Greece, a country in Southeast Europe, is considered the cradle of Western civilization. The country is globally recognized for its democracy and rich ancient history. Its beautiful beaches, stunning islands, and delicious Mediterranean cuisines attract a large community of foreign tourists to the country.
Popularity of Greece Golden Visa Program
In recent years, the interest of foreign investors in the Golden Visa Greece has surged. The growth can be seen clearly by the notable difference in the number of applications in the Greece immigration program in the past four years. In 2021, the number was 1,993, which reached 9,407 in 2024. Moreover, in the first quarter of 2025, 3,506 individuals applied for the Greece residency by investment program, which demonstrates that if the program continues growing like this, then the Greek Golden Visa Program will reach around 10,000 applications by the end of this year.
What is the Golden Visa Greece?
The Greece golden visa by investment is one of the most affordable and attractive European residency by investment programs. The program was launched in 2013 for non-EU citizens to get a 5 year Greece residency permit by investing a minimum of €250,000, mostly by purchasing real estate. After investment, the Greek golden visa program allows the investors to live, work, set up, and expand their businesses in Greece.
Why Choose Greece Residency By Investment?
The investors of Greece Golden Visa program benefit from permanent residency in Europe after 5 years and Greece citizenship after 7 years of Greek residency. They get a chance to own a property in a tourist-friendly place in Europe and also be able to benefit from Greece residency by investment with their families. The following are the benefits of Greece golden visa program:
Schengen Zone Visa Free Travel
The entrepreneurs and businessmen can benefit from the Greece immigration program in many ways, as it allows visa free travel to Europe’s Schengen areas, which helps them understand and explore the cross-border business markets and provides them a chance to expand their businesses internationally and build foreign partnerships. Moreover, they do not have to wait for the completion of long visa approval processes and can live in Schengen states for 90 days out of 180 days.
Family Inclusion
The investors of Greece residency by investment program also have the privilege of living with their family in a beautiful country, as the Greek RBI program allows the family members, i.e, spouse, unmarried children under 21, and parents of the main applicant to be included in the program. Thus, the applicants do not have to worry about the education and lifestyle of their families.
Attractive EU Residency by Investment Program
Golden Visa Greece is one of the very few European residency by investment programs that offers the advantage of getting a Greece residency permit by buying real estate or owning a property in Greece. Thus, it proves to be very beneficial for individuals who want to get EU residency and property ownership in a developed country like Greece.
Greece Residency and Citizenship
After 5 years, the investors of Greece Golden Visa can get permanent Greek residency and also have a chance to get citizenship after 7 years of continuous residency in Greece. However, they need to meet eligibility criteria for citizenship, which also involves a Greek language test.
High Quality of Life
The citizens of Greece get to live a better lifestyle with good educational institutions that meet European standards and accessible healthcare. The cost of living is also very affordable in Greece as compared to other Western European countries, which helps people manage their expenses easily. Additionally, the people living in Greece enjoy a very slow-paced, peaceful, and relaxed environment alongside beautiful landscapes.
Best Tourist Destination
Tourism is the most significant sector of Greece that contributes largely to its economy. Since 1970, the country has been a huge tourist destination because of the beautiful islands, including Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, and stunning beaches. According to Greece’s latest tourism industry news by Greek Travel Pages, the tourism revenue in Greece reached 7.66 billion euros, which increased by 11 percent, in the first half of 2025.
Greece Real Estate Investment for the Golden Visa program
Non-European citizens can get a 5 year residency permit by buying luxury real estate or property in Greece with a certain investment. The following are the most popular investment opportunities in Greece:
Greece Real Estate Investment of €800,000
The wealthy individuals prefer to buy property in high-demand areas of Greece, including central Athens, the regional units of Thessaloniki, Santorini, Mykonos, and Greece islands that have a population of 3,100 or more residents. Thus, Greece residency by investment program provides them an opportunity for property ownership in these popular regions by investing an amount of €800,000. By investing this amount, they can become permanent residents of Greece.
Greece Real Estate Investment of €400,000
For the areas with lower population density, an investment of €400,000 is required from the investors in order to get residency in Greece. The individuals who choose this investment option get an opportunity to buy property in the mid-scale areas of Greece with a minimum size of 120 square metres.
Greece Real Estate Investment of €250,000
The most affordable option for Greece residency through real estate investment is the conversion of commercial property into residential units. The investment for this option needs to be a minimum of €250,000. The main purpose of this investment route is to stabilize the residential Greece property market 2025.
Greek Real Estate Market Trends 2025
The reason behind the sustained economic growth of Greece is the surge in Greece real estate investment. According to the data from the Bank of Greece (BoG), in Q1 of 2025, the index of prices of houses in urban areas increased by 6.19% compared to 2024. This demonstrates the in-demand growth of luxury real estate Greece. According to data from the Real Estate Market of Greece by Statista, in 2025, the value of residential property in Greece’s real estate market will reach USD1.34 trillion. Moreover, this market is expected to grow by an annual growth rate of 3.95% from 2025 to 2029, which will result in an amount of USD1.56 trillion in the next 4 years.
Conclusion
Greece property market 2025 is an attractive investment option for individuals who want to live and work in a profitable area of Europe and also own a property in the high-growth places of Greece with minimal investment. The Golden Visa Greece is a beneficial program for global investors in today’s world, where buying property and doing business in a profitable country is not that easy.
