Greek Golden Visa for UK Buyers: Costs and Where to Buy

Yes, a UK citizen can still get a Greek Golden Visa. Since Brexit, British buyers apply as non-EU investors, on the same terms as Americans or Australians. You need one property worth at least €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and any island with more than 3,100 residents, €400,000 elsewhere, or €250,000 for a commercial building already converted to homes. The permit lasts five years and does not let you work in Greece.

This guide answers the questions UK buyers ask most often: whether the route is open to them, how much it really costs, how long they can stay, how often applications are refused and where the new-build stock is. Figures come from the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum's August 2026 bulletin and from the 40 Greek new-build projects in our catalogue on 16 October 2026. Prices, fees and legal steps must be confirmed with the official bodies linked below and with your own lawyer.

Can UK citizens still get a Greek Golden Visa after Brexit?

Yes. Since Brexit, UK nationals are third-country nationals in Greece, which is exactly the group the investor residence permit is designed for. In August 2026, 840 valid first-issue investor permits were held by UK citizens, up from 721 a year earlier. That is 3.1% of all such permits, the sixth-largest nationality.

Source: Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Legal Migration bulletin, annex table 12a, August 2025 and August 2026 editions. The figures count main investors with a valid first-issue permit; family members are counted separately.

How much do you need to invest, and where?

The threshold depends on where the single property is and what kind of property it is. The official procedure text sets €800,000 for the Attica region, the regional unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Thira (Santorini) and islands with more than 3,100 residents, and €400,000 for the rest of Greece. Converted and listed buildings have a separate €250,000 route.

Two details trip up UK buyers. First, Evia, the large island north-east of Athens, counts as an island and falls in the €800,000 band. Second, the Thessaloniki band covers only the Thessaloniki regional unit: the nearby Halkidiki peninsula is a separate unit and is not on the €800,000 list. Crete, Rhodes and Corfu all have far more than 3,100 residents, so a standard purchase there needs €800,000.

Enterprise Greece, the state investment agency, announced both changes in April 2024: homes bought through the scheme must be at least 120 m², and using them for short-term rentals is explicitly prohibited.

Is the €250,000 route still open in Athens?

Only for converted or listed property. A standard flat in Athens needs €800,000, but a former office, shop or industrial building that has been legally turned into homes qualifies at €250,000 anywhere, including central Athens. The change of use must be completed after 5 April 2024 and before you file, and the investment must be one property.

• Ask for the change-of-use permit itself, with its issue date, not a sales sheet saying "Golden Visa eligible".
• Check the date: a change of use approved before the 2024 law counts only if it was updated or revised after the law was published.
• Former industrial buildings need confirmation that no industrial activity has run there for at least five years.
• Check the value in the deed: the €250,000 must be the acquisition value of that single property.

These checks come from the official procedure record for the conversion route, last updated on 22 September 2026.

How long can you stay in Greece with the permit?

The investor permit is valid for five years and can be renewed as long as you keep the property. The official procedure page lists ownership, payment, insurance and security conditions but no minimum number of days you must spend in Greece. The permit gives no right to work, and selling the property during its validity revokes it.

Until the permit is issued you are a visitor, so the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period applies. Ask your lawyer what your status is once the application is filed.

Nor can you work on this permit, whether employed or self-employed. The official text is clear that investor permits "do not establish a right of access to any form of employment"; working needs a different permit.

How often are Golden Visa applications refused?

Rarely, according to the Ministry's own figures. Of 8,457 first applications filed in 2023, 101 were refused, about 1.2%. Of 9,372 filed in 2024, 81 had been refused by August 2026, but 1,726 were still pending. The bigger practical risk for most buyers is waiting, not refusal.

Buying and applying are separate steps, so a refusal would leave you owning the property without the permit. Buy something you would be happy to own anyway.

What does the process look like from the UK?

Many UK buyers run the purchase through a Greek lawyer (who handles the conveyancing a solicitor would do in the UK) under a power of attorney, and travel to Greece for the biometrics. The order is: Greek tax number (AFM), Greek bank account, legal checks, notarial deed, payment, land registry entry, online application and fingerprints. The official permit fee is €2,000 plus €16 for the card.

1. Tax number and bank account. You can sign the power of attorney before a notary public in the UK and have it apostilled by the FCDO, or sign it at a Greek consulate; your Greek lawyer then uses it to apply for a tax number for each buyer.
2. Legal due diligence. Title, encumbrances, building permits and, for conversions, the change-of-use file.
3. Transfer tax before signing. Before the deed is drawn up, the buyer and seller file a joint transfer-tax return, and the full tax is paid within three working days of filing.
4. Notarial deed and payment. The full price must be paid by bank transfer, crossed bank cheque or card terminal into the seller's account with a bank or other payment provider operating in Greece. A spouse or close relative may pay.
5. Land registry. The application needs proof of registration or of the registration request.
6. Application. Filed through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's e-services with a private health insurance contract, then biometrics.

What does it cost on top of the property price?

Budget for transfer tax, the permit fee and professional fees on top of the threshold. Property transfer tax, the Greek counterpart of stamp duty, is 3% of the property's taxable value, plus a 3% municipal levy charged on the tax itself, which works out at 3.09% of the taxable value. New buildings can be sold without VAT where the builder has opted into the suspension that runs until 31 December 2026 (as of October 2026).

On a €250,000 conversion with a taxable value at the same level, 3.09% would be €7,725 in transfer tax. Where the deal is subject to VAT instead, that calculation does not apply, so confirm the tax treatment of the specific unit before you sign.

Can you rent the property out, and what about tax?

Short-term holiday letting is ruled out: the 2024 rules explicitly prohibit using Golden Visa property for short-term rentals. Ask your lawyer in writing which kind of letting your specific property allows before you build any income into your plan. Tax residence is a separate question decided under tax law, not by the residence permit.

The letting question usually comes with a tax one: can you live in Greece and keep paying tax in the UK? Take three documents to a UK–Greece tax adviser: the purchase deed, your expected days in each country and any rental contract you plan to sign.

Where are the new-build projects for Golden Visa buyers?

Mostly in greater Athens, but not only there. On 16 October 2026 our catalogue listed 40 new-build projects in Greece. Twenty-eight are in Attica (21), the Thessaloniki regional unit (5) and Crete (2), where a standard purchase needs €800,000. The other 12 are in Halkidiki, Kavala, Achaea (around Patras) and elsewhere in the Peloponnese, where the threshold is €400,000. Whether a particular flat qualifies still depends on its size, its price and its paperwork.

Applications follow a similar pattern. In August 2026, 5,571 of the 7,686 pending Golden Visa files (first applications and renewals) sat with the Attica administration. Thessaly–Central Greece had 657, Macedonia–Thrace 559, the Peloponnese–Western Greece–Ionian administration 538 and Crete 202. These counts show where files are processed, not exactly where each property is.

In the projects below, either the developer links the scheme to the Golden Visa or our own record shows a home that meets both the price and the 120 m² rule for its area.

Neither a developer's statement nor our record confirms eligibility; go through the checklist in the €250,000 section above before relying on either. The full list is on our new-build projects in Greece page, with separate pages for Attica, Piraeus and Crete.

If you are thinking about letting the property, our guide on whether you can let out a Greek Golden Visa property on Airbnb covers the rules in more detail.

Are there places where a UK buyer needs extra permission?

Yes. In Greek border areas, buyers from outside the EU, which now includes UK citizens, need approval from a committee before the purchase can go ahead. In the Aegean, the committee handles the Dodecanese (including Rhodes and Kos), Santorini, Lesvos, Samos and Chios. Allow time for this before signing anything binding.

The rule comes from article 26 of Law 1892/1990, and the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean publishes separate application forms for each of these regional units. Make this the first thing you ask your lawyer: is the property in a border area?

What are the main risks?

The main risks are paying for a "Golden Visa eligible" flat whose conversion papers do not hold up, budgeting only for the threshold, planning holiday-let income the rules forbid, and long processing times. All but the waiting time can be checked against documents before you commit, so none should be taken on trust from a sales brochure.

• Unproven conversion. Without a completed, post-April-2024 change of use, a €250,000 unit in Athens does not qualify.
• Waiting time. 1,830 of the 7,021 first applications filed in 2025 were still pending in August 2026.
• Resale. Selling during the permit's validity revokes it.
• Rule changes. The thresholds changed in 2024; outdated pages still quote older figures, so check the date on anything you read.
• Currency. Your costs are in euros and your savings may be in pounds.

Who is the Golden Visa suitable for, and who should look elsewhere?

It suits UK buyers who want a long-term right to live in Greece, can keep one property for at least five years and do not need to work there. It is a poor fit for anyone counting on holiday-let income, on Greek employment, on a quick resale or on a cheap entry point outside the €250,000 conversion stock.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover the questions UK buyers most often ask about the Greek Golden Visa. Official figures are from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's August 2026 bulletin; project figures refer to our catalogue of Greek new-build projects on 16 October 2026.

Can a British citizen buy property in Greece?

Yes. Outside border areas no special approval is needed; in border areas such as Rhodes or Lesvos a committee must approve the purchase first.

Does the Golden Visa lead to Greek citizenship?

Not by itself. Naturalisation is a separate procedure with its own residence conditions and an exam in Greek language, history and institutions.

Can I combine two cheaper flats to reach €400,000?

No. The threshold must be met by one property.

Can I buy off-plan?

Not for the application. It needs a notary's certificate on the completed transfer and proof of land registry entry, so the purchase must be completed and registered first. Ask the developer when the deed can be signed.

Does my family get permits too?

Family members receive permits linked to the investor's. In August 2026 there were 54,001 valid first-issue permits held by investors' family members.

How do I get current prices for a project?

Use the "Request Current Prices" button on the project page and our team will send you the latest price list for that project.

Sources and method

Permit statistics were read on 2 October 2026 from the Ministry's Legal Migration bulletins for August 2025 and August 2026 (annex tables 12a, 12b, 13a and 17). Rules come from the National Registry of Administrative Procedures (MITOS) and Enterprise Greece. Project figures were counted from our own catalogue on 16 October 2026.

• Permit statistics: Ministry of Migration and Asylum, statistics.
• Conversion route, fee and validity: MITOS, Permanent golden visa (change of use).
• €800,000 and €400,000 areas: MITOS, investor permit procedure (area definitions).
• 120 m² and short-term letting: Enterprise Greece, April 2024.
• Transfer tax: Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).
• VAT suspension on new buildings: Housing Policy Portal.
• Border areas: Decentralised Administration of the Aegean.
• Projects: new-build projects in Greece on satisofisi.com, 16 October 2026.