Greek Golden Visa
Greece's residence permit for property investors.
Greek Golden Visa applications fell 39 per cent to 3,086 in January to July 2026, Migration Ministry data show, while the backlog of undecided files shrank to 29,273.
Last refreshed: 3 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is the Greek golden visa backlog clearing because demand has dried up?
Timeline for Greek Golden Visa
Received 39% fewer applications in January to July
Nomads & Communities: Greece plans to keep Athens lets frozenBackground
The Greek Golden Visa is a residence permit for non-EU nationals WHO invest in Greek property. Introduced in 2013, it grants a renewable five-year permit and became one of Europe's busiest residency-by-investment routes, with Athens flats the most common purchase.
Demand fell sharply in 2026. Migration Ministry data, reported by an investment-migration trade publication, show 3,086 applications from January to July, down 39 per cent from 5,028 a year earlier. Undecided files numbered 29,273, little more than half the 52,000-plus queue of January 2025.
The permit sits close to Greece's housing debate. Many golden visa purchases were let to tourists, so limits on short lets in central Athens bear directly on what an investor can do with the property.
Demand for the permit is falling
Migration Ministry data for January to July 2026, reported by an investment-migration trade publication, counted 3,086 golden visa applications. That was 39 per cent below the 5,028 filed in the same months of 2025.
The same data put the queue of undecided files at 29,273, down from more than 52,000 at the start of 2025, so fewer new cases are arriving while old ones clear. The numbers came out in September 2026, as Athens moved to keep its central districts closed to new short lets until the end of 2027. That narrows one of the uses buyers made of golden visa flats.
How many Greek golden visa applications were filed in 2026?
How big is the Greek golden visa backlog?
Are Greek golden visa applications rising or falling?
