Greece

Yes, it remains open. It is the last large-country golden visa in the eurozone. But Article 64 of Law 5100/2024 repriced it into tiers, and every transitional deadline that let buyers lock in the old EUR 250,000 threshold has now expired. Real estate now costs EUR 800,000 in Zone A (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants) or EUR 400,000 in Zone B, with a single property of at least 120 sqm main living area required in both cases. Law 5275/2026 (Gazette FEK A' 17, 6 February 2026) restructured Greece's immigration framework and tightened procedure but did not change the investment thresholds. It also imposed a 90-day statutory processing obligation. A reported backlog of roughly 50,000 pending cases means outliers stretching to 12 months still occur.

Only through a construction project, not a straightforward purchase. The EUR 250,000 tier survives for the conversion of commercial or industrial property to residential, and for the restoration of a listed or heritage building. But the change of use or the restoration must be completed before you can even file the application. That turns a passive property trade into an active development risk with an immigration deadline attached, and the converted property cannot serve as a business headquarters or branch. The often-overlooked alternative is the EUR 350,000 route into units of Greek or EU funds investing in Greece. It is the cheapest genuine entry, it avoids property transfer tax entirely, and it is easier to exit. Almost nobody sells it, because it pays no property commission.

The Golden Visa has no minimum stay requirement. You do not need to live in Greece to get it, and you do not need to live there to renew it every five years while you hold the investment. That is exactly why it does not lead to citizenship. Naturalisation requires seven years of genuine physical residence, plus a Greek language and integration examination at B1 level. Years spent outside Greece do not count toward that clock. So zero presence means zero citizenship. Clients who are sold the visa as a path to an EU passport are being mis-sold something that does not exist. It is best understood as eurozone residence for families who want mobility and optionality without relocating, not a route to naturalisation.

No. In fact, the yield model many agents present is illegal. Short-term letting of the qualifying property is prohibited. It cannot be listed on Airbnb, Booking.com or any other sharing-economy platform, and it cannot be sublet. Anything under 60 days counts as short-term. Breach triggers permit revocation plus an administrative fine reported at EUR 50,000. So the buy it, Airbnb it, get residence pitch does not comply with the programme. You should model the investment on the basis that the property is not a short-term rental asset.

Under Article 5A of Law 4172/2013, you pay a flat EUR 100,000 a year on all foreign-source income, regardless of the amount, for up to 15 tax years. Add EUR 20,000 per included family member. You must become genuinely Greek tax resident. You must not have been Greek tax resident for at least seven of the preceding eight years. And you must make a EUR 500,000 qualifying investment in Greece within three years, waived if you already hold a Golden Visa. As of 2026 this is decisively cheaper than Italy, which tripled its flat tax to EUR 300,000 on 1 January 2026, with a EUR 50,000 family add-on. For a family of four, the annual gap is EUR 160,000 against EUR 450,000. The regime is a floor, though. EUR 100,000 is due even in a low-income year. So it only makes sense above roughly EUR 250,000 to EUR 300,000 of foreign income.

Under Article 5B of Law 4172/2013, a foreign pension recipient who transfers tax residence to Greece pays a flat 7% on all foreign-source income, not just the pension, for up to 15 years. There is no investment requirement and no lump sum. That makes it structurally the most generous of the three Greek regimes, and often the most overlooked. A retired principal with a modest foreign pension and a large portfolio pays 7% on the lot. Below roughly EUR 1.4m of foreign income, it beats the EUR 100,000 Article 5A regime outright. Above that, the flat EUR 100,000 becomes cheaper, so model both. You need a genuine foreign pension to qualify, five of the last six years of non-residence, and a prior state that has an administrative cooperation agreement in tax matters with Greece. That excludes some origin countries entirely.

Greece is not a territorial system. An ordinary tax resident is taxable on worldwide income, with a top personal rate of 44% above EUR 60,000 under Law 5246/2025, in force from 1 January 2026. Capital gains on securities are taxed at 15%, though listed shares are exempt where the holding is under 0.5% of company capital. Real-estate gains face a 15% charge, though its collection has been repeatedly suspended. Inheritance tax runs from 10% for a spouse, parents and children above allowances, up to 40% for unrelated heirs. There is no wealth tax as such, though the annual ENFIA property tax applies. Greece allows dual citizenship, so you need not renounce your existing nationality. CRS reporting applies throughout.

The digital nomad visa requires at least EUR 3,500 in net monthly income, and note that this is net, not gross. That figure rises 20% for a spouse and 15% per child, and it applies to work performed remotely for non-Greek employers or clients. Since Law 5275/2026, in force 6 February 2026, you must obtain a D visa at a consulate or through the digital portal before entry. You can no longer arrive on a C visa or waiver and convert once you are there. The tax pitch that usually comes attached does not work as advertised. The visa bars working for Greek clients, while Article 5C's 50% exemption has historically required Greek-source employment or a Greek-registered business. The two do not fit together without deliberate structuring. Exceed 183 days and you become a Greek tax resident on worldwide income at up to 44%, unless you elect a special regime. For a wealthy family, this route builds little that the Golden Visa or Article 5A would not build better.