Europe's most generous family programme. Three generations covered.
Zero presence required. An optional €100,000 flat-tax regime.
The Greece Golden Visa covers the applicant, their spouse, dependent children up to age 21 (extended to age 24 for full-time enrolled students), and both sets of parents. All on a single permit. With no minimum stay requirement, a 5-year renewable permit structure, and an optional lump-sum tax regime for high-net-worth new residents, Greece offers a family and wealth proposition that no comparable European programme can match in scope.
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Key Fact Regarding Greece Golden Visa
Every European golden visa programme covers the primary applicant and their immediate family. Greece covers three generations on a single permit — a structural advantage no comparable programme can match.
€400,000 (Zone B real estate, bonds, REIC shares, or business investment)
€800,000 (Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands over 3,100 population)
6–12 months (improving; varies by application volume)
5-year residence permit, renewable every 5 years
None to maintain permit
Spouse, children up to age 21 (or 24 if enrolled in education), parents and parents-in-law
Yes, full Schengen zone
After 7 years; requires 183 days/year physical presence. Not realistic for non-residents.
€100,000 annual flat tax on all foreign-source income (lump sum regime)
Why Greece Delivers What Other Programmes Do Not
Six Investment Routes
Greece's golden visa investment framework was restructured in August 2024, introducing a zone-based system for real estate investments. The following routes are currently active.
- Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and all Greek islands with a population exceeding 3,100.
- Investment must be in a single property (not split across multiple properties to reach the threshold).
- All areas of Greece not classified as Zone A. Covers the majority of the Greek mainland and smaller islands.
- Investment must also be in a single property. Covers substantial coastal and island inventory of genuine quality.
- Purchase of Greek government bonds with a minimum maturity of 3 years, acquired through a credit institution operating in
- Greece.This route provides residency without real estate acquisition and may suit clients who prefer a financial instrument over a physical property.
- Investment into shares or units of Real Estate Investment Companies (REICs) listed on regulated markets in Greece.
- This route provides real estate exposure through a regulated market instrument without direct property ownership and management obligations.
- Investment in a business incorporated and operating in Greece, or investment in a company with a registered office in Greece that demonstrates job creation activity.
- The terms are subject to specific conditions on employment impact.
- Placement of a fixed-term capital deposit with a Greek credit institution.
- The deposit must be maintained for the duration of the residency permit period.
Note on Investment Maintenance
The qualifying investment must be maintained for the duration of permit validity. Disposal or withdrawal of the investment triggers the end of residency rights. Aegir Global structures the investment process to ensure ongoing compliance with this condition.
What Your Permit Covers
A 5-year permit covering three generations of your family, with no minimum annual stay requirement and full Schengen travel rights from the date of the interim certificate.
5-year residence permit, issued from the date of application approval
Renewal in 5-year increments for as long as the qualifying investment is maintained
No minimum annual stay requirement to maintain or renew the permit
Full Schengen zone travel rights across 26 countries
Permit extended to spouse of the principal applicant
Children up to age 21 covered; extended to age 24 if enrolled in full-time education
Parents of the principal applicant included
Parents-in-law (parents of the applicant's spouse) included
Access to Greek public education and healthcare for family members who establish actual residence in Greece
Eligibility for permanent residency after 5 years of residence (subject to physical presence and other conditions)
Citizenship pathway available in principle after 7 years, but requires 183 days per year of physical presence — realistic only for clients who genuinely relocate to Greece
How the Application Works
- We review your family structure, investment objectives, and the optimal route given your priorities. For real estate routes, we clarify Zone A versus Zone B considerations and advise on the current state of the property market. For non-real-estate routes, we advise on instrument selection.
- For clients considering Greek tax residency and the €100,000 lump-sum regime, we coordinate with Greek tax counsel at this stage to confirm eligibility and structure the tax residency transition correctly.
- For property routes, our Greek property network assists with identification, due diligence on title and encumbrances, notarial process, and transfer completion. For non-property routes, we coordinate with the relevant financial institution or company. All transactions are documented for the application file.
- Your completed application is submitted to the relevant Greek authority. Upon submission of a complete file, you are entitled to an interim certificate confirming your right of residence while the application is processed. Your Schengen travel rights begin from the interim certificate, not from the final permit.
- Once your application is approved, you attend a biometric appointment in Greece. Your 5-year residence permit is issued. Family members complete the same process.
- We schedule your 5-year renewal cycle from the date of issuance. Provided the investment is maintained, renewal is straightforward and Aegir Global manages the process with the same thoroughness as the initial application.
Tax Positioning for Greece Residents
The €100,000 Lump-Sum Non-Dom Regime
Greece’s alternative regime for new non-domiciled residents (Article 5A of the Greek Income Tax Code) is one of the most powerful in the EU for HNWI families with substantial foreign-source income.
It is simple. Qualifying new Greek tax residents pay €100,000 a year as a lump sum covering all foreign-source income, whatever the amount or type, with no obligation to disclose its composition to the tax authority. An extra €20,000 applies per included family member. The regime runs for a maximum of 7 years.
For a client with €2,000,000 a year in foreign-source income, otherwise facing a 30–40% effective rate at home, the €100,000 flat payment works out to roughly 5%. The arithmetic is simple and the saving is large.
Who Qualifies for the Non-Dom Regime
To qualify, you must move your tax residency to Greece and show you were not a Greek tax resident for 7 of the previous 8 fiscal years. It is built for new arrivals. Existing Greek tax residents cannot enter it.
Important Note on Non-Dom and Physical Presence
The non-dom regime requires Greek tax residency, which usually means at least 183 days a year in Greece. That is separate from the Golden Visa's zero-presence rule. The visa lets you hold residency rights without living in Greece; the tax regime requires you to actually relocate your tax residency. They run in parallel but independently, and many visa holders never use the non-dom regime because they do not move.
Greek Income Tax (Standard Residents)
Become a Greek tax resident outside the non-dom regime and progressive rates apply, from 9% at the lower brackets to 44% on income above €40,000. For high earners, standard Greek tax residency is not an optimised position without the non-dom election.
Double Taxation Treaties
Greece holds double-taxation treaties with over 57 countries, including the UAE, China, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Your residency situation is specific. The advice you receive should be too.
A free, confidential consultation gives us the information we need to assess your options accurately.
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Roberta Wende Client Coordinator
Your Greece Residency Specialists
Alexandros Papadimitriou
Greece Programme Director
Yasmine Al-Farsi
Senior Advisor, Gulf and North Africa Desk
Chen Wei
Senior Advisor, Greater China Desk
Questions About the Greece Golden Visa
The Greek government restructured its golden visa programme in August 2024, introducing a zone-based system. Zone A, which covers Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and the most popular islands, now requires a minimum property investment of €800,000. Zone B, covering the rest of Greece, requires €400,000. Previous thresholds of €250,000 and €500,000 no longer apply for new applications.
Yes. Parents of the principal applicant and parents of the applicant's spouse are included in the Greece golden visa regardless of whether they intend to reside in Greece. The permit gives them the legal right to reside and the Schengen travel benefits. There is no requirement that included family members actually use the residency right. The practical value is the optionality.
Yes. Greek law provides that applicants who have submitted a complete golden visa application are entitled to an interim residence certificate. This certificate functions as proof of legal residency status in Greece and, in combination with your existing valid national passport, allows entry into the Schengen zone during the processing period. We confirm the precise terms of this document for each client at the application stage.
No, not directly. The two regimes operate independently. The golden visa has no physical presence requirement, allowing you to hold Greek residency without living there. The non-dom regime requires you to become a Greek tax resident, which typically means spending 183 or more days per year in Greece. You can hold a Greek golden visa without using the non-dom regime. To access the non-dom regime, you must genuinely become a Greek tax resident. Our advisory team discusses both options and their interaction at the consultation stage.
In strict legal terms, yes. Greek citizenship is available after 7 years of residency, with 183 days per year of physical presence, Greek language proficiency, and cultural integration demonstrations. In practical terms, this pathway is available only to clients who genuinely relocate to Greece as their primary residence. Clients who use the golden visa as a residency-of-convenience instrument, with minimal physical presence, are not in a position to pursue Greek citizenship within the standard golden visa structure.