Star Enterprise Consulting

The Greek Golden Visa is a renewable five-year residence permit granted for a qualifying real estate investment, with no minimum-stay requirement. The standard thresholds are €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents, and €400,000 elsewhere, for a single property of at least 120 m². Reduced-threshold routes exist for change of use and for restoring listed buildings. Qualifying family members can be included. Rules and thresholds change, so we confirm what applies on the day you buy.

When a commercial (non-residential) property has been legally converted to residential use before the Golden Visa application is filed, the minimum investment stays at €250,000, whatever the location or size of the property. The change of use must be completed and certified first; a property that could merely be converted does not qualify. The Golden Visa units shown in the Golden Visa section of this site are change-of-use cases. Ask us which units qualify and what evidence the file needs.

Yes. Foreign buyers, EU and non-EU, can generally buy freely. The main exception is designated border and military zones, where non-EU buyers need a special permit that can add two to six months. A purchase needs a Greek tax number (AFM), a Greek bank account for the funds, and a notarial deed signed before a Greek notary.

On a resale property the buyer pays a transfer tax of about 3.09% of the taxable value, plus notary fees (roughly 0.8–1.2%), land registry fees (roughly 0.5–1%), legal fees (roughly 1–2%) and VAT on the professional fees. For new buildings sold by a developer, 24% VAT may apply instead of the transfer tax; at the time of writing that VAT is suspended until the end of 2026. As a rule of thumb, allow roughly 8–12% on top of the price. These are indicative ranges: we give a line-by-line estimate before you commit.

Once a price is agreed, most of the time goes on due diligence, setting up your Greek tax number and bank account, and moving the funds. Allow several weeks from signed offer to the notarial deed. A border-zone permit for non-EU buyers adds two to six months, and a Golden Visa application runs on its own timetable afterwards. We give you a property-specific timetable when the offer is agreed.

Yes. You need a Greek tax number (AFM), which can be obtained remotely through a representative, and in practice a Greek bank account, because funds must arrive through the banking system with documented origin. We help you prepare both before the date at the notary.

Long-term letting is permitted but not required. Short-term letting of the qualifying property (holiday-rental platform style) is not allowed, and a breach can lead to loss of the residence permit and an administrative fine.

Yes. If you cannot attend the notary in person, you can sign a power of attorney, notarised and apostilled in your country, that authorises a Greek lawyer to sign for you. It can be drafted by Starantzis & Associates, and the lawyer then completes the purchase on your instructions.

Starantzis & Associates, the Athens law firm from the same principal as Star Enterprise Consulting, carries out the title and legal due diligence and prepares the transaction documents. Star Enterprise Consulting is the licensed brokerage and advisory practice and does not give legal advice.