Greece Golden Visa for Chinese Investors: The 2026 Guide

Chinese nationals can apply for the Greece golden visa for Chinese investors, a 5-year renewable residence permit for buying property worth EUR 250,000, 400,000 or 800,000, depending on location and type. It is residence, not a passport, and it gives no right to work. Any purchase must be funded in line with China’s foreign exchange rules. This guide is written for readers whose assets are already lawfully held outside mainland China.

On this page

• Can Chinese nationals get the Greece golden visa?
• What Chinese investors need to invest
• The rules that come with the property
• Family members you can include
• China’s foreign exchange rules
• State Council Order No. 841
• Residence, not nationality
• Greek tax
• The application steps
• Greece vs other programmes popular with Chinese investors
• Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about the Greek investor residence permit and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. It gives no advice on Chinese foreign exchange or nationality law. Programme terms, thresholds and fees can change. Obtain independent professional advice, including from qualified Greek and PRC counsel, before making any application or investment decision.

Can Chinese nationals get the Greece golden visa?

Yes. We found no Greek rule that bars Chinese nationals from the real estate investor permit (B.5), as checked in September 2026. Applicants need a Schengen visa to enter, must buy a single qualifying property paid in full through a Greek bank account, and receive a 5-year renewable residence permit, not citizenship.

Our check covered article 100 of the Greek Migration Code (Law 5038/2023), which is open to any third-country national, and its 2026 amendment, Law 5275/2026. It is not a promise; confirm your position with Greek counsel.

Chinese investors in the Greek programme

According to Enterprise Greece, the state investment agency, the top five nationalities of Greek golden visa permit holders are Chinese, Turkish, Lebanese, British and Iranian. Its April 2025 newsletter reported 9,289 applications in 2024, up from 8,477 in 2023.

Entering Greece to file

The Migration Code requires the applicant to have entered Greece lawfully “with any visa”, or to reside there lawfully, even on a title that would not normally allow a change of purpose. If you enter on a national visa, file before it expires.

The mitos.gov.gr procedure page lists a national visa, while the statute says “any visa”, so confirm the visa type with Greek counsel before you travel.

What Chinese investors need to invest

The three price zones and the two EUR 250,000 tiers

The permit is called the “permanent investor residence permit” (B.5), but it is a 5-year residence permit, renewable for equal periods and issued by the Secretary of the Decentralised Administration. It is not EU long-term residence.

The zones come from Migration Code article 100(2), as replaced by Law 5100/2024. In every tier the investment must be one property. In the two zone tiers, the main spaces must be at least 120 square metres. Undivided co-ownership qualifies only between spouses or registered partners; otherwise each share must meet the threshold alone.

The listed-building tier carries a EUR 150,000 fine if restoration is missing at the first renewal, and a EUR 150,000 fine plus revocation for a prohibited transfer before restoration.

Costs in CNY and HKD

Converted at EUR 1 = CNY 7.6352 and EUR 1 = HKD 8.9258, European Central Bank euro reference rates of 28 September 2026, rounded to the nearest 100. Figures in EUR are the legal amounts. Conversions are illustrative only and say nothing about how funds may be transferred.

mitos.gov.gr lists EUR 2,016 for each B.5 procedure it publishes but has no page for a standard purchase, so confirm the fee for your file.

Not included, and not estimated: property transfer taxes, notary and legal fees, land registry costs, family members’ permit fees, conversion or restoration works, and advisory fees (quoted per engagement). Compare budgets in how much a golden visa costs.

A family of four, worked through

A main applicant, a spouse and two children aged 12 and 19 buy in the EUR 400,000 zone.

EUR 400,000 of that is a property the family owns. Family members’ own permit fees are left out. The 19-year-old stays covered until 21, then can move to an autonomous 3-year permit. The parents of both spouses can be added too; the statute ties family permits to the investor’s permit and sets no separate investment for them.

The non-property routes, in brief

The B.4 “investment activity” permit is certified by the Directorate of Foreign Direct Investment at the Ministry of Development and issued by the Ministry of Migration, for 5 years, renewable while the investment is held. Thresholds: EUR 500,000 for Greek company capital, a Greek REIC share capital increase, a Greek venture capital company or fund, Greek government bonds or a 1-year Greek bank time deposit; EUR 800,000 for listed shares or bonds on Greek markets; EUR 350,000 for a Greek-listed-securities mutual fund or a Greece-only AIF. Greek law requires B.4 money to be remitted from abroad, and B.4 gives no right to employment. See the FX section below.

The rules that come with the property

• Payment in full, through Greece. The price is paid in full before you apply, only by crossed cheque, credit transfer or POS into a payee account in Greece, with the details recorded in the notarial deed.
• No short-term rental. A property used for a first permit or renewal may not be let short term through the sharing economy, or sublet. Breach means revocation plus a EUR 50,000 administrative fine (article 100(7A), introduced by Law 5100/2024). Ministry of Migration Circular 1 (April 2026) reads the ban as covering sharing-economy lets under the Law 4446/2016 definition (lets of under 60 days with no services beyond accommodation and linen), and as not covering property acquired under the earlier rules or completed within the Law 5100/2024 transitional period.
• Long-term letting is allowed.
• Resale moves the permit. Selling to another non-EU national lets the buyer apply and revokes your permit.
• No work. B.5 permits give no right to any form of employment.
• Renewal. The permit is renewed every 5 years while you keep the property, and absences from Greece do not prevent renewal of type B investor permits.

Family members you can include

Family members receive family reunification permits that expire with the investor’s permit. Under article 95(2), as amended by Law 5275/2026, they are:

• your spouse or registered partner;
• unmarried children of you both, or of either spouse in lawful custody, under 21;
• the parents of both spouses;
• adult children who lack legal capacity under a final court decision or equivalent, live with you and are supported by you.

A child reaching 21 can get an autonomous 3-year permit on showing the previous family permit. That is wider than Cyprus, which covers the spouse and children under 18 only.

China’s foreign exchange rules: what the law says

This section states the rules as published by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). It does not advise on them.

The USD 50,000 quota and what it cannot be used for

Under the implementing rules for individual foreign exchange (汇发〔2007〕1号, article 2), each individual has an annual purchase quota of USD 50,000 equivalent. SAFE Shanghai restated the figure on 2 April 2026.

The SAFE individual purchase application form (个人购汇申请书) requires the buyer to declare that the foreign exchange will not be used for overseas property purchases, securities investment, life insurance or other capital account items not yet opened. The form lists the consequences of a breach: a watch list with no quota that year and the following two, administrative penalties, anti-money-laundering referral and an entry in the credit record.

Why this guide is written for assets already held lawfully outside mainland China

Greece requires the price to be paid in full through a Greek account, and a purchase this size draws scrutiny of where the money came from. This guide addresses assets already lawfully held outside mainland China. It does not describe any way of moving funds out of mainland China, and Aegir Global does not advise on one. If your position is different, speak to qualified PRC counsel before taking any step.

State Council Order No. 841: what changed on 15 September 2026

The State Council’s Provisions on Exit and Entry Administration (国务院关于出境入境管理的规定, Order No. 841) run to 19 articles and took effect on 15 September 2026:

• Article 3: the stated reasons for exit and entry, and for any stay or residence, must be true and lawful.
• Article 4: exit bans of 6 months to 3 years can apply.
• Article 7: exit and entry intermediaries must file within 15 days; existing ones within 90 days.
• Article 10: intermediaries must refuse and report public officials who seek foreign nationality or permanent residence in breach of the rules.
• Articles 10 and 13: false or exaggerated advertising by intermediaries is banned, with fines of RMB 20,000 to 50,000 or one to five times illegal gains.

A widely repeated claim is wrong: the Order does not force officials to choose between foreign permanent residence and their post.

Residence, not nationality: Greek citizenship and Chinese nationality law

The permit is residence. The B.5 permit lets you reside in Greece. It does not make you Greek.

Greek naturalisation is not automatic. The Ministry of Interior procedure on mitos.gov.gr requires 7 years of lawful and permanent residence (the permanent investor residence permit is a qualifying title), the PEGP written certificate on Greek language, history, geography, culture and institutions, and proof of economic and social integration, with Greece as the continuous centre of your vital interests. The fee is EUR 550. “No minimum stay” is true of the permit, not of citizenship.

Naturalising means acquiring a foreign nationality. Article 3 of the PRC Nationality Law does not recognise dual nationality. Under article 9, a Chinese citizen settled abroad who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality, and afterwards enters China on a foreign passport with a Chinese visa.

The “settled abroad” question. PRC consular guidance treats foreign permanent residence as relevant to whether someone is settled abroad, and Greek law calls this permit “permanent investor residence”. Whether holding it counts toward being settled abroad is a question for qualified PRC counsel. This is our reading of the texts, not an official PRC ruling.

Greek tax: what the permit does and does not change

A B.5 permit does not by itself make you Greek tax resident. Article 4 of the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013) decides: a home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests in Greece, or more than 183 days in any 12-month period.

For new tax residents, article 5A offers a flat EUR 100,000 a year on foreign income, plus EUR 20,000 per included relative, for up to 15 tax years; Greek-source income is taxed normally. Conditions: no Greek tax residence in 7 of the prior 8 years, and a EUR 500,000 Greek investment, which the text waives for holders of an investor residence permit. Whether the waiver covers today’s B.5 permit is a question for a Greek tax adviser. The “article 5C non-dom” label is a mislabel: article 5C is a 50% relief on Greek work income.

The application steps

1. Enter Greece lawfully on a visa, after confirming the visa type with Greek counsel.
2. Buy one qualifying property, price paid in full into a Greek account, recorded in the notarial deed.
3. File digitally through Ministry of Migration e-services. The initial B.5 fee listed on mitos.gov.gr is EUR 2,016.
4. Decision within 2 months of a complete file, per the statute.
5. Receive the 5-year permit, with family permits alongside, and renew every 5 years.

Greece vs other programmes popular with Chinese investors

• Greece: one qualifying property from EUR 250,000 to EUR 800,000; a 5-year renewable residence permit; children under 21 and parents of both spouses.
• Malta: a purchase from EUR 375,000 or a lease from EUR 14,000 a year anywhere in Malta or Gozo, plus EUR 99,000 in fixed charges for a family of four; permanent residence; up to four generations.
• Hungary: no property route since 30 December 2024; EUR 250,000 in real estate fund units registered with the central bank, or a EUR 1,000,000 donation. Chinese nationals start with a guest investor visa from a Hungarian consulate. See Hungary vs Greece golden visa.
• Cyprus: at least EUR 300,000 under Regulation 6(2), money transferred from abroad, secure income of EUR 50,000 plus EUR 15,000 for a spouse and EUR 10,000 per minor child; spouse and children under 18. See Cyprus permanent residency by investment.

Frequently asked questions

Can Chinese citizens get the Greece golden visa?
Yes. We found no Greek rule barring Chinese nationals (September 2026). Applicants enter on a visa, buy one qualifying property paid in full through a Greek account, and receive a 5-year renewable residence permit with no right to work.

How much does the Greece golden visa cost in yuan?
The property minimum is EUR 250,000, 400,000 or 800,000 by location and type, about CNY 1,908,800, 3,054,100 or 6,108,200 at the ECB rate of 28 September 2026, plus the EUR 2,016 initial permit fee listed on mitos.gov.gr. Taxes and legal costs vary.

Can I use my USD 50,000 annual FX quota to buy property in Greece?
No. The SAFE purchase declaration states that quota foreign exchange will not be used for overseas property purchases, securities investment, life insurance or other capital account items not yet opened.

Can I rent out my Greek golden visa property on Airbnb?
No. Short-term letting through the sharing economy is banned under Migration Code article 100(7A); a breach means revocation of the permit and a EUR 50,000 fine. Ministry of Migration Circular 1 (April 2026) reads the ban as not covering property acquired under the earlier rules or completed within the Law 5100/2024 transitional period. Ordinary long-term letting is allowed.

Will a Greek golden visa make me lose Chinese nationality?
The permit is residence, not Greek nationality. Naturalising in Greece later would mean acquiring a foreign nationality, which article 9 of China’s Nationality Law links to automatic loss for a citizen settled abroad. Take advice from qualified PRC counsel.

Can my parents and adult children be included?
The parents of both spouses, yes. Unmarried children under 21, yes, and at 21 a child can move to an autonomous 3-year permit. Older children are covered only if they lack legal capacity and live with and are supported by you.

The bottom line

For Chinese nationals, the Greece golden visa is a 5-year renewable residence permit built on one property: EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands of over 3,100 inhabitants, EUR 400,000 elsewhere, or EUR 250,000 for a conversion or listed building. It gives no right to work, no short-term rental income and no shortcut to citizenship, and China’s rules need their own advice from qualified PRC counsel. For the programme overview, see our Greece golden visa guide. To discuss the Greek side of your application, speak with an accredited adviser. Advisory fees are quoted per engagement.