Bringing Your Family: Who Can Be Included on a Greek Golden Visa

Who can join a Greek Golden Visa holder: spouses and partners, children under 21, parents of both spouses, and what happens at 21, per Law 5038/2023 Art. 95.

10/18/20264 min read

A simple wooden table and stools on a whitewashed terrace overlooking the Aegean Sea in Oia
A simple wooden table and stools on a whitewashed terrace overlooking the Aegean Sea in Oia

General information only, not legal, tax or investment advice.

For many of the families who contact us, the Golden Visa is less about the investor and more about the people around them: a spouse who wants a base in Europe, children who may study there one day, or parents who would like to spend long summers in Greece. Greek law is fairly generous about who can be included, and it is also precise, so it is worth understanding the categories before you plan.

The legal basis

Family members of an investor are covered by Article 95(2) of the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023). It allows holders of investor permits, including the real estate Golden Visa under Article 100, to be accompanied by family members who receive a residence permit for family reunification. That family permit runs alongside the investor's permit and expires at the same time. The Ministry of Migration and Asylum explained how its offices apply these rules in Circular 1 of 21 April 2026, which we refer to throughout.

Who counts as family

Article 95(2) lists the following people.

  • Your spouse, or a partner with whom you have a registered civil partnership. The 2026 circular confirms that the partnership may have been registered in Greece or before a foreign authority.

  • Your unmarried children under 21 who are the children of both of you.

  • Unmarried children under 21 of either of you from an earlier relationship, provided legal custody has been granted to the parent concerned.

  • The direct ascendants of both spouses or partners, which in practice usually means your parents and your spouse's parents.

  • Adult children of either of you who lack legal capacity, live with you and are supported by you, whatever their age. This is shown by a court decision or an equivalent foreign document, properly legalised and translated.

The circular makes a helpful clarification here. Every family member draws their right directly from the investor, so your spouse's parents or your spouse's children can be included even if your spouse does not apply for a permit at all. The same reasoning has a less welcome consequence: if the marriage or partnership ends through divorce or death, your spouse's parents lose their right to remain as members of your family, because the family link to the investor has gone.

When children turn 21

Families with teenagers often ask what happens at 21. Under Article 95(2), a child who reaches 21 can receive an independent residence permit by presenting their previous family permit. The 2026 circular describes this as a bridge permit covering the period from 21 to 24, intended to give the young person time to move to another status, for example a permit for study or work. Because this is a transition period rather than an indefinite extension, it is sensible to talk to counsel early about what your son or daughter might move on to.

One property, two spouses

Couples often buy together. Article 100(1)(b) allows a property in joint ownership to qualify when the co-owners are spouses or registered partners, even though each share on its own is below the threshold. The 2026 circular explains how the paperwork works in that case: one spouse receives the investor permit and the other receives a family permit, because each investor permit has to correspond to one investment. If co-owners are not married or partnered, each person's share must meet the full minimum value on its own.

The circular also covers a situation no one likes to think about. If the investor dies and the surviving spouse becomes the sole owner of the property, the spouse can change their family permit into an investor permit based on that same investment. Where ownership passes to several heirs instead, a new qualifying investment would be needed for anyone who wishes to hold an investor permit.

Practical points for families

Each person needs their own application, travel document, photographs, health insurance that covers them in Greece, and biometrics. Where a young child's application ends up at a different one-stop office from the parent's, the 2026 circular (Clarification 15) explains that the office holding the child's file can issue the child's permit once biometrics have been taken and the parent's permit has been granted, which spares the child a second biometrics appointment.

Family members share the investor's position in one important respect: their permits depend on the investor's permit staying in place. If the investment is sold, or the investor's permit is not renewed, the family permits are affected too. We look at what keeps a permit in good standing in our article on renewals.

The investor permit itself does not give a right to work in Greece. The 2026 circular (Clarification 13) notes that investors and their family members who hold a permit may apply to change to another permit category, for example a work permit, under Article 12 of the Migration Code. If anyone in your family hopes to work in Greece, raise it with counsel at the start so the right category can be planned.

Talking it through

Every family is shaped a little differently, with stepchildren, adult children, parents of different nationalities and so on. If you would like help mapping your own family onto these rules, please send us a note through our enquiry form, and you can read about our support on the services page.

Sources

Not legal advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with licensed Greek counsel.

Cover photo by Daniel Dorfer on Pexels, used under the Pexels License. Cropped to 16:9 and colour-graded.

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