000 route in central or southern Athens fits. If you want quality of life at a moderate budget, the EUR 400,000 regional route works. If you want the lowest entry into a prime area, a compliant EUR 250,000 conversion is the route — provided due diligence is rigorous. If you prefer business exposure, consider the EUR 250,000 startup route.

Whatever the tier, verify four things before committing: a license recognised by the Greek migration authorities; a real, verifiable local entity and legal representative in Athens rather than remote subcontracting; a lawyer who runs title due diligence independently of the seller; and funds held in a regulated account. OULANG INTERNATIONAL operates directly in Athens with in-house teams and independent lawyers across the full process.