With its wealth of ancient history, unique cuisine, captivating landscapes and hospitable culture, Greece offers tourists a variety of exciting and novel experiences. It’s no wonder, then, that in 2023 Greece was the ninth most-visited country in the world in terms of international tourist arrivals, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 

Tourism Growth from EU and Non-EU Visitors

Greece has long been known as a popular holiday spot – for both EU residents and travellers from non-EU states. In 2024, 21.8 million visitors to Greece were from the EU, while 14.2 million visitors were from non-EU countries, according to data from the Bank of Greece. Arrivals from non-EU markets grew by 8.1% compared to 2023, with the United Kingdom being among the top contributors. Travellers from the UK make up the second-largest number of visitors to Greece, after Germany in the top spot. 

Beyond Holidays: Greece as an Investment Destination

What you may not know is that Greece has opened its country not only as a tourist destination, but also as a destination for investment.

An Introduction to the Greece Golden Visa

The Greek golden visa programme, introduced in 2013 as a means of attracting foreign direct investment into the country, offers a five-year renewable residence permit to eligible non-EU citizens seeking to live in Greece − including British citizens post-Brexit − who make qualifying investments into the country. Fringe benefits of the Greece golden visa for non-EU citizens include flexible stay requirements and freedom to travel throughout the entire European Schengen Area, which currently comprises 29 countries.

Greece Golden Visa Popularity and Investment Impact

As at December 2024, Greece remained one of the most popular destinations for non-EU investors, with tens of thousands of golden visas issued under its Golden Visa Programme. An estimated €5.54 billion in total foreign investment has been made into the country’s real estate market via the golden visa as a whole.

Regarding UK-specific considerations post-Brexit, UK citizens are treated the same as other non-EU individuals, but there are provisions and considerations unique to UK nationals applying for this visa. While British citizens follow the same fundamental application process as other non-EU nationals for the Greece Golden Visa, their unique post-Brexit status, eligibility for specific tax regimes, visa-free Schengen travel benefits and document legalisation requirements constitute distinct considerations that set them apart from some other non-EU applicants.

In this article, we’ll outline the following matters (amongst others) in relation to the Greece Golden Visa residency-by-investment programme (hereafter referred to as the ‘Greece golden visa’):

  • The benefits of obtaining a Greece golden visa; 
  • Greece golden visa eligibility and document checklist;
  • Greece golden visa processing time and steps; and
  • The fees needed for a Greece golden visa application.

The Benefits of Obtaining a Greece Golden Visa

The advantages of having a Greece golden visa are many, including:

  • Visa-free travel within Europe’s Schengen Area for the visa holder and included family members;
  • Unlimited expiry date of the residence permit with no minimum stay required. While the residence permit is issued for five years initially and must be renewed every five years, it can be renewed indefinitely, meaning there’s no fixed expiration limit as long as the qualifying investment (usually real estate) is maintained. You can retain your residence without living in Greece full time;
  • Opportunity to rent out the investment property, subject to local short-term rental regulations that have been tightened in some areas;
  • Residence applicable to the whole family (family inclusion under the Greece golden visa programme pertains to immediate family members − spouse, children under 21 years old, and dependent parents of the main applicant and spouse). This residency permit allows families with children under 21 to enjoy the benefits of residing in Greece while maintaining the flexibility to stay in Greece as much or as little as desired;
  • Eligibility to access public healthcare and education systems in Greece, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
  • Tax benefits, such as property tax benefits and the option to become tax residents in Greece with a favourable flat tax regime on global income. For retirees, a flat 7% tax rate on global pension income is available. There is no tax obligation if a Golden Visa holder spends less than 183 days in Greece, meaning individuals can maintain their tax residency in the UK;
  • Greece offers a relatively low cost of living compared to other European destinations, and there are no Greek language requirements for golden visa holders;
  • Eligibility to apply for Greek citizenship through naturalisation after seven years of legal residency, providing a clear path to citizenship; and
  • Ability to hold shares and receive income from the dividends of a company registered in Greece (but not to be employed in Greece). While you have no employment rights, you can earn income from your investment, such as through property rentals.

Eligibility to Obtain a Greece Golden Visa

There are different qualifying pathways to obtaining a Greece golden visa. These include:

Greece Golden Visa Real Estate Investment Requirements

The following real estate investments are eligible for participation in the Greece golden visa program:

  • The Greece golden visa minimum investment €250,000: Specialised real estate investment allocated towards the conversion of commercial properties into residential use or the restoration of listed buildings, regardless of location or size;
  • €400,000: For the purchase of properties in less populated regions of Greece (outside high-demand areas), the investment must be made in a single property with a minimum size of 120 sqm; or
  • €800,000: For the purchase of properties in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and other islands with populations over 3,100 inhabitants, also with a minimum size of 120 sqm.

Other (Miscellaneous) Investments

Investments outside real estate exist, but they are less commonly used and often require more capital. Note that the form and minimums around investments in companies and funds can vary. These include:

  • A 10-year time-sharing or lease agreement for hotel accommodation or furnished tourist residences with a value of at least €400,000 to €800,000, depending on the threshold zone;
  • A fixed-term deposit of at least €500,000 with a Greek credit institution;
  • A capital contribution of at least €500,000 in a public limited real estate investment company that invests exclusively in Greece, increasing its share capital; or in a closed-end investment company or mutual fund; or in a Greek-based company for share capital increase or bonds issued for trading on regulated Greek markets or multilateral trading facilities;
  • Purchase of Greek government bonds worth at least €500,000 with a remaining maturity of at least three years, through a Greek credit institution;
  • Purchase of shares, corporate bonds, or Greek government bonds traded on regulated Greek markets or multilateral trading facilities, with an acquisition value of at least €800,000; or
  • Purchase of shares or stocks with an acquisition value of at least €350,000 in a mutual fund exclusively investing in shares, corporate bonds, or Greek government bonds traded on regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities in Greece, or in an alternative investment fund established in Greece or another EU member state, solely dedicated to investing in Greece.
  • Investing €250,000 in startups registered in the National Register of Startups (Elevate Greece). Investors must not hold more than 33% of the startup’s shares and must create a minimum of two jobs within one year of the investment, maintaining them for at least five years.

Unlike Portugal and other golden visas available in Europe, the Greek programme offers more flexible stay requirements and allows investors to maintain your investment through various types of investment options while building toward permanent residency.

Note that all investment options require that the applicant be over 18 years old, with no criminal record and can prove the legal source of their income. 

Living in Greece: Residency vs. Citizenship Benefits

The Greek residence permit allows holders to experience Greek society and culture while working toward permanent resident status. Unlike citizenship programmes, there’s no requirement to stay in Greece full time, making it ideal for those who want to visit Greece regularly while maintaining their primary residence elsewhere. After seven years, holders can apply for Greek citizenship, transitioning from temporary residency to permanent residency and eventually full citizenship rights.

How to Apply for the Greece Golden Visa in 2025

Application Process and Timeline

  1. Choose an eligible investment and complete purchase or investment contracts.
  2. Obtain a Greek Tax Number and open a Greek bank account if required.
  3. Gather documents including passport, proof of investment, clean criminal record, health insurance, translations and notarisations.
  4. Submit biometric data in Greece or at Greek consulate.
  5. Submit the application through a legal representative or in person.
  6. Wait for processing. The average processing time has dropped to around three or four months in 2025.
  7. Upon approval, submit biometric data again and collect the five-year residence permit.

Document Requirements to Apply for a Greece Golden Visa

Document Checklist

According to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum in Greece, the documentary requirements to apply for the initial Greece golden visa include the following:

  • Duly completed and submitted application form;
  • Four recent printed passport photos, also stored in digital form (on a CD, JPEG2000 graphic format), with certain specifications applied;
  • Certified copy of a valid passport or other travel document recognised by Greece with the valid national visa;
  • Proof of private health insurance covering Greece or a certification from an insurance agency covering the cost of hospitalisation and medical care;
  • Documents proving the qualifying investment (e.g., real estate purchase deed);
  • Clean criminal record certificates;
  • Translations and notarisations as required;
  • A fee of €16 for the printing of the separate document (electronic residence permit); and
  • 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. The current fees payable by the applicant of a Greece golden visa are €2,000, and for each dependant (over 18) there are fees of €150 per dependant.

Greek Golden Visa Renewal: Document Checklist

For the renewal of a Greece golden visa, the documentary requirements are expanded and include the following:

  • A duly completed and submitted application form;
  • Four recent printed colour passport photographs in physical form as well as in digital form (on a CD, JPEG 2000 graphic format);
  • A certified copy of a valid passport or travel document recognised by Greece, with the exception of third-country nationals objectively unable to provide a passport and who, in the place of a passport or travel document, shall submit, with supporting documents, a formal declaration in which they will state the exceptional conditions or situations resulting in the existing temporary or permanent objective inability to provide a passport (e.g. a consular document, validated and translated, from the member state of origin of the third country national, a document from a Greek public authority). In any event, a government issued document issued by a public authority shall be provided, either a Greek public authority or from the country of origin of the third-country national, which shall provide the personal data of the person concerned (passport, regardless of its expiry date, identity card, birth certificate, certificate concerning the composition of the family, a birth registry act);
  • A fee of €16 for the printing of the separate document (electronic residence permit);
  • 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 (fees are the same as applying for the initial Greece golden visa);
  • An insurance policy 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 photocopy of all pages of travel documents covering the valid interval of the last residence permit prior to renewal;
  • Evidence that the leasing of immovable property of the applicant remains in force.

Legalising Documents for Your Golden Greece Visa

When applying for a Greece Golden Visa as a UK citizen, proper document authentication is essential for success. Since Greece is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, UK documents only require an apostille rather than consular legalisation, significantly streamlining the process. 

Most documents follow a two-step authentication: first, notarisation by a UK notary public to verify authenticity and identity, followed by apostille certification from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to make documents legally recognised in Greece. Key documents requiring this process include criminal record checks, passport copies, birth and marriage certificates, financial statements, power of attorney documents and property purchase agreements related to your qualifying investment.

A professional notary public plays a crucial role throughout the Golden Visa application, providing document authentication that meets Greek legal requirements, verifying identity and witnessing signatures, and ensuring compliance with international standards. The notary can also guide applicants on which specific documents need authentication for their circumstances, help prepare power of attorney documents for Greek representatives, and coordinate timing to prevent delays. 

Conclusion

The Greece Golden Visa programme presents an attractive pathway to European residency for UK citizens, offering significant benefits including visa-free Schengen travel, flexible residency requirements, and potential tax advantages. 

Success in your application depends heavily on proper document preparation, including notarisation and apostille certification of key documents such as criminal record checks, financial statements and property purchase agreements. Working with experienced professionals such as Notary.co.uk ensures compliance with Greek legal requirements and helps avoid costly delays in securing your five-year renewable residence permit.

If you require assistance in notarising or obtaining an apostille (otherwise known as legalisation) for any documents for use in Greece, please contact us at info@notary.co.uk or call 020 7630 1777 today.