Greece
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Greece has introduced a new option within its Golden Visa framework, shifting part of the programme’s focus away from property purchase and towards start-up investment. The move reflects a wider effort to diversify how foreign capital enters the Greek economy, at a time when property-led residence programmes face increasing public and political scrutiny across Europe.
To qualify under this option, applicants must direct their investment into a start-up operating in Greece, rather than into residential property. By linking residence status to business activity, the framework places greater emphasis on enterprise growth and economic participation alongside the existing investment routes.
Detailed article on the Greek Golden Visa.
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How the start-up investment route works
Under the start-up option, applicants must invest a minimum of EUR 250,000 in a company registered on Elevate Greece, the national start-up register. Eligible companies may operate across a range of sectors, including real estate, finance, defence and other approved industries, provided they meet the register’s criteria.
Successful applicants receive a five-year residence permit, with renewal required every two years during that period. Renewal is conditional and depends on continued compliance with the programme’s requirements.
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Investment conditions and ongoing compliance
Unlike the traditional property Golden Visa, the start-up route is not passive. The investment is tied to measurable economic activity.
To maintain residence status:
- The company must create at least two new jobs in the first year
- Those jobs must be maintained for a minimum of five years
- The investor may hold no more than 33% of the company’s equity or voting rights
These conditions are intended to ensure that the investment supports employment and wider economic participation rather than serving purely as a financial transaction.
Residence duration and eligibility for citizenship
As with the other Golden Visa routes, long-term residence under the start-up route may ultimately lead to naturalisation. After seven years of continuous lawful residence, applicants may apply for Greek citizenship, subject to statutory requirements such as language proficiency and social integration.
Citizenship is not automatic and remains subject to approval under Greek nationality law.
Why Greece is introducing the start-up route now
Golden Visa programmes across Europe have attracted increasing criticism, particularly those involving residential property. Critics argue that property-based programmes can distort housing markets, push prices higher and limit availability for local residents.
By introducing a start-up-focused option, Greece is shifting part of its residency by investment strategy towards job creation and productive economic activity. This approach aligns with wider European pressure to demonstrate clearer public benefit from investment migration programmes.
Political pressure and the wider Greek Golden Visa debate
Across the European Union, residence and citizenship by investment programmes continue to attract political debate. Opponents question whether such programmes create an unequal immigration system, while supporters argue that they provide governments with targeted funding and economic stimulus.
Property-linked Golden Visas have faced the strongest opposition, with several countries choosing to narrow or remove those routes entirely. The introduction of the start-up route allows Greece to respond to these concerns without dismantling its programme.
Is Greece ending the property Golden Visa?
Despite speculation following the announcement of the start-up investment option, Greece is not ending its property Golden Visa route. Government policy and legislative plans indicate that the start-up route has been introduced as an additional qualifying investment within the existing Golden Visa framework, rather than as a replacement for property-based investment.
The property route remains in operation and continues to exist alongside the new start-up option as part of Greece’s wider residency by investment offer. Although the government has adjusted thresholds and conditions in recent years in response to housing market pressures, there is no official indication that property investment is being removed as a qualifying route.
Closing remarks
Greece’s move to add a start-up investment option to its Golden Visa framework is less about reinventing the programme and more about refining it for a changing global environment. As pressure grows across Europe to justify residency by investment programmes beyond property, Greece is signalling that capital tied to business activity and job creation will matter increasingly.
At the same time, the country has not abandoned property-based investment. It is instead keeping several doors open, allowing investors to choose between asset-backed certainty and business-driven participation. For globally mobile individuals, the message is clear: Golden Visa programmes are not disappearing, but they are becoming more selective in how they define “acceptable” investment.
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