Golden Visa Enter New Era

Greece’s Golden Visa program is entering a new phase as new minimum investment limits reshape the market. After years of rapid growth, the changes aim to reduce speculative buying and attract investors with a longer-term outlook.

To ease pressure on the limited housing stock, developers are increasingly converting old factories, warehouses, and office buildings into new housing complexes. these properties will be available only for long-term rentals, since the updated rules allow a €250,000 investment (instead of €800,000 in Attica) only if the property results from a change of use and is not used for short-term rentals.

Past issues with unclear money-transfer routes have been addressed since 2018, when direct bank payments became mandatory. despite concerns, housing prices continue to rise. in central Athens, the average asking price reached €2,450/m² in Q3—up 12% in a year and 57% since 2020. However, the program is clearly in transition: residence permit applications dropped 49.7% in September 2025, according to the Migration Ministry.

Cre: ekathimerini