Golden Visa in Greece

Legal Services
Golden Visa in Greece

I. General Information

The process for the issuing of a residence permit for real estate property owners.

1. Issuing an entry Visa for Greek Territory. The interested party must submit an application for an entry visa to the Greek consulate authority in their country of origin.

2. Collecting the documentation for the issuing of the residence permit Applicants for a residence permit for real estate owners, valued at €250.000, must provide the following documents:

a) Two copies of the application document

b) Four recent color photos (passport type, printed and in Compatible Disc form)

c) Certified copy of a valid passport or travel documents recognized by Greece and with the relevant valid entry visa, where required

d) A fee paid and obtained through the “e-paravolo” platform according to provisions of article 38 par. 8 of Law 4546/2018, which amounts to €2000 for residence permits of up to a five-year duration for real estate owners (code 2112). For family members the fee amounts to €150 (code 2107). Minor children (under 18 years old) are exempted from this fee.

e) A fee paid and obtained through the “e-paravolo” platform according to provisions of Law 4018/2011 article 1, which amounts to €16 concerning the printing of the separate document (electronic residence permit).

f) Certification by an insurance agency for the cost of hospitalization and medical care. To certify that this condition is fulfilled, the following are accepted:

  • Insurance contracts which have been signed outside Greece, provided that they explicitly mention that they cover the interested party for the duration of their stay in Greece.
  • Insurance contracts which have been signed in Greece. In case the seller is a third country citizen, he must submit a certificate from Aliens and Immigration Department of the competent Decentralized Authority, whether this property has been used for issuing a residence permit for real estate owners. The above, applies also to the sale of the property by legal entity.

3. Submitting the documents
Applications for the residence permits must be submitted to the one-stop-shop service of the Alien and Immigration Department at the Decentralized Authority where the property of the interested party is located.
For more information on your case, please contact the one-stop shop of the Decentralized Authority where the property is located.


4. Procedures until the final issuing of the permit
Upon arrival, a third country citizen who intends –and has the necessary supporting documentation– to own real estate property or to lease hotel accommodations or furnished tourist residences and has entered the country legally, is required to complete the required actions to apply for the residence permit before the expiry of the entry visa.

In this case, the prospective applicant is able to undertake legal actions and transactions with the competent authorities, using their entry visa.

5. Application process
Since February 20, 2017, the new procedure for granting non EU-EEC nationals’ residence permits in Greece was launched, pursuant to Regulation (EC) 380/2008, under which all EU Member States will issue an electronic residence permit, which will replace the sticker, typically affixed in a valid passport.

a) If the investor submits his application in person or accompanied by his attorney, he will be called to submit, on top of the application and the related specific documents required by the law (joint ministerial decision 31399/2018 – Category C 3.2.), the following:

  • 4 printed digital passport photos, also stored in digital form (CD)
  • A sample of his digital signature
  • A fee of 16 euros, which covers the cost of supply, printing, and secure handling of the e-card, paid through the “e-paravolo” online payments platform
  • Completion of the fingerprinting process (for two fingers)

(b) If the application is filed by an appointed attorney, in the absence of the interested investor, then written notification will be given for the applicant to define a specific date for submitting his biometric data, required for the issue of the residence permit, in consultation with his attorney, so that this date is convenient for the applicant.

If the applicant’s travel arrangements change and thus he cannot attend the biometrics appointment, then he should promptly inform the competent authority through his attorney so as a new date for the appointment is fixed. In any case, since the applications must be handled quickly and should not remain pending for a long time, the attendance of the applicant for submitting his biometric data should be completed within six months from the time of application and in any case before the lapse of 1 year.
One of the major advantages enjoyed by holders of permanent investor residence permit, is that following their initial entry into Greece, they have no other obligation to stay in the country for any length of time, without affecting in any way their residence permit.

Therefore, as the investor, after signing the property purchase contract or even after filing the application for his investor permanent residence permit, may depart from Greece, it is necessary to instruct the relevant department, where his application was filed, about the attorney through whom communication between the department and the permit holder will be carried out, whenever necessary.

6. Documentation check
The authorities receiving the application will issue a confirmation that the application has been submitted, provided that all the necessary documentation has been submitted together with the application.
This confirmation is valid for one year and it constitutes an evidencing document until the residence permit is issued.

7. Application processing timeframe
The owner of the real estate property is not affected by the duration of the processing of their application, from the moment the application is submitted to the relevant authorities until the issuing of a decision by the Secretary General of the Decentralized Authority regarding their residence permit.

After the application has been submitted, the applicant receives a receipt confirming the submission of the application, which is valid for one year. The time required to process the application depends on the authority where it has been submitted yet it may not exceed two months after all the necessary documents have reached the competent authority.

8. Provisions during the application processing period
The third country citizen, who has applied and received the confirmation receipt described above, can reside legally in the country for the duration of the confirmation receipt (one year).

The holder of the confirmation receipt is entitled to the benefits of the residence permit that they have applied for. Hence, they can proceed with any legal transaction regarding their investment and can transact with all the relevant authorities.

9. Issuing the decision
Once the authority of Aliens and Immigration of the Decentralized Authority has verified that the application fulfils all necessary conditions and, in accordance with the decision of the Secretary General of the Decentralized Administration, it will issue a five-year residence permit.


10. Procedure for residence permits for family members
According to the information above, third country citizens can be accompanied by their family members, who will be granted the appropriate entry Visa.
Members are:

a. Spouses,

b. the other spouse or partner with whom a third-country national has a cohabitation agreement in Greece,

c. the direct unmarried descendants of the spouses, who are under the age of 21,

d. the direct unmarried descendants of the supporter or of the other spouse/partner, provided that their custody has been legally entrusted to the spouse (for his/her children) and to the other partner (for his/her children), under 21 years of age, e. the direct relatives of the spouses in the ascending line.


Family members are not obliged to submit their application for initial residence permit simultaneously with the investor, they have the option to submit it subsequently, whenever they enter the country.

These family members are issued with a residence permit of the same duration as the applicant, but this permit does not include access to employment.
The children of the applicant, who have been originally admitted to the country under the terms and requirements of residence permit for property owners, are issued with a residence permit for family reunification until the age of 21.

After that, it is possible to acquire a renewal as an independent residence permit until they reach the age of 24 and then it is possible to renew it further according to pertinent immigration legislation Family members have the same obligation pertaining to the collection of biometric data.

The requirement to provide their fingerprints applies to all third-country nationals over six (6) years old, and the digital signature requirement applies to all citizens over the age of twelve (12) years.

Specifying documents for article 20 of Law 4251/14 (permanent residents’ residence permit)
Initial permanent residence permit for investors (art. 20B)

  • Application Form (2 copies)
  • Four (4) recent printed digital passport photos, also stored in digital form (CD) jpeg2000, with certain specifications applied.
  • Certified copy of a valid passport or other travel document recognized by Greece with the valid national visa.
  • A fee of €16 concerning the printing of the separate document (electronic residence permit).
  • A fee in the form of an electronic fee in accordance with provisions of Article 132 of Law 4251/2014 and of Article 38 of Law 4546/2018 (101 A), where appropriate.
  • An insurance contract from a private insurance body, as provided by the legislation in force, which shall cover all health and safety risks and the size of the benefits financed, as defined in the decision issued by delegation of the provisions of Article 136 par. 3 of Law 4251/2014.
  • A certificate issued by the notary who composed the purchase contract or the notarial deed for the lease of hotel accommodation facilities or furnished houses for tourists in complex tourist accommodation facilities which certifies the personal data of parts contracted, the information concerning the property, the type of payment of the agreed price or lease and the specific information concerning the transaction of the payment, according to the provisions of article 20 B, the existence, by chance, of a dissolution condition, as well as if the particular property has been used by the seller for the issuance of the permanent residence permit or
  • A certificate issued by the notary (in case the sum paid during the property purchase was lower than two hundred and fifty Euro (250.000) but the current tax assessed value of the property exceeds or is equal to the amount concerned and which should state that, ” “According to the result of the check conducted on contract no ……… for the purchase of property, the income of the property value was paid in full and the contract is NO longer subject to terms, conditions and time limits and the tax assessed value of the property amounts to …”.
  • A certificate of encumbrance issued by the land registry or national cadaster agency attesting to the non-existence of any encumbrance
  • A copy of the notarial deed for the lease of hotel accommodation facilities or furnished houses for tourists in complex tourist accommodation facilities acknowledging the full payment of 250.000 Euro and where there is reference to the granting of an operating license issued by the National Tourism Organization (EOT) and
  • Proof of transfer registration issued by the competent land registry where the relevant lease has been transferred or
  • Purchase agreement of a land parcel or land site and relevant contract concerning house building/restoration lodged out in the competent Tax Office in accordance with the Law and
  • Planning permission in the name of the person concerned
  • Invoices issued by the contractor/s and the relevant receipts or
  • Timeshare contract for a minimum period of five years which should clearly state the corresponding income per year and
  • Proof of transfer registration issued by the competent Land Registry and
  • A certificate issued by the National Tourism Organization (EOT) that it has been informed of the particular timeshare

II. Real estate purchase

Below is a useful summary of the process and the supporting documents that are usually required to initially inform the inexperienced seller or buyer of a property.
Important documents concerning the seller or the buyer (natural persons):

  • Identity card.
  • Passport.
  • Family register certificate.
  • Visa / entry into the country / date of entry, as indicated on the stamp.
    Residence permit.
  • Email.
  • TIN.
  • Tax Office.
  • Occupation.
  • Residence.
  • Any power of attorney.

Important documents concerning the seller or the buyer (foreign legal entities):

  • Articles of Association of the foreign company, as currently applicable, validated by the competent authority of the country where the company is based.
  • Certification by the competent authority of the country where the registered office is located that the company has not dissolved nor has its authorization been revoked
  • Certification by the competent authority for the registered office of the foreign company and for the persons representing the company at its registered office
  • The registration number of the company at its registered office.
  • Decision of the foreign company regarding the purchase or sale of the specific property in Greece.

Main actions:

  1. Obtaining a tax clearance certificate and filing a real estate transfer tax return from the competent Tax Office
  2. Obtaining a social security clearance certificate from Single Social Security Entity (EFKA)
  3. Obtaining a Real Estate Tax certificate and presenting the new contract from and to the Municipality
  4. Issuing certificates in the competent cadastral office.
  5. Collection of other supporting documents.
  6. Representation in a contract.
  7. Transfer of a contract to the land registry and declaration to the cadastral office.
  8. Property registration by the buyer in E9 within 30 days.

Preparatory actions [Step 1].

  1. Obtaining real estate purchase deeds and other notarial deeds8 from the seller.
  2. Obtaining initial information.
  3. Obtaining important documents.
  4. Study of purchase deeds and other documents, identification of real estate and required supporting documents.
  5. Identification of registrations to be reviewed.

Initial legal audit [Step 2].

  1. Carrying out a legal audit before the competent Cadastral Office and Land Registry.
  2. Going to competent services if required.
  3. Preparation of a legal audit and property history report.

Advance payment [Step 3].
The seller-buyer agreement is usually recorded in writing by drawing up a private contract and the payment by the buyer of a token amount – advance. This agreement usually includes terms that are binding on the contracting parties, but in several cases must also include terms of specific commitment that are specific to the case.


Collection of supporting documents [Step 4].
The detection and collection of documents and supporting documents required for the purchase and sale, but also for the safeguarding of the parties, is largely a process that is considered on a case-by-case basis as different conditions prevail per purchase and sale, and each property and party has different properties and characteristics. Safeguarding the parties (buyer and seller) requires a combination of legal training and experience as well as cooperation with all parties involved (lawyers, notary, engineers, real estate agent, etc.). The process is time consuming and laborious especially for parties who do not have the necessary familiarity.

Contract [Step 5].
Indicatively in this stage the following actions are included:

  1. Study of the draft contract and submission of comments to the counterparty and notary.
  2. Final legal audit of the property before the competent Cadastral Office and Land Registry.
  3. Legal representation when the contract is signed.
  4. Registration of the notarial deed.

Indicative notary fee.

  • For an amount up to 120,000 euros, a percentage of 0.80%.
  • For an amount of 120,000.01-380,000 euros, a percentage of 0.70%.
  • For an amount of 380,000.01-2,000,000 euros, a percentage of 0.65%.
  • In addition to the above, a fixed amount of 20 euros.
  • In addition to the above proportional fee, the notary is entitled for each additional (B) sheet of the deed to five (5) euros and for each sheet of a copy thereof, if such copies are issued immediately after the drawing up of the deed, to four (4) euros. Also, for the completion of each tax return as well as for each sheet of tax assessed value the notary is entitled to ten (10) euros. All the above fees do not include VAT 24%.

Piperakis – Kostopoulos Law Firm has the experience and expertise to advise you and protect you in advance or after the risk has occurred. The issues raised above fall within the scope of our skills, which is a guarantee of our proper handling of the matter you entrust to us.