Greece Golden Visa 120 sqm Rule: Complete 2026 Guide
Law 5100/2024 requires a single property of at least 120m² usable area for the €400K and €800K Golden Visa tiers. Full requirements explained.
By Greek Invest Editorial · Updated June 17, 2026 · 8 min read
Quick answer: Under Law 5100/2024, any residential property purchased for the Greece Golden Visa at the €400,000 or €800,000 tier must have a minimum main usable area of 120 square metres on a single title deed. Terraces, balconies, parking spaces, and storage rooms are excluded from the measurement. The €250,000 heritage restoration route is the only residential option exempt from this requirement.
What Law 5100/2024 Actually Says
Greece restructured its Golden Visa programme with Law 5100/2024, raising investment thresholds and introducing a minimum property size that did not exist before. The full Greece Golden Visa property guide for 2026 covers the complete framework, but the 120m² rule is the most misunderstood element of the reform.
The legal text is specific: the main usable area of the residential property must reach at least 120 square metres. Main usable area means the enclosed, heated living space within the building envelope. This includes bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and internal corridors. It does not include:
- Terraces and balconies, regardless of how large they are
- Parking spaces, whether open or enclosed in a garage
- Storage rooms and utility areas attached to the unit
- Basement areas not recorded as habitable space in the building permit
- Communal stairs, landings, or shared facilities
A property listed as “135m² total” in a developer brochure may contain only 108m² of main usable area once these exclusions are applied. Buyers who rely on marketing figures without checking the Electronic Building Identity risk purchasing a property that fails the Golden Visa test at the application stage, after the purchase has already completed.
How the Tiers Work With the Size Rule
Before Law 5100/2024, no minimum size applied to Golden Visa residential properties. Investors could buy a 45m² studio in central Athens for €250,000 and qualify for residency. The new law eliminated that route and restructured everything around two price tiers, both subject to the 120m² minimum.
| Tier | Minimum Investment | Minimum Main Usable Area | Applicable Zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard residential | €400,000 | 120m² on one deed | Most of Greece |
| High-demand residential | €800,000 | 120m² on one deed | Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini |
| Heritage restoration | €250,000 | No minimum size | Designated protected buildings only |
| Commercial-to-residential | €400,000 | 120m² after conversion | All zones |
The detailed breakdown of Golden Visa investment tiers and zone maps identifies which municipalities fall inside the €800K zone. For most island and mainland locations outside those four high-demand areas, the €400K tier applies, along with the 120m² requirement.
The Single Title Deed Condition
The 120m² rule contains a second condition that catches buyers off guard: the qualifying area must exist on one single title deed.
Purchasing two adjacent apartments, each 70m², and registering them as separate properties does not satisfy the law, even if a wall is physically removed to combine them. Greek property law looks at the legal property record, not the built configuration. Two deeds equal two properties, regardless of how they are used.
Buyers who want to aggregate smaller units must complete a legal property merger (συνένωση) before finalising the purchase. This process involves:
- Architectural drawings confirming the structural viability of the merger
- Approval from the relevant urban planning authority
- Issuance of a new unified building permit and building identity
- Registration of the merged property as a single title at the Land Registry
A merger adds roughly three to four months to a transaction timeline and carries its own professional fees and registration costs. The full breakdown of buying costs in Greece helps investors budget accurately before committing to a multi-unit acquisition strategy.
Who Certifies the Area and How
Greek property transactions require a licensed civil engineer or architect to certify the main usable area. The certification takes the form of the Electronic Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτιρίου), a national registry record that lists every legally recognised area of a property by room category.
The Ministry of Migration reviews the Electronic Building Identity, not the estate agent brochure, when assessing a Golden Visa application. The figure in the Identity is the figure that counts.
| Document | Prepared By | Role in Application |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic Building Identity | Licensed engineer | Records legal area by room type |
| Topographic survey | Licensed civil engineer | Confirms plot boundaries and built footprint |
| Building conformity certificate | Licensed architect or engineer | Confirms building matches permit |
| Notarial purchase contract | Notary | Records legal ownership and property description |
Where a property’s building permit predates the electronic identity system, an engineer must prepare a new conformity certificate. Older buildings in Athens, Thessaloniki, and on the islands frequently have discrepancies between the original permit and the actual built space. These must be regularised before the property qualifies as a Golden Visa investment. Regularisation timelines range from two months for minor issues to over a year for significant unauthorised construction.
Properties That Clear the 120m² Bar Most Easily
The size requirement effectively removes the small-format studio and one-bedroom apartment market from Golden Visa consideration. These properties dominated early-era transactions when no size rule existed. Properties most likely to meet the threshold include:
- Two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments in Athens, Thessaloniki, and coastal cities
- Sea-view villas and detached houses on the islands and Peloponnese
- Maisonette apartments in Athens’ northern and southern suburbs
- New-build developments specifically structured for the Golden Visa market
- Large commercial spaces being converted to residential use in city centres
Buying property in Greece as a foreign national confirms that non-EU buyers face no ownership restrictions beyond the standard investment threshold. Freehold title is available to any investor, and there are no limitations on the type of property that can be purchased beyond what the Golden Visa law specifies.
The Heritage Restoration Exception in Detail
The only residential Golden Visa route exempt from the 120m² rule is the heritage restoration tier at €250,000. This applies to properties listed in Greece’s official register of protected buildings (διατηρητέα κτίρια) that require comprehensive restoration.
The trade-offs are significant compared to a standard residential purchase:
- The building must carry an official protected status, older buildings without that designation do not qualify
- The full €250,000 must represent restoration expenditure, not property acquisition cost
- A restoration plan must receive approval from the Central Archaeological Council before work begins
- The restored property cannot be used commercially for five years after completion
For investors whose primary goal is Golden Visa residency rather than heritage preservation, the operational complexity of this route generally makes the €400,000 residential purchase more practical, despite the higher investment level and the 120m² requirement.
What the Size Rule Means for Rental Returns
Larger properties at higher price points change the yield profile compared to pre-2024 era investments. A detailed review of Greece rental yield benchmarks by location shows that Athens city-centre two-bedroom apartments of 80 to 100m² have historically achieved gross yields of 4 to 6 percent on purchase price.
Properties at 120m² and above in the same neighbourhoods typically achieve slightly lower gross yield on a per-square-metre basis, but higher absolute rental income. Short-term rental platforms have partially offset this dynamic: a three-bedroom apartment of 130m² in Glyfada, Kifissia, or Neo Psychiko can reach nightly rates that support annual gross yields in a competitive range when occupancy runs above 70 percent. Actual performance depends on location, management quality, platform fees, and seasonal demand, no specific return figure is guaranteed by the investment itself.
The broader Greece property investment framework covers the tax treatment of rental income for non-resident investors, including the flat-rate tax regime available under certain conditions.
Crete, the Islands, and the 120m² Rule
Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, and most Aegean islands fall outside the four high-demand zones. The €400,000 investment threshold and 120m² requirement apply across these locations.
Island property markets have strong existing demand for larger villas and sea-view apartments, many of which already exceed 120m² of main usable area. The threshold is easier to meet in these markets than in compact urban centres where apartments trend smaller.
Crete Golden Visa property at the €400,000 level typically offers more built area per euro than Athens central, which makes the size requirement a practical non-issue for buyers targeting the island. A well-specified two-bedroom villa in eastern Crete will usually reach 130 to 160m² of main usable area.
Santorini and Mykonos sit inside the high-demand zone, so the €800,000 threshold applies there, still with the 120m² minimum.
Pre-Purchase Checklist: The Six Checks That Matter
Before exchanging contracts on any property intended for the Golden Visa route, investors should confirm each of the following points through their Greek lawyer and an independent engineer.
| Check | How to Verify | Risk if Skipped |
|---|---|---|
| Main usable area is at least 120m² | Electronic Building Identity from seller | Property fails Golden Visa test post-purchase |
| Area exists on a single title deed | Land Registry extract | Application rejected if area split across deeds |
| No regularisation works pending | Building conformity certificate | Delays of six to eighteen months to regularise |
| Certified area matches marketing description | Independent engineer survey | Shortfall discovered only at application stage |
| Purchase price meets tier threshold | Notarial contract value | Application invalid if below required minimum |
| No encumbrances or prior Golden Visa restrictions | Land Registry search | Ownership dispute or title defect after purchase |
Engaging an independent lawyer and a licensed engineer before signing a preliminary contract (προσύμφωνο) is standard practice in Greek property transactions. Professional fees and surveys represent a small fraction of the acquisition cost and can prevent the total loss of the investment if a fundamental problem emerges with the property record.
Case Study: Reconciling the 120m² Rule on a Split-Level Maisonette
To understand how the 120m² rule is applied in practice, consider the case of a split-level maisonette in Voula, Athens South. The property was marketed by the broker as a “140m² luxury three-bedroom residence.”
Upon closer inspection of the engineering survey and the Electronic Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κтиρίου), the actual breakdown of the spaces was as follows:
- Main living areas (ground floor and first floor): 112m² of enclosed, habitable space.
- Enclosed basement playroom/storage: 18m² (legally regularised under Law 4495/2017 as auxiliary space).
- Covered balconies and terraces: 22m² of outdoor space.
- Dedicated underground parking space: 12m².
Under the strict guidelines of Circular 1/2026 and Law 5100/2024, the Ministry of Migration only counts the main habitable usable area (κύρια χρήση) recorded on the building permit and the Electronic Building Identity.
- The 22m² of balconies and the 12m² parking space are immediately excluded.
- The 18m² basement playroom, despite being enclosed and regularised, is legally classified as auxiliary space (βοηθητικός χώρος) rather than main living space.
Consequently, the qualifying area for this property is only 112m². Despite the purchase price exceeding the €800,000 threshold, this property fails the 120m² rule and cannot qualify for the Golden Visa. To resolve this, the buyer had to legally merge an adjacent 15m² ground-floor studio on a single title deed, raising the main usable area to 127m² before final deed registration.
Strict Verification Protocol for the 120m² Minimum
Before signing a preliminary agreement or transferring any reservation deposits, buyers must execute a three-step verification protocol:
- Request the Electronic Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτιρίου): This is the ultimate source of truth. Your independent civil engineer must verify that the area listed under “Main Use” (Κύρια Χρήση) is at least 120.00m². Do not rely on the land registry (Ktimatologio) or tax registry (E9) declarations, as these can contain historical rounding errors or include auxiliary spaces.
- Title Deed Consolidation Check: The 120m² must exist on a single property title deed. If you are buying an apartment that is 110m² and a separate storage room of 15m² on the same floor, they do not qualify unless they are legally merged into a single horizontal property (οριζόντια ιδιοκτησία) with a single registration number at the Land Registry.
- Conformity Certificate (Πιστοποιητικό Συμβατότητας): Ensure the engineer issues a formal certificate confirming that the physical layout matches the approved architectural plans and that there are no regularisation issues (τακτοποίηση αυθαιρέτων) pending. Any unregularised planning violations will block the Golden Visa application.
Co-Ownership and Multiple Applicants under the 120m² Rule
Under Law 5100/2024, if a property is purchased in joint ownership (co-ownership), each co-owner must invest the full threshold amount (e.g., €400,000 or €800,000 depending on the zone) to qualify for the Golden Visa. In addition, the 120m² minimum requirement applies to the property as a whole, not per applicant. For example, if two siblings jointly purchase a single 150m² apartment in Athens South for €1,600,000 (investing €800,000 each), both siblings can qualify for the Golden Visa because the property meets the 120m² minimum and each applicant satisfies the €800,000 threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Law 5100/2024, any residential property purchased for the €400,000 or €800,000 Golden Visa tiers must have a minimum main usable area of 120 square metres. Terraces, balconies, parking spaces, and storage rooms are excluded from the measurement.
No. The 120m² minimum applies only to the €400,000 and €800,000 residential tiers under Law 5100/2024. The €250,000 heritage restoration route is exempt from the size requirement and is the only residential Golden Visa option without a minimum property size.
No. The law requires a single property on one title deed with at least 120m² of main usable area. Two separate deeds do not qualify, even if the units are physically combined. A legal property merger must be completed and registered before the purchase completes.
Only the enclosed main living area counts, bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and internal hallways within the building envelope. Terraces, balconies, parking spaces, storage rooms, and communal areas are explicitly excluded by Law 5100/2024.
Only through the €250,000 heritage restoration tier, which carries no minimum size. Every other residential property route under Law 5100/2024 requires the 120m² minimum on a single title deed.
Law 5100/2024 passed the Greek Parliament and entered into force in 2024. Properties purchased before the law under the previous framework are grandfathered and are not subject to the new size requirement.
A licensed Greek civil engineer or architect prepares the Electronic Building Identity and a conformity certificate confirming the main usable area. The Ministry of Migration reviews this document, not the estate agent brochure, when assessing the application.
Yes. A commercial space converted to residential use for Golden Visa purposes must reach 120m² of main usable area after conversion. The rule applies to the completed residential footprint as recorded in the new building identity.
Get a Singapore property shortlist
Share your budget, target region (CCR, RCR, or OCR), and FTA status. We reply within one business day with matched new launch and resale options.