Golden Visa
What is it?
A Golden Visa is a citizenship by investment or residency by investment program. It is directed to wealthy foreign nationals who want to acquire residency in a certain country by investing a substantial amount of money or by purchasing a property. The Golden Visa for Greece is one of the most popular investment visa programs in the EU. It is a residence-by-investment visa, issued to non-EU citizens who make a significant contribution to the Greek economy. There are several investment options, but the most common route is through purchasing real estate worth at least a quarter of a million.
If you apply for a Golden Visa, you and your immediate family members (spouse and children) will receive residence permits which can be renewed indefinitely as long as you maintain the investment.
The Greece Golden Visa offers immediate five-year residency to the investor as well as their immediate family members, as well as free travel in the Schengen Zone. Unlike most other countries who issue Golden Visas, you do not need to live in Greece at all in order to renew the residence permit. You can keep renewing it every five years, as long as you have still maintained your investment.
To renew the residence permit, you have to provide proof that the real estate property is still in your ownership or a solemn declaration by the relevant representatives that the investment is still ongoing.
Benefits of the Greek Golden Visa
A Greek Golden Visa is one of the most competitive Golden Visas in the EU and is accompanied with the following benefits
- You and your family members will enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone.
- There are no requirements to live in Greece for any duration in order to renew the residence permit.
- The threshold investment options are relatively lower than in most other EU countries with Golden Visa routes.
- You can extend the visa to include your family members, like your spouse, (unmarried) children under 21 years of age, and dependent parents of either yourself or your spouse. If your child is over the age of 21, but no older than 24, and they are a student, they may also be included in the Golden Visa application.
- You can choose to rent out your property after purchase.
- You can apply for Greek citizenship after seven years of residence. Greece is an EU Member State, so you would have access to the EU free market and visa-free travel to more than a hundred countries.
- You can live, work, and invest in Greece.
- You have access to Greek education and healthcare.
Duration of a Greek Golden Visa
The Golden Visa for Greece is issued for five years and can be renewed indefinitely as long as you maintain the investment.
If you ultimately choose to live in Greece, then after seven years of continuous residence, you can also apply for Greek citizenship.