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Golden Visa, financially independent person status, and the practical differences that actually determine which route fits your circumstances.
Greek residency for non-EU nationals generally runs through one of two main routes: the Golden Visa, a residency-by-investment programme most commonly satisfied through qualifying property purchase, or financially independent person (FIP) status, available to those with sufficient passive income who do not wish to or need to purchase property to qualify. Understanding which fits your circumstances — and the current rules, which have changed materially in recent years — is one of the first decisions in any non-EU relocation to Greece.
The Golden Visa grants residency rights in exchange for a qualifying investment, most commonly property. Minimum investment thresholds vary by region — properties in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Santorini carry higher minimum thresholds than the rest of the country, reflecting government policy to direct investment toward less saturated markets. These thresholds have been revised more than once in recent years, so any guidance more than a few months old should be independently verified before being relied upon.
The programme grants residency to the investor and immediate family members, is renewable, and provides visa-free travel within the Schengen area, though it does not by itself grant Greek citizenship or require the holder to live in Greece full-time — a meaningful distinction for clients wanting flexibility rather than a commitment to permanent residence.
FIP status suits clients who want to relocate without tying their residency to a property purchase, typically by demonstrating sufficient passive income or savings to support themselves without working in Greece. This route is generally simpler administratively than Golden Visa but does not carry the same investment-linked benefits, and the income thresholds and required documentation are worth confirming with a qualified immigration adviser given how specific the requirements can be.
For clients pursuing Golden Visa qualification specifically through property, the residency requirement materially shapes the property search — minimum investment thresholds, qualifying regions, and sometimes property type all factor into what we search for and where. This is why we recommend resolving residency strategy in parallel with, not after, an initial property search, so the two decisions inform each other rather than conflicting.
We are not an immigration law firm and do not file residency applications ourselves. What we do is help clients understand the current landscape clearly enough to have an informed conversation with a qualified immigration specialist, and we introduce clients directly to immigration advisers we trust, briefed on the specific circumstances already understood through our work together — so the first conversation with that specialist is productive rather than starting from zero.
Both the Golden Visa and financially independent person routes generally extend to immediate family members — spouses and dependent children, with specific age and dependency rules that vary and are worth confirming directly with an immigration specialist. For multi-generational family planning, this is often a significant factor in the overall decision, and worth discussing explicitly rather than assuming standard terms apply to your specific family structure.
Residency status under either route does not automatically confer Greek citizenship. Citizenship by naturalisation generally requires a longer period of genuine, demonstrable residence, along with language and integration requirements. For clients for whom citizenship, not just residency, is the eventual goal, this distinction matters considerably and should shape planning from the outset rather than being addressed as an afterthought once residency is already secured.
Golden Visa qualifying investment thresholds and eligible regions have been revised multiple times since the programme launched, generally trending toward higher minimum investments in the most popular areas as the Greek government has sought to manage demand. This is precisely why we always recommend confirming current rules directly with a qualified immigration specialist rather than relying on previously published figures, however recent they may seem.
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Start the Discovery ProgrammeWhat is the current minimum Golden Visa investment threshold?
Thresholds vary by region and have changed multiple times in recent years, so we would always confirm the current figure directly with a qualified immigration adviser as part of an initial conversation, rather than relying on a published figure that may be out of date.
Does the Golden Visa require me to live in Greece?
No — it grants residency rights without a minimum stay requirement, which is part of its appeal for clients wanting flexibility. Citizenship, by contrast, does typically require a minimum period of genuine residence.
Can I switch from FIP status to Golden Visa later, or vice versa?
This depends on individual circumstances and current immigration rules. It is a question worth raising directly with a qualified immigration adviser early, since it can affect which route makes more sense to pursue from the outset.