Greece’s Golden Visa can still start at €250,000, through a property converted from commercial to residential use. Prices are rising, the economy is growing faster than the euro area, and a bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law, would raise transfer tax to 15% for non-EU/EEA tax residents from 1 July 2027. These are five reasons investors give for looking now, followed by the catches.
The numbers at a glance
| Indicator | Latest figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Visa minimum, conversion or listed building | €250,000 | Law 5100/2024 |
| Golden Visa minimum, other homes | €400,000 or €800,000, single property of 120 m² or more | Law 5100/2024 |
| Active investor permits, end-September 2026 | 35,857 | Ministry of Migration and Asylum |
| GDP growth, Q2 2026 on Q2 2025 | 1.9% (provisional) | ELSTAT |
| GDP forecast 2026, Greece vs euro area | 1.8% vs 0.9% | European Commission, spring 2026 |
| Apartment prices, Q2 2026, annual change | 5.5% (Athens 5.0%) | Bank of Greece |
| Asking prices, Q3 2026, annual change | 5.7% | Spitogatos |
| Rents paid, September 2026, annual change | 5.9% | Eurostat |
| Transfer tax on a resale home | 3.09% today; 15% in a bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law, for non-EU/EEA tax residents from 1 July 2027 | AADE; tabled bill, Article 16 |
1. A €250,000 route is still open
Since Law 5100/2024, most Golden Visa homes cost at least €400,000, or €800,000 in the most popular areas. One route stayed at €250,000: a property converted from commercial to residential use, or a listed building that the investor restores.
For the conversion route, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum’s circular and the government’s Mitos procedure page set these conditions:
- The property was acquired for at least €250,000.
- Its main spaces change to residential use. Either the seller or the buyer may carry out the change.
- The change of use was completed after 5 April 2024 and before the application is filed.
- The full price is paid through a bank: crossed cheque, transfer or card.
Mitos lists no minimum surface for this route, while the €400,000 and €800,000 tiers need a single property of at least 120 m². For a listed building, the restoration must be completed by the first renewal, and a transfer before then is void, according to the circular. Our Golden Visa guide covers all three tiers.
2. Greece’s economy is growing faster than the euro area
Greek GDP grew 1.9% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, according to provisional data from ELSTAT, the statistics authority.
In its spring 2026 forecast of 21 May, the European Commission projected Greek growth of 1.8% in 2026 and 1.6% in 2027. Its figures for the euro area are 0.9% and 1.2%.
3. Prices and rents are still rising
Apartment prices rose 5.5% a year in the second quarter of 2026, and 5.0% in Athens, according to provisional Bank of Greece data. In 2025 the average rise was 8.3%.
Asking prices in listings rose 5.7% a year in the third quarter of 2026, Spitogatos data show. Rents actually paid by tenants rose 5.9% a year in September 2026, according to Eurostat.
Growth is slowing in all three series. The details are in our reports on prices and rents and on Q3 asking prices.
4. A 15% transfer tax bill has a 1 July 2027 start date
This is a bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance put it to public consultation from 18 October to 1 November 2026 and tabled it in the Hellenic Parliament on 3 November 2026. Committee debate began on 6 November 2026.
Article 16 of the tabled bill adds a new paragraph 1A to Article 27 of Law 5219/2025, the Property Tax Code. It sets a 15% rate on the taxable value of a home bought by a natural person who, when the tax liability arises, is tax resident outside the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA). Under Article 52(8) of the bill, it applies to final contracts from 1 July 2027. The text covers only natural persons, so companies are not covered. It does not apply to buyers who qualify for the first-home exemption in Article 42 of the Code. Today the buyer pays 3% plus a 3% municipal surcharge on the tax, or 3.09%, according to AADE, the tax authority.
| Taxable value (€) | Today at 3.09% (€) | Bill at 15% (€) | Bill at 15.45%, if the surcharge applies (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250,000 | 7,725 | 37,500 | 38,625 |
| 400,000 | 12,360 | 60,000 | 61,800 |
| 800,000 | 24,720 | 120,000 | 123,600 |
The bill has no exemption for Golden Visa buyers. It refers to the purchase of a home (katoikia) without defining the term, and it does not mention the €250,000 conversion route. It does not say whether a building bought in commercial use and converted afterwards counts as a home. On its current wording, a preliminary contract signed before 1 July 2027 but completed later would pay 15%. Our report on the bill and our cost analysis go through the text.
Article 13 of the same bill would also extend the suspension of capital gains tax on property sales by individuals, which now runs to 31 December 2026 under Article 72 of the Income Tax Code, to 31 December 2027.
5. Demand is broad and still growing
Greece had 35,857 active Golden Visa investor permits at the end of September 2026, of which 27,602 were initial permits, according to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Investors filed 418 initial applications in September, against 410 a year earlier.
China leads with 13,070 active initial permits. Turkey holds 5,403, four times its end-2024 figure. See our September tracker and the breakdown by nationality.
The catches
- No short-term letting. Golden Visa homes cannot be let short term through the sharing economy, including by sublet. Sanctions include revocation or non-renewal of the permit and fines, according to the ministry’s circular.
- €800,000 zones. Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents need €800,000. The €400,000 and €800,000 tiers need one property of at least 120 m².
- Conversion takes time. The change of use must be finished before the application is filed, backed by a licensed engineer’s technical report that cites the building permit or other approval. For a listed building, the restoration must be completed by the first renewal of the permit.
- The tax is not settled. The 15% rate is in a bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law, and its text can still change. Whether the municipal surcharge applies on top, and how converted properties are treated, are open questions.
- Costs on top. Transfer tax, notary, registration at the Hellenic Cadastre (0.6% of the value, 0.5% plus 0.1% for the cadastral-book entry, and a €20 fixed fee), lawyer and permit fees are added to the price.
- Queues. 6,962 investor files were waiting for a decision at the end of September 2026, 5,080 of them in Attica.
Buyers should confirm how this applies to them with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
Thinking about buying in Greece? Give your brief to an independent buyer’s agency. It can search the market for exactly what you are looking for and advise you through the purchase.
Sources
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum: Circular 9/2024 on Law 5100/2024 (Greek)
- Mitos: Permanent golden visa (change of use), initial issuance (updated 27 October 2026)
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum: Legal migration report, September 2026, Annex B
- ELSTAT: Quarterly national accounts, Q2 2026 (provisional)
- European Commission: Economic forecast for Greece, spring 2026
- European Commission: Spring 2026 economic forecast (21 May 2026)
- Bank of Greece: Residential property price indices, Q2 2026 (15 September 2026)
- Spitogatos: price index, Q3 2026
- Eurostat: HICP, actual rentals for housing, Greece
- Hellenic Parliament: text of the bill tabled on 3 November 2026, Articles 13, 16 and 52 (Greek)
- Hellenic Parliament: bill “Strengthening disposable income, savings and investment”, tabled 3 November 2026
- AADE: property transfer tax for residents abroad
- Income Tax Code, Law 4172/2013, Article 72
