Benefits of Greek Residency
What Greek residency through investment offers in 2026: a five-year renewable permit, family inclusion, no minimum stay and short trips to 29 Schengen states.
10/21/20265 min read
General information only, not legal, tax or investment advice.
Last updated October 2026. We first published this article in July 2024. This version reflects how the permit works under current Greek law.
For many of the families who write to us, Greek residency is about having a place in Europe to call their own, whether that means long summers by the sea, a base for children who may study in Europe one day, or simply the freedom to come and go. Greece's investor residence permit, often called the Golden Visa, can offer that. In this article we explain what the permit gives you today, and also where its limits lie, so that you can decide with clear expectations.
A five-year residence permit that renews
A qualifying investment, such as a property purchase at the thresholds described in our property guide, supports an investor residence permit under Article 100 of the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023). Greek law issues it for five years and allows it to be renewed for further five-year periods while you keep the investment and meet the other conditions (Law 5100/2024, Article 64). The official name includes the word "permanent", and in practice it works as a renewable permit that depends on those conditions continuing to be met.
Renewal follows a clear timetable. Since February 2026, Article 12 of Law 5275/2026 asks you to file within the two months before your permit expires, with a short window for late filing afterwards. Our article on keeping and renewing your permit explains what needs to stay in place.
Residence for your family
Greek law takes a generous view of family. Article 95(2) of the Migration Code, as amended by Article 29 of Law 5275/2026, allows your spouse or registered partner, your unmarried children under 21 and the parents of both you and your spouse to receive residence permits linked to your investment. Adult children of either of you who lack legal capacity, and who live with and depend on you, are also included whatever their age.
When a child reaches 21, they can receive an independent residence permit for three years. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum's Circular of 21 April 2026 describes this as a bridge that covers the years from 21 to 24 and gives the young person time to move to another status, such as a permit for study or work (Clarification 14). Family permits run alongside yours and expire with it, so they renew when yours does. We cover the details in our article on who can be included.
Freedom to come and go
There is no minimum stay. Article 100(4) states that periods of absence from Greece do not prevent renewal, so you can spend as much or as little time in the country as suits your life, provided the other conditions are met.
Short trips across the Schengen area
The Schengen area is made up of 29 countries, according to the European Commission: 25 EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The EU's Your Europe portal explains that a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen country lets you visit the other Schengen countries for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
For our clients from India, who usually need a visa for each Schengen trip, this can make family travel noticeably easier. Clients from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom can already make short visits without a visa, so for them the main value lies in the right to live in Greece. The permit does not give a right to live or work in other Schengen countries, and Ireland and Cyprus, although EU members, apply their own entry rules.
Life in Greece
If you choose to spend time living in Greece, you will find a warm, family-centred culture, a long history and a climate that many of our clients fall in love with. When you live there, access to schools, healthcare and local services follows the usual enrolment and residence rules, and we are happy to point you towards the right people to ask before you move.
Where the permit's limits lie
The investor permit does not give the right to work in Greece, either as an employee or self-employed, although holders may own shares and sit as non-executive board members (Circular of 21 April 2026, Clarification 18). If anyone in your family hopes to work in Greece, the circular notes that a change to another permit category is possible under Article 12 of the Migration Code (Clarification 13).
Holding the permit also does not, by itself, change your tax position, and we do not cover tax in this article. A Greek tax adviser is the right person to ask about that.
Citizenship is a separate path
Some families see residency as a first step towards Greek citizenship. Citizenship is a separate application under the Greek Citizenship Code (Law 3284/2004), handled by the Ministry of Interior. Article 5 of the Code asks for seven continuous years of lawful residence in Greece before you apply, and the investor permit is among the residence permits that can count. Article 5A adds that you need to show knowledge of the Greek language, history and institutions, usually through the naturalisation knowledge exam, and that Greece has become the continuous centre of your life.
The law does not set a fixed number of days, and the authorities look at whether you have really lived in Greece during those years. Because the Golden Visa has no minimum stay, years spent mostly abroad while holding it are unlikely to meet this test. If citizenship matters to you, it is worth planning your time in Greece with that in mind from the start. Our article on residency, citizenship and Schengen travel explores this further.
Taking the first step
Every family's situation is different, so we always suggest getting professional advice for your own case. If Greek residency feels right for you, we would be happy to hear about your plans and point you towards the right professionals. Please enquire through our contact page, or read more about how we help on our services page. You can also compare routes in our 2026 routes overview.
Rules change often; check the current position before you act (checked October 2026).
Sources
Law 5100/2024, Article 64 (text of Article 100 of Law 5038/2023), consolidated text published by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum: https://www.migration.gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/%CE%9D%CF%8C%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%82-5100_2024-%CE%BA%CF%89%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD-5167_2024-%CE%A6%CE%95%CE%9A-%CE%91-49_5.4.2024.pdf
Law 5275/2026 (Government Gazette A 17, 6 February 2026), Articles 12 and 29, published by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum: https://migration.gov.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/%CE%A6%CE%95%CE%9A%CE%9117_6.2.2025.pdf
Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Circular 1 of 21 April 2026 on Article 100 of Law 5038/2023 (Diavgeia ADA ΨΣΙ746ΜΔΨΟ-ΔΧΜ): https://diavgeia.gov.gr/doc/%CE%A8%CE%A3%CE%99746%CE%9C%CE%94%CE%A8%CE%9F-%CE%94%CE%A7%CE%9C
Greek Citizenship Code (Law 3284/2004), Articles 5 and 5A, as published by the Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Interior, naturalisation knowledge exam (ΠΕΓΠ): https://exetaseis-ithageneia.ypes.gr/
European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Schengen Area: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/schengen-area_en
European Union, Your Europe, Travel documents for non-EU nationals: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-nationals/index_en.htm
Not legal advice. Greek residency rules change, so please get professional advice for your own situation before you act.