The first thing every Greece Golden Visa investor wants to know is the number: what is the least you can put in. The honest answer in 2026 is that there are three property thresholds, €250,000, €400,000 and €800,000, and which one applies to you depends on what you buy and where. The €250,000 figure still exists, and it is genuinely the lowest way into the programme, but it is no longer the open door it was before September 2024. This guide explains each threshold precisely, who really qualifies for the lowest one, what the property rules are, and what it all costs on top. It is general information, not legal advice, so confirm your own case with a Greek immigration lawyer.
Key takeaways
€250,000 is still possible, but only two ways. A commercial property converted to residential, or the restoration of a listed building. The old flat €250,000 for any residential flat ended on 1 September 2024.
€400,000 is the standard threshold for most of Greece. €800,000 applies in the high-demand zone, the whole Attica region including Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the larger islands.
One property, and size matters. The threshold must be met by a single property, and the €400,000 and €800,000 routes need at least 120 square metres. The €250,000 conversion route has no size limit.
You cannot Airbnb it. A Golden Visa property cannot be short-let. Long-term letting and your own use are fine.
Budget more than the threshold. Taxes, legal and registration costs add roughly 7 to 12% on top of the purchase price.
What is the minimum investment for the Greece Golden Visa?
For the real-estate route, the programme now runs on three thresholds, set by Law 5100/2024 (Article 64), which amended the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023. The lowest is the most misunderstood, so it leads the table:
Threshold | When it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
€250,000 | Commercial-to-residential conversion, or restoration of a listed building | A single property; the conversion case has no minimum size |
€400,000 | Most of Greece outside the high-demand zone | A single property of at least 120 m² |
€800,000 | The high-demand zone: all of Attica (Athens and Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands over 3,100 residents | A single property of at least 120 m² |
Interactive chart (Datawrapper)
So €250,000 is the true minimum, but it is an exception with conditions, not the general entry price. The headline you will see elsewhere, "Greece Golden Visa from €250,000", is only honest if the property genuinely fits one of the two cases below.
What exactly is the €250,000 route, and will your property qualify?
This is the part worth getting right, because it is where most "€250,000" listings fall down. The reduced threshold survives only for:
Commercial-to-residential conversion. A property that was in non-residential use is converted to a home. The change of use must be legally completed before the residence application is submitted, and, per the Ministry's Circular 9/2024, the conversion must have taken place after 5 April 2024. A flat that was already residential on that date cannot simply be re-labelled.
Restoration of a listed or heritage-protected building. A protected building restored or reconstructed, again as a single property.
Two things catch investors out. First, the €250,000 basis is spent on the property once your permit is issued, so a later non-EU buyer of the same flat must meet the €400,000 or €800,000 threshold for its zone. The discount does not pass on. Second, and this is the real test, many properties marketed "under €250,000 for the Golden Visa" are ordinary residential flats that do not qualify at all. The skill is not finding a cheap flat, it is confirming that a specific property actually meets the conversion or restoration rules. That is a legal and technical check, not a price tag.
When do €400,000 and €800,000 apply?
These are the standard residential thresholds, and the dividing line is geography:
€800,000, the high-demand zone. The entire Attica administrative region, which includes Athens and Piraeus, the Thessaloniki area, Mykonos, Santorini, and every island with a population over 3,100. If your property is anywhere in greater Athens, it is an €800,000 property.
€400,000, everywhere else. The rest of mainland Greece and the smaller islands.
Both carry the same two conditions: the threshold must be met by a single property, so two €200,000 flats do not add up to a qualifying €400,000 purchase, and that property must have at least 120 square metres of usable interior area. Balconies, separately titled parking and storage do not count toward the 120 square metres. The €250,000 conversion route, by contrast, has no minimum size.
Are there non-property ways to qualify?
Yes. The Golden Visa also has capital routes, useful if you want residency without owning Greek real estate, though most investors still choose property for the second-home use. The main options:
Route | Minimum |
|---|---|
Capital contribution to a Greek company (not a real-estate or portfolio firm) | €500,000 |
Greek government bonds (minimum three-year term) | €500,000 |
Fixed-term deposit with a Greek bank | €500,000 |
Shares or bonds traded on a regulated Greek market | €800,000 |
Units in a Greek-focused investment or mutual fund | €350,000 |
Investment in an approved Greek startup (Elevate Greece registry) | €250,000 |
Capital routes avoid the property-title and 120-square-metre complications, but they swap real-estate exposure for market and liquidity risk, and they do not give you a place to stay. For most non-EU investors, the property route is still the one that fits the goal.
What can you do with the property, and what can't you?
A Golden Visa property is a long-term asset, not a holiday-let business. Under Law 5100/2024, a property acquired through the programme cannot be used for short-term rental in the sharing economy, no Airbnb or Booking. What you can do is live in it yourself or let it on a long-term lease. A property converted from commercial use also cannot become a company's office or branch. Breaking the short-let rule risks a €50,000 fine and revocation of the residence permit, so the long-term lease is both the compliant and the sensible route, and it is what protects your yield in the central-Athens locations where the €250,000 conversions sit. Our guide to rent collection in Greece covers how that income is handled under the 2026 rules.
What does it really cost on top of the threshold?
The threshold is the investment, not the total bill. For a standard family application, budget roughly 7 to 12% on top of the property price for the acquisition and the visa itself. The main items:
Property transfer tax: 3.09% of the property's taxable value.
Notary and registry: notary fees of around 1 to 2%, plus cadastre registration of about 0.7%.
Legal due diligence: commonly 1 to 2% of the property value for a proper title and Golden Visa check.
Application and biometric fees: €2,000 per main applicant, €150 per adult family member (minors exempt), and €16 each for the card, plus apostilled translations.
On a €400,000 purchase that is roughly €28,000 to €48,000 of extra cost, and on an €800,000 purchase, €56,000 to €96,000. Build it into the plan from the start rather than discovering it at the notary.
So which minimum is right for you?
If your goal is the lowest possible entry and you are comfortable in central Athens, the €250,000 conversion route is the one to explore, provided the property genuinely qualifies, which is the part that needs checking rather than assuming. If you want a straightforward residential purchase, €400,000 outside the high-demand zone or €800,000 within it is the clear path, on a single property over 120 square metres. And if you want residency without managing a property at all, a capital route may suit. The five-year residence card, by the way, now runs from the date it is issued under Law 5275/2026, not from when you applied.
What to do next
Decide which threshold fits your goal and your location, then have a lawyer confirm the specifics before any money moves, especially that a €250,000 property genuinely qualifies as a conversion or restoration. mamaXO works in exactly that space: sourcing and confirming central-Athens conversion properties that actually meet the €250,000 rules, and then managing them as long-term lets afterwards, since short-let is off the table. For the full picture, start with our Greece Golden Visa guide, and to see where the €250,000 conversions are, our guide to the best areas in Athens. For an assessment of a specific property, get in touch.
