Greece Golden Visa: Residency, Healthcare, Education and Schengen Access Explained

Greece’s residency-by-investment route remains on course in 2025, with the Greece Golden Visa offering non‑EU citizens a five‑year residence permit, access to public healthcare and education, and visa‑free travel across the entire Schengen Zone. After a year of major rule changes in 2024 and fresh adjustments taking effect in 2025, the program keeps its core promise: fast, flexible residency for investors and their families, with a clear path to long‑term security in the European Union.

Officials tightened property rules and raised prices to cool demand in hot markets, while adding a new startup track to bring capital and jobs into the tech economy. Processing is quicker this year, and the government says it is still committed to an efficient system that welcomes qualified applicants. For families balancing school calendars, business travel, or a measured move to Europe, the mix of broad family coverage, no minimum stay, and Schengen mobility still stands out.

Policy changes overview

The 2024 property overhaul introduced a four‑tier system that links the minimum spend to location and property type. In 2025, buyers face higher entry points in busy areas but continue to find lower thresholds elsewhere. Key rules now in force include:

• Real estate minimums:
  • €800,000 for a single property of at least 120 m² in high‑demand zones such as central Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and other designated islands.
  • €400,000 in the rest of the country.
  • €250,000 in special cases, including restoration of listed buildings or converting commercial space to residential, subject to conditions set by authorities.
• A strict ban on short‑term rentals for properties used to qualify for the permit. Owners cannot place qualifying homes on platforms like Airbnb. The aim is to support stable housing and long‑term tenancy rather than tourist stays.
• A formal four‑tiered system introduced in 2024, which set property size rules and steered investors away from tiny units that put pressure on local supply.
• A grace period: Applicants who paid a 10% deposit by August 31, 2024 have until February 28, 2025 to close under the previous thresholds (from €250,000 to €500,000, depending on area at that time). This has offered a final bridge for buyers caught mid‑transaction when the new rules arrived.

Core benefits remain. The main applicant, spouse, children under 21, and both sets of parents can receive residence permits with access to Greece’s public systems. There is no minimum stay requirement to keep the permit active, which helps investors who live and work across borders.

Legal residents can access public healthcare by getting a Social Security Number and paying into the system; children can enroll in public schools. After seven years of residency, an investor may apply for Greek citizenship, subject to a language and civic test. Greece allows dual citizenship.

Greece also maintains a non‑dom tax regime for new tax residents, offering a flat €100,000 annual tax on global income, with an extra €20,000 per qualifying relative. This is separate from the residence permit and suits high‑income families planning a full move who want certainty on yearly tax costs.

2025: startup option and effects for applicants

The new startup investment option, announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last year and active in 2025, opens a different door to residency. An investor can obtain a five‑year residence permit by placing €250,000 into a Greek startup, with three tight conditions:

1. The investor’s shares or voting rights are capped at 33%.
2. The company must create at least two new jobs within the first year.
3. Those jobs must be kept for at least five years.

The policy seeks fresh capital and know‑how for Greece’s growing startup scene while setting guardrails to ensure real job creation.

For real estate investors, the new rules push capital toward larger homes in crowded markets and encourage upgrades in historic and commercial‑to‑residential projects. The short‑term rental ban means buyers should plan for either personal use or compliant long‑term leases. In practice, families looking for a base in Athens for school terms, or professionals who split time across the Schengen Zone, often view that stability as a plus.

Application timelines and process (typical in 2025)

Application timelines, once stretched to 18 months, have improved. In 2025, decisions are typically issued in about three months, according to recent government updates. The current process runs as follows:

1. Document preparation, usually 2–6 weeks. Applicants collect proof of investment, a clean criminal record, private health insurance, and proof of legal funds.
2. Filing the packet through a Greek lawyer or directly with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Applicants receive a temporary document known as the Blue Certificate, which allows legal stay during review.
3. Biometrics, normally 2–4 months after submission. If applying from abroad, the applicant must travel to Greece for fingerprints and photos.
4. Issuance of the five‑year residence permit, which is renewable if the investment remains in place and all conditions are met.

Official guidance, forms, and policy notices are available on the Ministry’s website at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.

Healthcare, education, mobility and banking

Healthcare and education access remain central for families. Legal residents can visit public clinics and hospitals, see specialists, and receive subsidized medicines once they register for a Social Security Number and make the required contributions. Children can enroll in public schools, while private and international options are widely available in major cities.

The Schengen Zone travel feature continues to make daily life easier. Holders can enter all 27 Schengen countries for short stays — up to 90 days in any 180‑day period — without extra visas. Business owners often use Greece as a base and fly across Europe for meetings, while retirees may split their year between islands and other EU destinations.

Banking and investment access in Greece improves with legal residency. Many investors open local accounts, arrange mortgages, and set up broader financial plans once they receive their permit. The long runway to citizenship — seven years — also matters for families thinking ahead to EU rights for children as they come of age.

Market impact and regional effects

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, demand picked up after the new rules settled, with interest spread between:

• The real estate track in areas outside the highest bands, and
• The startup route for investors focused on job creation.

The four‑tier structure has clear effects on the market:

• In central Athens and top islands, the €800,000 bar limits speculation and favors end‑users or buyers seeking a long‑term family base.
• The €400,000 tier elsewhere keeps doors open in second‑tier cities and many mainland or island areas.
• The €250,000 restoration category helps protect heritage stock and brings life back to older commercial blocks by turning them into homes, often in walkable neighborhoods that need investment.

Deadlines, planning and practical advice

Applicants should plan early around the February 28, 2025 grace‑period deadline if they entered the pipeline with a 10% deposit before August 31, 2024. Lawyers stress that contract signing, payments, and land registry steps must be accurate to keep old thresholds. Families who miss the date will shift to the new prices.

Launched in 2013, the program started as a real estate play and grew into a broader investment gateway. The 2024 reset addressed housing pressure and set size tests, while the 2025 startup track broadened the menu beyond property. The government has said the Golden Visa is part of a wider plan to bring in foreign capital, support construction and urban renewal, and back new companies that can hire locally.

Looking ahead, officials may refine categories to keep a balance between investor goals and local needs. That could include tweaks to the map of high‑demand areas or clearer rules on special restoration cases. For now, the key features are steady: multi‑generational family coverage, no minimum stay, healthcare and school access, Schengen mobility, and a route to citizenship after seven years.

Who this suits and final recommendations

For a family in Dubai weighing school options in Athens, a founder in India ready to seed a Greek startup, or a retiree in South Africa seeking a calm base by the sea, the trade‑offs are now clearer:

• Real estate buyers should plan for larger budgets in top postcodes or target the many areas still set at €400,000.
• Hands‑on investors can consider the €250,000 startup route with its job rules and a 33% ownership cap.

Either way, the Greece Golden Visa continues to offer practical residency and day‑to‑day stability, backed by public services and EU travel access that make life simpler.

Important: As with any cross‑border move, careful file preparation matters. Clean police records, proof of legal funds, health insurance, and precise property paperwork are the usual pressure points. With processing now closer to three months, a well‑built file can mean a faster arrival, timely school enrollment, and a smoother first year in Greece.