Quick Answer
The Greek Golden Visa application is a sequenced 3-6 month process from application filing to card issuance. Most steps run remotely through a Greek lawyer under Power of Attorney. Only biometrics require physical presence in Greece - even a one-day visit is enough. Under Law 5275/2026 does not move the start of the five-year clock — it still runs from the filing date — but it guarantees at least two years of validity still running when the decision is issued.
The Greek Golden Visa application is not buy a property and get a card. It is a sequenced workflow that runs remotely under Power of Attorney - only biometrics require physical presence in Greece. Below are the eight steps in the order they actually happen.
Greece Golden Visa process at a glance
Step | What happens | Remote? | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Power of Attorney (1-2 days) | Sign POA so we can handle tax ID, banking, property, and imigration steps on your behalf | Yes | Generic POA misses required scope |
2. Greek tax ID / AFM (3-5 days) | Lawyer obtains your AFM, required before any property contract or bank account | Yes | Delays here block everything downstream |
3. Property selection & due diligence (2-4 weeks) | Choose €800K Zone A, €400K Zone B, or €250K special route - lawyer verifies title, cadastre, 120 m², zone | Yes | Reserving before screening clears loss of deposits |
4. Purchase & notarial completion (1-2 weeks) | Bank wire, notarial deed at Greek notary, cadastre registration | Yes | Payment not routed to the seller's Greek account |
5. Submit residency application (1-2 weeks) | Lawyer files application with full document pack, temporary "blue paper" / Veveosi issued | Yes | Missing documents trigger delays |
6. Biometrics appointment (1 trip to Greece) | In-person fingerprints, signature, photo at Greek immigration office | No | Late booking pushes the timeline |
7. Receive residency cards (3-6 months processing) | Ministry decision, 5-year residence cards issued for each applicant | Yes | Backlog can extend timeline |
8. 5-year renewal support (ongoing) | Optional assistance through renewal cycle and ongoing property operation | Yes | Permit lapses if investment not maintained |
Step 1: Sign the Power of Attorney
To start the process, you sign a Power of Attorney (POA) so a Greek lawyer can act on your behalf throughout the process. A properly scoped POA - covering property, banking, tax, and immigration filings - makes the entire process remote except for the biometric appointment. The POA is signed at home, apostilled, the rest of the process then runs in Greece without requiring any travel.
Step 2: Obtain your Greek tax ID (AFM)
The Greek tax number (AFM) is mandatory before any property contract, bank account, or utility connection. Your lawyer applies for it under POA on your behalf. Holding an AFM does not by itself create a tax obligation in Greece - it is simply an identifier needed for any Greek transaction. Tax residency is a separate question that depends on physical presence and centre of vital interests (see FAQ below).
Step 3: Select property and complete due diligence
The lawyer verifies title, cadastre, encumbrances, the 120 m² minimum (usable interior only - balconies and parking do not count), and the single-property rule. Civil-status documents (passports, birth and marriage certificates), health insurance covering Greek territory are prepared in parallel. Foreign documents need an apostille and certified Greek translation. Names must match across documents.
Step 4: Complete the property purchase
Bank wire, notarial deed signed at a Greek notary (lawyer signs under POA if you are remote), and cadastre registration. The receiving Greek bank's KYC is stricter than the Ministry's. Payment must flow to the seller's or developer's Greek bank account to satisfy source-of-funds and tax-audit requirements, offshore or third-party routing fails the Golden Visa process.
Prior to deed signing you also settle property transaction costs: transfer tax (3% of taxable value plus a 3% municipal levy on the tax itself, so 3.09% effective; or 24% VAT on new buildings, suspended until 31 December 2026), notary fees, cadastre fees, and legal fees. Government residency fees come at the next stage.
Step 5: Submit the Golden Visa application
The lawyer files the application with all civil-status documents, the property deed, property payment and tax payment confirmation, and government fees (€2,000 main applicant + €150 per adult family member (minors exempt) + €16 card fee per person). You receive a Temporary Residence Permit (the "blue paper" / Veveosi) valid until the decision on your application - it allows you to remain in Greece but does not grant Schengen travel rights.
Step 6: Attend biometrics in Greece
The only in-person step. Even a one-day visit is enough. Each applicant attends a Greek immigration office for:
Fingerprints (children under 6 are exempt)
Photography
Signature (children below age threshold may be exempt - confirmed at the appointment)
It must be done within twelve months of filing - miss the appointment twice and the application is rejected. Needs to be booked early as slots are scarce in busier districts.
Step 7: Receive your residence cards
The average timeline from filing to card issuance is 3-6 months, and the Ministry still had 29,273 investor and family files open in July 2026, some filed in 2022. Law 5275/2026 leaves the five-year clock running from the filing date, but requires at least two years of validity to remain at the date of the decision, so a long wait no longer swallows the whole permit.
Card collection runs through the lawyer under POA. mamaXO collects the cards from the Greek migration office and ships them to you via DHL or FedEx - most investors never need to return to Greece for card delivery.
Step 8: 5-year renewal support
The 5-year residence card renews, provided the qualifying investment is still held. Renewal applications follow a simpler process than the initial filing. mamaXO offers optional ongoing assistance through the renewal cycle, including coordination of the renewal application, ongoing property operation (long-term rentals, maintenance), and Greek tax filings for any rental income generated.
How mamaXO supports the process
mamaXO coordinates the operator layer end-to-end: route screening, property sourcing that actually meets Golden Visa criteria, pre-commitment legal screening, transaction coordination with Greek lawyers, notaries, developers, and banks - plus card delivery via DHL/FedEx and long-term property management after purchase.
Before committing to a property, mamaXO can help you check whether the route, asset, timeline, and post-purchase operation make sense for your Golden Visa plan.
