Greece Golden Visa Circular 2026:: Rules Explained 2026
Circular 1/2026 (22 Apr 2026) activates Law 5100/2024. Documentation, property tiers, processing steps, and what changed for investors.
By Greek Invest Editorial · Updated July 4, 2026 · 9 min read
Quick answer: Circular 1/2026, issued 22 April 2026 by the Greek Ministry of Immigration, translates Law 5100/2024’s framework into step-by-step operational rules. It codifies property tier thresholds, the required documentation package, and processing sequencing that immigration offices must follow. Every investor who signed a preliminary contract or paid a deposit after the law’s enactment date is subject to these rules in full.
What Circular 1/2026 Is and Why It Matters
Greece’s Golden Visa programme has operated under three overlapping legal layers since mid-2024: the original 2013 framework, Law 5100/2024 that restructured the property tier system, and the long-awaited implementing circular that tells officials precisely how to execute the new rules. Circular 1/2026, signed by the Ministry of Immigration and published in the official government gazette on 22 April 2026, is that third layer.
Without an implementing circular, civil servants handling applications at regional immigration offices (the Aliens and Immigration Departments) had been relying on interim internal guidance that varied between Athens, Thessaloniki, and the island prefectures. Circular 1/2026 ends that inconsistency. It is now the single authoritative reference document for every case officer processing a Golden Visa application under Law 5100/2024.
For investors, this matters because the circular contains details that neither the law itself nor the explanatory memorandum fully specified. These include the exact form of the property classification certificate, the clock-start definition for the 15-day completeness check, how co-ownership applications are evaluated when two buyers jointly purchase a property above the threshold, and the evidentiary standard required to prove full payment in foreign currency.
MORE Group underwriting snapshots for Circular 1/2026 files show three recurring Phase 1 failures: engineer classification certificates older than 30 days, bank proof that skips the buyer-named Greek account, and apostille gaps on criminal records that restart the full 15-day completeness clock. A property-route investor at the €400,000 regional tier should budget €500 to €1,500 and 7 to 21 days for the engineer certificate before lodging, plus €12,360 transfer tax on a €400,000 taxable base at 3.09 percent. Phase 2 substantive review runs up to 60 calendar days, and biometric cards must be collected within 30 days of approval or production delays restart that window once. Buyer scenario planning should assume four to five months from complete file to card even when Phase 2 silence rules apply.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
What should foreign buyers know about property Tier Classification Under the Circular?
Circular 1/2026 requires Golden Visa property investments at €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini, €400,000 in other regional zones, or €250,000 on approved commercial-to-residential conversions when engineers certify residential use and floor area on one deed.
Law 5100/2024 introduced a tiered minimum investment structure. The circular operationalises these tiers by defining precisely how the purchase price is verified and how mixed-use or partially converted properties are classified.
The Three Active Tiers
| Tier | Minimum Investment | Applicable Zones |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | €800,000 | Attica region, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands over 3,100 residents |
| Tier 2 | €400,000 | All other mainland prefectures and islands not in Tier 1 |
| Tier 3 (conversion route) | €250,000 | Commercial-to-residential conversions and listed building restorations nationwide |
The circular adds clarification on two edge cases that caused significant confusion in 2025:
- A property located partly within an Attica municipality boundary and partly outside it is classified at the higher Tier 1 threshold. The rule follows the cadastral registration address, not the physical footprint.
- A new-build apartment within a mixed-use development (ground floor commercial, upper floors residential) is classified based on the residential unit’s own valuation, not the whole building’s value. The investor must obtain a separation certificate from a licensed civil engineer confirming the standalone valuation exceeds the applicable tier minimum.
The €250,000 Conversion Route
The third tier at €250,000 was introduced to incentivise regeneration. Circular 1/2026 tightens the eligibility criteria that the 2024 law left ambiguous:
- The commercial-to-residential conversion must be completed and inspected before the Golden Visa application is submitted, not at the time of purchase.
- A certified completion report (Certificate of Final Inspection by the local urban planning authority) is a mandatory document in the application file.
- Listed building restorations qualify at €250,000 regardless of location, but the investor must produce a signed restoration agreement with the Central Archaeological Council and evidence that at least 40 percent of the restoration cost has been disbursed before application.
Investors pursuing this route frequently work alongside the standard buy-side process. The guide on the Greece Golden Visa €250,000 conversion route covers the full workflow in detail.
Insider tip: MORE Group files in 2026 show this step fails most often when engineer certificates, cadastre extracts, or bank traceability are sequenced after the reservation instead of in parallel with the lawyer review.
What should foreign buyers know about documentation Package: What the Circular Requires?
What should foreign buyers know about documentation Package: What the Circular Requires requires €400,000 regional or €800,000 prime investment under Law 5100/2024, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account before any deposit. Budget 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% closing costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment. MORE Group underwrites this checkpoint on live 2026 buyer files before reservation wires.
Circular 1/2026 requires a single national Golden Visa document bundle, including engineer property classification, cadastre certificate under 30 days old, Greek bank payment proof, and apostilled criminal records, before the 15-day Phase 1 completeness clock starts at the immigration office.
Previous versions of the application checklist circulated informally and differed between prefectures. Circular 1/2026 establishes a single national list. Incomplete files will be rejected at the completeness stage and the 15-day review clock will not start.
Mandatory Documents: Property and Transaction
- Notarised final purchase contract (not a preliminary agreement) or, for off-plan properties, notarised evidence of full payment of the purchase price.
- Property registration certificate from the Hellenic Cadastre issued no more than 30 days before the application submission date.
- Property classification certificate from a licensed civil engineer confirming the property’s tier, its residential use designation, and the absence of outstanding urban planning violations (arbitrary constructions). This is a new requirement introduced by the circular and was not in prior informal checklists.
- Bank transfer documentation showing funds originated outside Greece. A SWIFT confirmation or correspondent bank statement is acceptable. Cash payments and transfers from Greek bank accounts of the investor are explicitly excluded.
- Proof of property insurance covering at least the municipal taxable value (ENFIA base), valid for the full residency permit duration.
Mandatory Documents: Investor Identity and Status
- Valid passport with at least 18 months’ remaining validity at the time of application.
- Recent criminal record certificate from the investor’s country of nationality and, if different, country of residence, apostilled and translated into Greek by a certified translator.
- Health insurance policy providing coverage within Greece for the investor and all family members included in the application.
- Completed and signed application form (new version published alongside the circular; the 2023 version is no longer accepted).
Co-Ownership Applications
Where two investors jointly purchase a single property to reach the tier threshold, Circular 1/2026 specifies that each investor must independently satisfy the minimum investment amount. A Tier 1 property worth €800,000 jointly purchased by two investors at €400,000 each does not qualify either investor under Tier 1. Each would need to demonstrate a qualifying solo investment.
This affects a significant number of applications that relied on a previous informal interpretation. Investors in this situation should review the property tiers guide and consult a licensed Greek lawyer before submitting.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
Insider tip: MORE Group underwriting in 2026 sequences engineer certificate, cadastre extract, and bank traceability before reservation wires, not after.
| Planning line | Greek Invest 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Investment tier | €400,000 regional / €800,000 prime |
| Usable area | 120m² certified residential |
| Transfer tax | 3.09% FMA on higher value |
| Closing stack | 8% to 12% on Attica deeds |
Insider tip: MORE Group sequences engineer, cadastre, and bank files before reservation deposits on 2026 Golden Visa purchases.
What should foreign buyers know about processing Stages: The Two-Phase Review?
What should foreign buyers know about processing Stages: The Two-Phase Review requires €400,000 regional or €800,000 prime investment under Law 5100/2024, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account before any deposit. Budget 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% closing costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment. MORE Group underwrites this checkpoint on live 2026 buyer files before reservation wires.
Circular 1/2026 formally splits the immigration office’s review into two sequential phases with defined time limits. This is a significant change from the previous single-queue system that had no statutory clock.
Phase 1: Completeness Check (15 calendar days)
Within 15 calendar days of the application file being lodged, the case officer must confirm that all mandatory documents are present, that translations are certified, that notarisations carry an apostille, and that the application form is the current version. If any document is missing or non-compliant, the file is returned in its entirety. The applicant receives a written deficiency notice listing every missing item. The 15-day clock does not restart when the corrected file is resubmitted, instead, Phase 1 repeats from day one for the resubmission.
Phase 2: Substantive Review (up to 60 calendar days)
Once Phase 1 is completed without deficiency, the case moves to substantive review. The case officer verifies the legal status of the property, confirms the tier classification certificate against cadastral records, checks criminal record certificates against national databases, and validates the health insurance policy. The circular sets a 60-day outer limit for this phase. If no decision is issued within 60 days, the application is deemed approved by administrative silence, a provision that existed in earlier law but was inconsistently applied. The circular confirms it applies to Law 5100/2024 applications in full.
Biometric Appointment
Biometric enrolment (fingerprints and digital photograph) must occur after Phase 2 approval is issued and before the physical residence permit card is produced. The circular sets a 30-day window from the approval decision for the investor to attend a biometric appointment at the issuing prefecture. Missing this window does not void the approval, but it delays card production and restarts the 30-day window only once.
For a full timeline with realistic waiting periods based on 2025 processing data, see the Greece Golden Visa application timeline guide.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
| Planning line | Greek Invest 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Investment tier | €400,000 regional / €800,000 prime |
| Usable area | 120m² certified residential |
| Transfer tax | 3.09% FMA on higher value |
| Closing stack | 8% to 12% on Attica deeds |
What is Short-Term Rental Prohibition: Operational Rules?
The Short-Term Rental Prohibition: Operational Rules requires verified thresholds under Law 5100/2024: €800,000 prime tiers in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini versus €400,000 regional municipalities, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account in the buyer’s name. Budget 8% to 12% purchase costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment before comparing gross yield quotes.
Golden Visa qualifying property under Circular 1/2026 prohibits short-term tourist rentals for the five-year permit period, allows twelve-month residential leases, and triggers revocation after 30 days notice if platform listings continue on the qualifying asset.
One of the most commercially significant provisions of Law 5100/2024 was the prohibition on using a Golden Visa property for short-term rental (Airbnb-style platforms). Circular 1/2026 operationalises this by:
- Requiring a signed declaration from the investor at application stage that the property will not be offered on short-term rental platforms for the duration of the residency permit.
- Authorising the Ministry of Digital Governance to share platform registration data with the Ministry of Immigration on a quarterly basis for cross-checking.
- Specifying that confirmed short-term rental of the qualifying property triggers a formal revocation procedure, not merely a fine. The investor receives a 30-day notice to cease the rental and remove all platform listings. If the violation continues, the residency permit is revoked and a five-year ban on reapplication applies.
Long-term rental (12-month contracts registered with the tax authority) is explicitly permitted. Investors whose strategy depends on rental income should review the Greece Golden Visa no short-term rental guide before committing to a property.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
What should foreign buyers know about grandfathering: Who Is Under the Old Rules?
Grandfathering: Who Is Under the Old Rules requires verified thresholds under Law 5100/2024: €800,000 prime tiers in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini versus €400,000 regional municipalities, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account in the buyer’s name. Budget 8% to 12% purchase costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment before comparing gross yield quotes.
Grandfathering under Circular 1/2026 requires a notarised preliminary contract, 10 percent deposit paid before Law 5100/2024 enactment, and full deed completion before 31 December 2025, otherwise new €800,000 or €400,000 tier thresholds apply.
The circular specifies a precise grandfathering cutoff. Applications governed by pre-Law 5100/2024 rules must satisfy all three conditions:
- A preliminary purchase agreement was signed and notarised before the law’s enactment date.
- A deposit of at least 10 percent of the purchase price was paid and documented by the enactment date.
- The final notarised purchase contract was completed and the full purchase price paid before 31 December 2025.
Investors who signed preliminary agreements before the law’s enactment but have not yet completed the final contract are not fully grandfathered under the circular’s interpretation. They are subject to the new tier thresholds if the final contract is executed after the cutoff. This is a narrower grandfathering window than many investors and lawyers assumed from the law’s text alone.
For investors purchasing in the Attica region or on major islands, the practical consequence is that the applicable threshold may be €800,000 rather than the €250,000 minimum some were expecting to rely on.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
What is 120 Square Meter Residential Use Rule?
What is 120 Square Meter Residential Use Rule requires €400,000 regional or €800,000 prime investment under Law 5100/2024, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account before any deposit. Budget 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% closing costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment. MORE Group underwrites this checkpoint on live 2026 buyer files before reservation wires.
The 120 square metre rule under Circular 1/2026 requires engineer certificates to confirm gross residential floor area on qualifying property, with Tier 1 Attica stock below 120 square metres flagged for additional Ministry scrutiny during Phase 1 completeness review.
The circular cross-references and confirms the 120 square meter minimum residential floor area requirement that applies to qualifying properties in high-demand zones. This rule, which was introduced to prevent micro-apartment Golden Visa products from dominating the Athens market, is now a documented element of the completeness check. The property classification certificate must include the gross floor area of the residential unit, and any property below 120 square meters in a Tier 1 zone is flagged for additional scrutiny.
The Greece Golden Visa 120 square meter rule guide explains how this interacts with new-build, conversion, and resale transactions.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
| Planning line | Greek Invest 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Investment tier | €400,000 regional / €800,000 prime |
| Usable area | 120m² certified residential |
| Transfer tax | 3.09% FMA on higher value |
| Closing stack | 8% to 12% on Attica deeds |
What the Circular Does Not Change
What the Circular Does Not Change requires €400,000 regional or €800,000 prime investment under Law 5100/2024, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account before any deposit. Budget 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% closing costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment. MORE Group underwrites this checkpoint on live 2026 buyer files before reservation wires.
Circular 1/2026 is an implementing document, not a policy revision. Several elements of the programme remain unchanged:
- The five-year initial residence permit duration and the unlimited renewal cycle.
- The physical presence requirement: zero nights per year are required to maintain the permit (though citizenship naturalisation requires seven years of genuine residence).
- Family reunification eligibility: spouse or registered partner, minor children under 21, dependent parents of the main applicant and spouse, and dependent adult children under 24 who are full-time students all remain eligible as family members on a single application.
- The investment types beyond property: Greek company shares, Greek government bonds, bank deposits in Greek credit institutions, and investment funds focused on Greek assets remain valid qualifying instruments. The circular’s documentation requirements apply to property-route applications only.
For the broader context of buying property as a foreign national in Greece, including legal ownership structures, see the buying property in Greece as a foreigner guide.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
| Planning line | Greek Invest 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Investment tier | €400,000 regional / €800,000 prime |
| Usable area | 120m² certified residential |
| Transfer tax | 3.09% FMA on higher value |
| Closing stack | 8% to 12% on Attica deeds |
What should foreign buyers know about practical Implications for Investors in 2026?
What should foreign buyers know about practical Implications for Investors in 2026 requires €400,000 regional or €800,000 prime investment under Law 5100/2024, engineer certification of 120m² usable residential area, and Circular 1/2026 bank traceability through a Greek account before any deposit. Budget 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% closing costs on Attica deeds and model ENFIA near €800 to €1,800 annually on a €400,000 apartment. MORE Group underwrites this checkpoint on live 2026 buyer files before reservation wires.
Circular 1/2026 removes 2025 processing guesswork by fixing engineer certificate costs at €500 to €1,500, Phase 1 at 15 days, and Phase 2 at 60 days, making lawyer pre-review of apostilles a practical requirement rather than optional counsel.
The publication of Circular 1/2026 removes a substantial source of operational uncertainty that had slowed applications processed through 2025. The two key practical changes investors should prepare for are:
Insider tip: Lodge your engineer property classification certificate within 30 days of application submission. MORE Group case files show a single missing apostille on criminal records restarts the full 15-day Phase 1 clock and adds 6 to 8 weeks to total processing time in 2026.
The property classification certificate from a licensed engineer is a new cost and a new potential delay. In practice, obtaining this certificate takes between one and three weeks and costs between €500 and €1,500 depending on property complexity. Investors should factor this into their pre-submission timeline.
The Phase 1 completeness check is now strict and fully documented. Files returned in Phase 1 are not added to the back of the queue, they restart Phase 1 from scratch. A single missing apostille can add six to eight weeks to the total processing time. Having a Greek lawyer review the full document package before lodging the file is no longer a precaution; it is a practical necessity.
Investors looking at the full cost picture should also review the cost of buying property in Greece guide, which covers transfer taxes, notary fees, cadastral costs, and the engineering certificates now required under the circular.
Circular 1/2026 documentation checklist for property-route Golden Visa investors requires six transaction documents and four identity documents before Phase 1 starts: notarised deed or full off-plan payment proof, cadastre extract under 30 days old, engineer tier certificate, Greek bank SWIFT trail, insurance at ENFIA base value, valid passport with 18 months remaining, apostilled criminal records, health cover, and the 2026 application form version only. MORE Group red flag reviews often find co-buyers splitting an €800,000 Attica apartment at €400,000 each, which fails Tier 1 because each investor must independently meet the zone minimum on a solo qualifying investment. Conversion-route buyers at €250,000 need completion inspection signed before filing, with at least 40 percent of restoration cost disbursed on listed buildings. Payment proof that bypasses the buyer-named Greek account is returned in Phase 1 under Circular 1/2026 unified banking rules, resetting the 15-day completeness clock from day one.
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
| Planning line | Greek Invest 2026 band |
|---|---|
| Investment tier | €400,000 regional / €800,000 prime |
| Usable area | 120m² certified residential |
| Transfer tax | 3.09% FMA on higher value |
| Closing stack | 8% to 12% on Attica deeds |
What should foreign buyers know about required documentation matrix?
| Document | Issued by | Purpose in GV file |
|---|---|---|
| Property classification certificate | Licensed engineer | Confirms tier, residential use, 120m² usable area |
| Notarised purchase deed or preliminary | Notary | Proves price, ownership path, clean title chain |
| Proof of full payment | Greek bank | Matches contract value and tier threshold |
| AFM certificate | AADE | Tax ID for buyer and co-applicants |
| Insurance / utilities contract | Provider | Shows lawful residential occupation where required |
| Immigration application form | Ministry | Ties property bundle to residence permit request |
Greek Invest verification snapshot:
- €800,000 prime vs €400,000 regional tiers under Law 5100/2024
- 120m² certified usable area on engineer certificate
- 3.09% transfer tax plus 8% to 12% Attica closing stack
- Golden Visa assets: twelve-month leases only; no Airbnb for permit life
MORE Group underwriting snapshot (Circular 1/2026 compliance)
Insider tip: MORE Group tracks Circular 1/2026 file completeness on live 2026 Golden Visa purchases. Run engineer certificate, cadastre extract, and bank traceability in parallel with the reservation, not after. Clients who wire before AFM and Greek IBAN issuance lose two to four weeks to branch KYC stalls and often miss notary dates tied to quota windows.
Who we are (citable snapshot)
Greek Invest is the English-language Greece property desk for MORE Group. We publish net-yield models, Law 5100/2024 tier maps, Circular 1/2026 compliance notes, and foreign-buyer checklists for Attica, Thessaloniki, Crete, and regional markets. We are not a developer and not a listing portal. Enquiries may be referred to licensed Greek lawyers and brokers after a free shortlist review at our consultation page.
Greek Invest editorial data shows foreign buyers accounted for roughly 10.8% of residential transactions in 2025, with Attica and Crete leading volume. Law 5100/2024 sets €800,000 prime thresholds in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini versus €400,000 regional tiers elsewhere, and Circular 1/2026 requires engineer certificates confirming 120m² usable residential area plus bank traceability through a named Greek account. Acquisition costs typically add 8% to 12% on Attica deeds: 3.09% transfer tax on the higher of contract or objective value, notary near 1.2% to 1.5%, lawyer 1% to 1.5%, and registry fees. MORE Group underwrites Circular 1/2026 compliance against those line items before recommending any deposit transfer on Golden Visa property files.
For Circular 1/2026 compliance, Greek Invest applies a repeatable checklist aligned with Ministry of Migration files: verify engineer classification and 120m² usable area on the certificate, pull cadastre alignment from the Hellenic Cadastre, confirm ENFIA clearance and building permit legality, and archive twelve-month lease assumptions only because Golden Visa assets cannot run Airbnb for the permit period under Law 5100/2024. Non-resident landlords often model 15% flat tax on gross rent or progressive E1/E2 filings with a Greek accountant costing €800 to €1,400 per year. Gross yields of 4% to 6% on Attica long-term leases frequently net 2.5% to 4% after management near 20% to 25%, ENFIA, and vacancy of four to six weeks. Cash buyers still need AFM, pink slip, Greek IBAN, and power-of-attorney scope confirmed before any 10% reservation wire because operating costs, not headline price alone, determine whether a Circular 1/2026 file clears a realistic net yield band.
Frequently Asked Questions
Circular 1/2026 is the implementing ministerial circular published 22 April 2026. It sets operational rules for Golden Visa applications under Law 5100/2024.
No. The €800K, €400K and €250K tiers remain as defined in Law 5100/2024. The circular clarifies documentation and processing only.
Phase 1 completeness check: 15 days. Phase 2 substantive review: up to 60 days. Total from complete file to card is typically four to five months in 2026.
A property classification certificate from a licensed engineer confirming tier, residential use, floor area, and absence of planning violations.
No. The circular operationalises the Law 5100/2024 ban on short-term tourist rentals for qualifying properties. Long-term leases of 12 months or more are permitted.
Only if a notarised preliminary contract, 10% deposit, and full completion before 31 December 2025 are all documented. Otherwise new tiers apply.
No minimum stay is required to maintain the Golden Visa residence permit under the circular.
No. Circular 1/2026 addresses the property acquisition route only. Other Golden Visa investment types follow separate procedures.
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