Family coverage, investment thresholds, choosing an eligible apartment, the application process, taxes, and post-sale processes are among the topics people are most curious about when it comes to the Greece Golden Visa.
A large portion of the information circulating online about the Greece Golden Visa is either incomplete or, unfortunately, entirely wrong.
Who can apply, which apartment is actually eligible for the Golden Visa, what happens if you sell the property, what happens if you get divorced, is it really advantageous for children…
All of these questions come up constantly, but finding a clear, field-based answer is hard.
I explain the Greece Golden Visa process not with marketing language, but with the real facts experienced firsthand on the ground.
I prepared this article so that people considering the Golden Visa don’t later find themselves saying, “I wish I’d known this from the start.”
Since I started working in this field, I’ve noted down every single question that’s come from my investors.
In this article, I’ve grouped the most common questions under headings and answered them based on real, firsthand experience rather than hearsay.
In this article, you’ll find:
– Who can apply, and what family coverage means
– Investment thresholds and how to actually identify an eligible apartment
– The application process and managing it remotely from Turkey
– Living, working, tax, and Schengen rights
– Long-term issues: selling, divorce, citizenship
– And at the end, some widely debated commercial practices
Let’s get started 🙂
Who Can Apply? & Family Coverage
For the Greece Golden Visa, the main applicant, their spouse, and children under the age of 21 can be included in the file.
In addition, the parents of the main applicant and the parents of the official spouse can also be included within the family coverage.
On this point, Greece keeps its family coverage quite broad compared to many other countries.
Can I Get a Golden Visa in My Child’s Name?
This question really comes up a lot.
Yes, you can buy an apartment in your child’s name, and the family can apply for the Golden Visa together.
However, the critical point here is the title deed registration.
If your child is under 14, the title deed cannot be registered in their name. This means the property remains legally “in limbo.”
If you want to sell it later, you won’t be able to, because there’s no title deed.
In a worse scenario, if that apartment is sold to someone else, they could have the title deed registered and take ownership.
For this reason, if you’re going to buy in a child’s name, you must proceed with the correct legal structure in place.
Can My Fiancé(e) Benefit From My Golden Visa?
Yes, but it’s not an easy process.
You need to sign a partnership agreement in Greece.
This agreement means time, cost, and additional legal fees.
It’s also worth noting that a partnership agreement in Greece has nearly the same legal effect as marriage.
For this reason, this step should be carefully thought through.
Can I Buy a Jointly Owned Apartment?
Yes.
For example, if you buy a 500,000 EUR apartment with someone else as equal co-owners, each person’s investment amounts to 250,000 EUR, which makes a Golden Visa application possible.
Is the Golden Visa Advantageous for Children?
Yes, more than you might think.
Children can travel within the Schengen Area without a visa.
This provides a major advantage for school trips, language schools, and tournaments.
They can be enrolled directly in public schools in Greece.
At private and international schools, they’re treated with a more “local” status rather than as foreigners.
They’re also in a much stronger position when applying to European universities.
Investment Amount & Choosing the Right Apartment
Under the current rules:
– In areas with a population over 3,100:
Minimum 800,000 EUR and at least 120 m²
– In areas with a population under 3,100:
Minimum 400,000 EUR and at least 120 m²
However, the most commonly used exception in the market right now is this:
Buying a property converted from commercial to residential use for at least 250,000 EUR.
The critical detail here:
The property must be converted from commercial to residential use at the time you buy it.
An apartment that someone else previously bought and already converted to residential status doesn’t qualify.
You must be the first owner after the conversion.
How Do I Know an Apartment Is Eligible for the Golden Visa?
You must always see the official document confirming the change of use.
Foreign developers typically require a “consent change” document.
In addition, due diligence with a Greek lawyer is essential.
Developer or Individual Seller?
Corporate developers are generally advantageous in terms of process management and reliability.
Individual sellers can sometimes be cheaper, but the risk is also higher.
If you’re buying from an individual, extra due diligence is essential.
Application Process & Managing It Remotely From Turkey
Once the sale is completed at the notary, the lawyer submits the application.
The whitepaper is typically issued within about 2 weeks.
With the whitepaper, you can enter and exit Greece without a visa.
It’s possible to buy an apartment without coming from Turkey at all.
However, you’ll need to come in person at some point for fingerprinting.
Card delivery typically takes around 6 months.
The region where the lawyer operates and current workload can affect this timeframe.
Living, Working & Daily Rights
The Golden Visa does not require you to live in Greece.
It’s issued for 5 years and is renewed as long as the title deed remains in your name.
It does not provide a work permit.
However, if a company wants to hire you, a separate work permit application can be made.
It’s possible to establish a company:
– A branch of a company based in Turkey
– A sole proprietorship
– A company with a Greek partner
For loans and credit cards, generally 3 years of tax filings are required.
Taxes & Schengen Rights
Property tax depends on many factors, such as location, square meters, and building age.
It’s not possible to give a single fixed figure.
Current rental income tax rates:
– 0–12,000 EUR → 15%
– 12,001–24,000 EUR → 25%
– 24,001–35,000 EUR → 35%
– Above 35,001 EUR → 45%
The Schengen Area consists of 27 countries in total.
The Golden Visa provides:
– Visa-free travel across Europe
– Family coverage
– The ability to establish a company
– Educational advantages
– A path to citizenship after 7 years of actual residence
For many people living in the outside of Europe, this system serves as a serious Plan B.
Long-Term Questions & Commercial Realities
This is the area where most mistakes happen in the Golden Visa process. Most people ask about everything up until they receive the card, but don’t think enough about what comes afterward. Yet regret usually sets in 2–3 years later.
What Happens If I Sell the Apartment?
The logic of the Golden Visa system is very clear:
Your residence right is tied to the property you own.
When it’s time to renew, the core question you’ll be asked is this:
Is the title deed still in your name?
If you’ve sold the apartment:
- Your Golden Visa card isn’t cancelled immediately
- But you won’t be able to renew it once it expires
There’s a critical point here.
Many people think, “I’ll sell it, buy somewhere else, and it’ll just continue” — but that’s not always possible.
For example:
- If you obtained your Golden Visa through a 250,000 EUR property converted from commercial to residential use
And that exceptional rule is later removed
Then the moment you sell the apartment, you become subject to whatever law is in force at that time.
This could suddenly leave you facing the 800,000 EUR + minimum 120 m² requirement.
Even more importantly:
If Greece completely closes the Golden Visa program at some point in the future, and you sell the apartment after that point, you won’t have the option to obtain the Golden Visa again.
For this reason, in this system it’s not enough to only ask “how do I get in?” —
you also need to ask “how do I get out?” from the very beginning.
Cashback & Rental Guarantees (The Most Dangerous Topics)
What Is Cashback, and Why Should You Stay Away From It?
In its simplest form, cashback works like this:
The apartment’s price is shown as higher on paper, and a portion of it is returned to the buyer off the books.
And I’ll say this very clearly:
This practice is illegal.
The European Union treats this as:
– Tax evasion
– Defrauding the system
– Misleading the government
As a result, in Cyprus today:
– Residence permits have been cancelled
– Passports have been revoked
– People have been blacklisted
In none of the processes I advise on do I work with companies that offer cashback, and I strongly do not recommend it.
What looks “profitable” in the short term can lead to very serious consequences in the long run.
Should I Get a Rental Guarantee?
This question comes up just as often as cashback.
This one comes down entirely to math.
Let me give you an example:
– You bought an apartment for 250,000 EUR
– The market rent is around 750 EUR per month
– You’re offered a 3% rental guarantee
3% of 250,000 EUR = 7,500 EUR per year
That works out to 625 EUR per month.
In other words:
– You’re losing 125 EUR every month
– 1,500 EUR per year
in potential rental income.
“But there’s a guarantee,” people say.
So let’s ask this:
Is there really much chance of not finding a tenant for 2 months for a nice, renovated, furnished apartment in Athens?
Most of the time, no.
For this reason, in many cases:
– Instead of a rental guarantee
– Correct pricing combined with good property management
turns out to be far more sensible.
But I’ll also say this clearly:
In some projects, a guarantee can genuinely make sense.
So this needs to be calculated on a case-by-case basis, apartment by apartment.
You can visit our YouTube channel to learn more about the Greece Golden Visa process through video content and to follow the latest developments.
