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Residence-by-investment programmes side by side

If you are still choosing a country, start here. The table sets Greece’s property routes next to the programmes of other EU countries, with the date each row was checked and its official source. It does not rank them: they differ in kind as much as in price.

Sources last checked October 14, 2026Independent legal review pendingGeneral information, not legal advice

Greece and Europe, side by side

Switch between Greece’s four property routes and the European programmes. Filter for a real-estate route or for programmes that are open today.

Greek routes European programmes

Greece: four property routes

Which minimum applies depends on where the property is and what kind of property it is. The residence permit is the same for all four.

Sources checked October 13, 2026

Greek property routes, as of October 13, 2026. Check the official source before relying on any row. General information, not legal advice.
Route	Where	Minimum size	Conditions	Official sources
€800,000Higher-demand areas	Where Region of Attica Regional Unit of Thessaloniki Regional Units of Mykonos and Thira (Santorini) Islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants	Minimum size At least 120 m² of main areas, in one property	Conditions A lease of tourist accommodation for at least 5 years, or a timeshare, counts at the same amount.	Official sources Law 5100/2024, art. 64 (Migration Code art. 100), consolidated text Circular 1/2026 of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Diavgeia) mitos.gov.gr: permit through a timeshare or tourist lease
€400,000Rest of Greece	Where Everywhere outside the higher-demand areas	Minimum size At least 120 m² of main areas, in one property	Conditions A lease of tourist accommodation for at least 5 years, or a timeshare, counts at the same amount.	Official sources Law 5100/2024, art. 64 (Migration Code art. 100), consolidated text Circular 1/2026 of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Diavgeia) mitos.gov.gr: permit through a timeshare or tourist lease
€250,000Converted to residential use	Where Anywhere in Greece	Minimum size No minimum size	Conditions The main areas are converted from another use, such as offices, to residential use under a permitting act issued on or after April 5, 2024, and the conversion is completed before the application. The route can be used once per property: a later buyer who wants a permit through the same property must meet the €400,000 or €800,000 rule, including the 120 m² minimum.	Official sources mitos.gov.gr: permit through a change of use Law 5100/2024, art. 64 (Migration Code art. 100), consolidated text Circular 1/2026 of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Diavgeia)
€250,000Listed building	Where Anywhere in Greece	Minimum size No minimum size	Conditions A building listed for preservation, whose restoration is completed before the first renewal of the permit.	Official sources mitos.gov.gr: permit through a listed property Law 5100/2024, art. 64 (Migration Code art. 100), consolidated text

Since April 5, 2024, €250,000 applies only to converted property and listed buildings; other purchases need €400,000 or €800,000.

Common to all four routes

One property per application: two properties cannot be combined to reach the amount.
The full price is paid before the application, by bank transfer, crossed cheque or card, into the seller's account at a bank operating in Greece, by the buyer, the spouse or a relative up to the second degree.
A residence permit for 5 years, renewable while the property is held.
No minimum stay: absences do not prevent renewal.
No right to work in Greece.
Family members who can be included: the spouse or registered partner, children under 21, and the parents of both spouses.
Short stays in other Schengen countries (up to 90 days in any 180), not residence there.
Short-term letting (stays under 60 days) is banned, with a €50,000 fine and loss of the permit; long-term leases are allowed.
New applications by nationals of Russia and Belarus, including family members, are suspended.
Announced in September 2026 and included in the Draft State Budget 2027 (tabled on October 5, 2026): a 15.45% transfer tax (15.91% with the municipal surcharge, €39,784 on €250,000) on homes bought by non-EU buyers from July 1, 2027. It is not yet law, and how it would treat converted property is unknown.
The Greek authorities decide each application; no outcome is guaranteed.

Sources for these rules

Investor residence programmes in Europe

The programmes of Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, and Spain, field by field. They grant different kinds of permit, and not all of them have a property route.

Sources checked October 13, 2026

As of October 13, 2026. Programmes differ in kind and change often; check the official source before relying on any row. General information, not legal advice.
Programme	Property route	Other routes	Permit	Minimum stay	Family	Permanent residence and citizenship	Checked and sources
CyprusPermanent residence permit for investors (Regulation 6(2))OpenA tightening was announced on September 24, 2026; no text published	Property route €300,000 A new home bought first-hand, VAT extra Or €300,000 in non-residential property. Paid in full before applying, from abroad. Income test: at least €50,000 a year, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 for each minor child. Reported	Other routes €300,000Share capital of a Cyprus company with a physical presence and at least 5 employees Reported €300,000Units of a Cyprus collective investment fund Reported	Permit Permanent residence of unlimited duration; proof each year that the investment is kept Reported Not in the Schengen area yet: no short stays in other Schengen countries on this permit.	Minimum stay At least one visit every 2 years Reported	Family Spouse, minor children, and financially dependent full-time students up to 25; parents excluded since May 2, 2023 Reported	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence Permanent residence from approval Citizenship Naturalisation after 8 years of legal residence within the last 11, including 12 months of continuous residence before applying	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 European Commission: Cyprus citizenship law (6 Mar 2024) No official page with the residence criteria could be reached; the residence facts in this row come from law-firm reports. More sources and confidence Reported by KPMG Cyprus: revised criteria (May 2023) Mondaq, M. Hadjitofi (19 Jan 2024) IMI Daily (16 Apr 2026) IMI Daily (28 Sep 2026) Cyprus Property Lawyers (updated 4 Oct 2026) Legal basis Regulation 6(2) of the Aliens and Immigration Regulations; administrative criteria applying to applications since May 2, 2023. Confidence Medium overall (no official criteria page reached); high that no change was enacted in 2026.
GreeceInvestor residence permit (Golden Visa)OpenProperty thresholds in force since April 5, 2024 (Law 5100/2024)	Property route €250,000 Converted or listed property Anywhere, no minimum size: property converted to residential use under a permitting act issued on or after April 5, 2024, with the conversion completed before the application, or a listed building. Otherwise €400,000 or €800,000, depending on the area, for one property of at least 120 m². The full price is paid before the application, and the Greek authorities decide. The four Greek routes	Other routes €250,000Shares or bonds of a start-up registered on Elevate Greece (a stake of at most one third; at least 2 jobs kept for 5 years) Unverified €350,000Units of a mutual fund or alternative investment fund that invests only in Greece €500,000A Greek bank time deposit of at least one year, Greek government bonds with at least 3 years to maturity, or new listed shares or bonds of Greek companies, real-estate investment companies or venture-capital funds €800,000Listed shares, corporate bonds or Greek government bonds bought on Greek regulated markets	Permit Residence permit for investors: 5 years, renewable while the investment is held No right to work.	Minimum stay None; absences do not prevent renewal	Family The spouse or registered partner, children under 21, and the parents of both spouses	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence The permit renews without limit while the investment is held. EU long-term resident status needs 5 years of continuous lawful residence; whether years on this permit count without living in Greece is unsettled. Citizenship Naturalisation after 7 years of lawful and permanent residence, integration and an exam; years spent living abroad are unlikely to count. Greece has no citizenship by investment.	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 mitos.gov.gr: permit through a change of use Law 5100/2024, art. 64, consolidated text mitos.gov.gr: naturalisation More sources and confidence Reported by Law 5038/2023, art. 99 (codified text, taxheaven.gr) IMI Daily (18 Mar 2024) Chambers Private Wealth 2026, Greece Asylum Information Database: long-term residence in Greece Legal basis Property: permit type B.5, Law 5038/2023 art. 100 as replaced by Law 5100/2024 art. 64. Financial investments: type B.4, art. 99. Start-up investors: art. 100A. Confidence High for the property routes, the permit and the stay rule; medium for the financial routes and long-term residence; low for the start-up route (one secondary source).
HungaryGuest Investor Residence PermitOpenOfficial factsheet updated on March 3, 2026	Property route No property route A planned €500,000 home-purchase route was withdrawn before it opened (December 2024).	Other routes €250,000Units of a real-estate fund registered by the Hungarian National Bank (at least 40% of its assets in Hungarian homes), blocked for 5 years €1,000,000A donation to a public-trust university for education, research or artistic work Non-refundable	Permit Guest investor residence permit of up to 10 years, renewable once for up to 10 more Work is allowed.	Minimum stay None required	Family Family-reunification permits, with work rights; spouse, minor children and dependent parents Reported	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence A national permanent residence card after 3 years is the general rule; whether guest investors qualify is not confirmed Unverified Citizenship Naturalisation after 8 years of continuous residence, plus an exam in Hungarian constitutional studies	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 Immigration and Asylum Office: guest investor factsheet Immigration and Asylum Office: questions and answers Hungarian Government: acquiring Hungarian nationality More sources and confidence Reported by IMI Daily (22 Dec 2024) Dr Nagy Ildikó (28 Feb 2026) KPMG Hungary (6 Mar 2024) Legal basis Act XC of 2023, sections 76/A–76/H. Confidence High for the routes, the permit term, work and stay; medium for the family list; low for the permanent-residence path.
ItalyInvestor Visa for ItalyOpenSuspended for Russian and Belarusian citizens since July 14, 2023, and for dual nationals since March 20, 2024	Property route No property route Never part of the programme.	Other routes €250,000An innovative Italian start-up €500,000An Italian limited company €1,000,000A donation to a project of public interest Non-refundable €2,000,000Italian government bonds	Permit Investor residence permit: 2 years, renewable for 3 years if the investment is kept Unverified	Minimum stay No specific rule found Unverified	Family Family reunification: spouse or civil partner, minor children, adult children dependent for health reasons, dependent parents Reported	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence EU long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence, with Italian at A2 level Reported Citizenship Naturalisation after 10 years of legal residence, with Italian at B1 level. A referendum in June 2025 to shorten this to 5 years failed.	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 Investor Visa for Italy (government portal) Embassy of Italy in Wellington: investor visa checklist More sources and confidence Reported by Frankvest: Italy's investor visa (2026) University of Padua: 2025 referendum results Legal basis Legislative Decree 286/1998, art. 26-bis (inserted by Law 232/2016). Confidence High for the routes and amounts; medium for the permit terms; low for the stay rule and the family list.
LatviaTemporary residence permit for investorsOpen, changedProperty route closed on September 15, 2026; Russian and Belarusian citizens barred from the investment routes	Property route No property route Closed on September 15, 2026 (it was €250,000). Applications filed by September 14, 2026 are assessed under the old rules.	Other routes €50,000Equity in a smaller Latvian company, plus a €10,000 state payment; a tax condition applies at renewal €100,000Equity in a larger Latvian company, plus a €10,000 state payment €150,000A state-established alternative investment fund, held for 5 years, plus a €10,000 state payment Not available yet	Permit Temporary residence permit of up to 2 years (company route; up to 5 years for the fund route)	Minimum stay None stated; the annual registration was abolished	Family Spouse and minor children Reported	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence Only EU long-term resident status, after at least 5 years of residence on temporary permits Citizenship Naturalisation after at least 5 years of residence with a permanent residence permit, plus Latvian language and civics tests: about 10 years in all from the first permit (an inference, not an official figure)	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 PMLP: the new Immigration Law (15 Sep 2026) PMLP: naturalisation More sources and confidence Reported by IMI Daily (3 Sep 2026) Cobalt (16 Jun 2026) NJORD Law: Latvian investor permits Legal basis Immigration Law in force since September 15, 2026, replacing the 2002 law. Confidence High for the closure and the fund status; medium for the company-route figures.
MaltaMalta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)OpenCurrent fees since July 2025 (Legal Notice 146 of 2025)	Property route €375,000 Purchase, in Malta or Gozo Or a lease of at least €14,000 a year. The property is kept for 5 years, then a home in Malta must still be kept. In addition: €99,000 of non-refundable payments (€60,000 administration fee, €37,000 government contribution, €2,000 donation to a Maltese NGO) and an asset test (€500,000 with €150,000 in financial assets, or €650,000 with €75,000), kept for 5 years.	Other routes None	Permit Permanent residence from approval; the residence card (€500 per person) is valid for 5 years	Minimum stay None stated	Family Up to four generations: spouse, unmarried children under 29, and the parents and grandparents of either spouse; €7,500 for each adult dependant other than the spouse	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence Permanent residence from approval; a one-year temporary permit can be issued while the application is processed Citizenship No investment route since 2025. Ordinary naturalisation is discretionary: residence for the 12 months before applying, plus 4 of the 6 years before that. Reported	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 Residency Malta Agency: MPRP legal framework Legislation Malta: S.L. 217.26 (consolidated 22 Jul 2025) Residency Malta Agency: MPRP brochure Parliament of Malta: Act XXI of 2025 More sources and confidence Reported by Chetcuti Cauchi via Mondaq (24 Jul 2026) CC Malta: Maltese citizenship in 2026 Legal basis Subsidiary Legislation 217.26, as amended by Legal Notice 310 of 2024 and Legal Notice 146 of 2025; run by the Residency Malta Agency. Confidence High for the amounts, the permit and the stay rule (checked again against the regulations on 13 Oct 2026); medium for processing and the family detail.
PortugalResidence permit for investment activity (ARI)OpenProperty route removed on October 7, 2023 (Law 56/2023)	Property route No property route Removed on October 7, 2023. No remaining route may be directed to real estate, directly or indirectly.	Other routes €250,000Artistic production or national cultural heritage Non-refundable €500,000Units of non-real-estate investment funds under Portuguese law (maturity of at least 5 years; at least 60% invested in companies seated in Portugal) €500,000Scientific research by public or private institutions €500,000Founding a Portuguese company with at least 5 permanent jobs, or a capital increase that creates 5 jobs or keeps 10, for 3 years Creating at least 10 jobs	Permit Temporary residence permit: first card 2 years, then 3-year renewals Unverified	Minimum stay 7 days in the first year, then 14 days in each later 2-year period Unverified	Family Family reunification: spouse or partner, minor children, dependent adult children in education, dependent parents, minor siblings under guardianship Unverified	Permanent residence and citizenship Permanent residence Permanent residence after 5 years of residence Citizenship Naturalisation after 10 years of legal residence, or 7 for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) and EU citizens, plus a test of Portuguese language and culture. In force since May 19, 2026; applications pending on that date keep the previous rules.	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 Diário da República: Lei Orgânica 1/2026 Ministry of Justice: nationality rules from 19 May 2026 More sources and confidence Reported by SRS Legal: Law 56/2023 (6 Oct 2023) Portugalist: stay requirements MCS: family reunification after Law 61/2025 Legal basis Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento, Law 23/2007 art. 3(1)(d) and art. 90-A, managed by AIMA. Confidence High for the routes and the nationality law (official text read in full, confirmed again on 13 Oct 2026); medium for the stay rule; low for the card terms and the family list.
SpainInvestor visa and residence permitClosedClosed to new applications since April 3, 2025	Property route No property route Closed with all the investor routes, including the former property route.	Other routes None: every investor route closed.	Permit No new permits. Existing permits keep their validity, and renewals follow the rules in force when the permit was first granted.	Minimum stay Not applicable	Family Not applicable	Permanent residence and citizenship Not applicable	Checked and sources Checked October 13, 2026 BOE: Ley Orgánica 1/2025 More sources and confidence Legal basis Law 14/2013, arts. 63–67, emptied by Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (final provisions 21 and 38). Confidence High (official text read in full).

ReportedFrom a law firm or the specialist press, not an official text.
UnverifiedNot confirmed in an official or reliable source when checked; ask a lawyer in that country.
Non-refundableA payment that is not returned.

No longer available

For reference: programmes that have closed or never opened.

Bulgaria Investor citizenship provisions of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act

Repealed by Parliament on March 24, 2022. Bulgaria's residence routes were not part of this comparison. Reported
- The Sofia Globe (24 Mar 2022)
No official source was reached.
Cyprus Cyprus Investment Programme (citizenship)

Closed in November 2020. Reported
- IMI Daily (28 Sep 2026)
No official source was reached.
Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme

Closed to new applications at close of business on February 15, 2023; existing approvals are unaffected.
- gov.ie: closure of the programme (14 Feb 2023)
Malta Citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment

Ended after the EU Court of Justice found it contrary to EU law (case C-181/23, April 29, 2025); Act XXI of 2025 removed it on July 24, 2025. Malta's permanent residence programme is not affected.
- Parliament of Malta: Act XXI of 2025
- KMFinco via Mondaq (30 Sep 2026)
Netherlands Residence permit for foreign investors

No longer available from January 1, 2024; the minimum was €1,250,000. Reported
- Envoy Global: end of the Dutch investor permit
No official source was reached.
Romania Proposed investor residence programme (€400,000)

Reported cancelled before launch, in November 2025. Unverified
- IMI Daily (13 Mar 2026)
No official source was reached.
United Kingdom Tier 1 (Investor) visa

Closed to first applications on February 17, 2022. Reported
- LexisNexis UK: Tier 1 (Investor)
No official source was reached.

Published by TPL S.A., which develops and sells residences in Greece and so has an interest in the Greek routes. This comparison does not rank the programmes or recommend any of them.

Amounts are each country’s minimums. Purchase taxes, fees and holding costs are extra and are not compared here.

Greece in context

Several countries have closed or narrowed their property routes in recent years: Portugal removed real estate from its programme in 2023, Spain abolished its investor visas in April 2025, and Latvia stopped accepting property purchases from September 2026. Greece still offers residence through a direct property purchase, at thresholds that depend on the location and the category of the property.

The differences that matter most are rarely the headline amount: whether you must live in the country, whether your family is covered, how long the permit lasts, how renewal works, and what happens when you sell.

Sources

Law 5038/2023 (Migration Code), art. 100, as replaced by Law 5100/2024, art. 64 (accessed October 13, 2026)
Circular 1/2026 of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Prot. 72019, 21.04.2026), on Diavgeia (accessed October 13, 2026)
mitos.gov.gr: investor residence permit, change of use, initial issue (accessed October 13, 2026)

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