The Greek government has pushed back the date for increasing the threshold for the acquisition of an investor visa from 250,000 euros to 500,000 euros in certain areas, such as the center of Athens, the northern and southern suburbs of Attica, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Mykonos and Santorini. Originally set for May 1, the new deadline for the threshold increase is now July 31. This means that buyers can still benefit from the 250,000-euro minimum for property purchases in Greece and be granted five-year residency rights until then. However, the 250,000-euro limit will continue to apply for Piraeus and the eastern and western Attica suburbs.
As a result of the extended deadline, there has been an increase in interest among potential buyers. Searches for information about Greece’s golden visa program rose by 75.2% in March, and the number of applications for Greek investor visas from high net-worth US citizens grew by 740% in 2021, according to Astons data. The Greek Immigration and Asylum Ministry reported a 252% increase in investor visa applications in the first two months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. During this time, the number of golden visas issued increased by 101% to 574, indicating strong demand for the program.
