Residence permits in Greece

A residence permit is any documentation issued by the Greek authorities, according to which a third country citizen is given the right to reside legally within Greek territory, in accordance with the provisions of the European Union

Beneficiaries of the right of entry and the permanent residence permit, which shall be renewed every five (5) years, are:

• Third country citizens who own real estate property in Greece, either personally or through a legal entity based in Greece or another EU member state, of which they own the total of the company shares, provided the minimum value of the property is €250,000.
• Third country citizens who have signed a lease agreement – for a minimum of 10 years – for hotel accommodations or furnished tourist residences in integrated tourist resorts provided the minimum cost of the lease is €250,000.
• Third country citizens who purchase a plot of land or acreage and proceed to erecting a building, provided that the cumulative value of the land purchase and the contract with the construction company is at minimum €250,000.
• Family members of the third country citizens

Preconditions for a residence permit for real estate owners in Greece

The following conditions must be fulfilled to receive a permanent residence permit of investor, which shall be renewed every five (5) years:

a) The minimum investment amount stands at €250,000,
b) The real estate property must be owned by and be in possession of its owners. In cases of joint ownership, where the value of the property is €250.000 the residence permit is only granted if the owners are spouses or partners with a cohabitation agreement in Greece, with undivided ownership of the property. In all other cases of joint ownership, the residence permit is only granted if the amount invested by each of the joint owners is at least €250,000,
c) If the owner has acquired the property through a legal entity, the applicant must own 100% of the company shares,
d) The residence permit is also granted in cases where the third country citizen is the owner, either directly or through a legal entity, of more than one real estate property with a combined value of at least €250,000.

Issuing process and the necessary documentation for a residence permit for real estate property owners

The process for the issuing of a residence permit for real estate property owners Issuing an entry Visa for Greek Territory.

The interested party, if required, must submit an application for an entry visa to the Greek consulate authority in their country of origin. Alternatively, they submit an application for a residence permit for investors even before entering the Greek territory by proxy (lawyer) as described above.

Collecting the documentation for the issuing of the residence permit

Applicants for a residence permit for real estate owners must provide the following documents:

• Four recent colour photos (passport type, printed as well as in Compartible Disc form);
• Certified copy of a valid passport or travel documents recognised by Greece and with the relevant valid entry visa, where required;
• A fee paid and obtained through the “e-paravolo” platform according to provisions of article 38 par. 8 of Law 4546/2018, which amounts to €2000 for residence permits of up to a five year duration for real estate owners (code 2112). For family members the fee amounts to €150 (code 2107). Minor children (under 18 years old) are exempted from this fee.
• A fee paid and obtained through the “e-paravolo” platform according to provisions of Law 4018/2011 article 1, which amounts to €16 concerning the printing of the separate document (electronic residence permit).
• Certification by an insurance agency for the cost of hospitalisation and medical care. To certify that this condition is fulfilled, the following are accepted:
  • Insurance contracts which have been signed outside Greece, provided that they explicitly mention that they cover the interested party for the duration of their stay in Greece.
  • Insurance contracts which have been signed in Greece.
• In case the seller is a third country citizen, he must submit a certificate from Aliens and Immigration Department of the competent Decentralised Authority or General Secretariat for Immigration Policy at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, whether this property has been used for issuing a residence permit for real estate owners. The above, applies also to the sale of the property by legal entity.

Depending on the specific case, the following documentation may need to be submitted in addition to the above:

1. Residence permits for third country citizens who own and possess, either wholly or jointly, property in Greece.
   • A contract of purchase stating that “the contract of sell and purchase of the property is not subject to conditions or exemptions, the total price amounts to ….. which has been paid in full with a crossed bank cheque to a bank account of the beneficiary, held in a credit institution operating in Greece or with a credit transfer, as defined by Law 4537/2018 article 4, par. 24 (Official Government Gazette A' 84) to a beneficiary’s bank account held in a payment service provider, as defined by Law 4537/2018 article 4 par. 11 operating in Greece or through a POS installed by a payment service provider, operating in Greece, by charging a debit or credit card issued by a bank in the name of the buyer, to a beneficiary’s account held in a payment service provider, as provided in Article 4(11) of Law 4537/2018, operating in Greece. The afore mentioned payments may be also executed by the buyer’s spouse or family members by blood or affinity, up to 2nd degree, in accordance with the provisions for money donation. The contracting parties must duly declare and submit all details about the way of payment to the notary public, and all such details must be included in the contract.
   • Proof of transfer of the contract by the competent Land Registry and a certificate issued by the Land Registry or national cadastre agency attesting to the non-existence of any encumbrance, proving that the contact has been registered and there are no encumbrances, or a certificate issued by a lawyer verifying the transfer of the contract and non-existence of any encumbrance, in accordance with Article 36(2b) of Code on Lawyers (Law 4194/2013), as amended and in force.
   • Certificate issued by the notary public who drafted the purchase contract, verifying the contracting parties’ details, property details, way of payment for the agreed consideration or rent, as well as all specifics for executing the payment, in according with the provisions of this document, whether there is a condition subsequent, and whether the buyer uses the said property to get issued with a permanent residence permit for investors.
2. Residence permits for third country citizens who own property in Greece through a legal entity, where the applicant owns all shares.
   • A contract of purchase stating that “the contract of sell and purchase of the property is not subject to conditions or exemptions, the total price amounts to ….. which has been paid in full with a crossed bank cheque to a bank account of the beneficiary, held in a credit institution operating in Greece or with a credit transfer, as defined by Law 4537/2018 article 4, par. 24 (Official Government Gazette Ά 84) to a beneficiary’s bank account held in a payment service provider, as defined by Law 4537/2018 article 4 par. 11 operating in Greece or through a POS installed by a payment service provider, operating in Greece, by charging a debit or credit card issued by a bank in the name of the buyer, to a beneficiary’s account held in a payment service provider, as provided in Article 4(11) of Law 4537/2018, operating in Greece. The contracting parties must duly declare and submit all details about the way of payment to the notary public, and all such details must be included in the contract.
   • Proof of transfer of the contract by the competent Land Registry and a certificate issued by the Land Registry or national cadastral agency attesting to the non-existence of any encumbrance, proving that the contact has been registered and there are no encumbrances, or a certificate issued by a lawyer verifying the transfer of the contract and non-existence of any encumbrance, in accordance with Article 36(2b) of Code on Lawyers (Law 4194/2013), as amended and in force.
   • Certificate issued by the notary public who drafted the purchase contract, verifying the contracting parties’ details, property details, way of payment for the agreed consideration or rent, as well as all specifics for executing the payment, in accordance with the provisions of this document, whether there is a condition subsequent, and whether the buyer uses the said property to get issued with a permanent residence permit for investors.
   • Proof of transcription of the contract by the competent Land Registry and a certificate issued by the Land Registry or national cadastre agency attesting to the non-existence of any encumbrance.
3. Residence permits for third country citizens who have a lease – for a minimum of 10 years – for hotel accommodations or furnished tourist residences in integrated tourist resorts.
   • Notarised copy of the lease for the hotel accommodations or furnished tourist residences in integrated tourist resorts, which demonstrates a single payment of €250,000 and includes a mention of the granting of the relevant operation licence by GNTO (Greek National Tourism Organisation).
4. Residence permits for third country citizens who have purchased real estate property in Greece before Law 4146/2013 came into effect:
   • If the payment submitted before Law 4146/2013 came into effect is smaller than two hundred and fifty thousand euro (250,000) but the current objective (assessed) value of the real estate property exceeds or is equal to this amount, a certification by a notary must be included in the documents that are submitted, stating: “From the verification of the contract with number for the purchase of real estate property, it can be concluded that the full payment of the cost of the real estate property has been completed, it no longer has any conditions, exemptions or deadlines, and the objective (assessed) value of the real estate property as it stands today is equivalent to the amount of ...”.
5. Residence permits for third country citizens who purchase plots of land or acreage and erect a building. The following additional documents must be submitted:
   • Contract for the purchase of the plot of land or acreage.
   • Contract with the construction company for the erection/restoration of the residence, which has been submitted to the tax office according to the law.
   • Building permit in the name of the applicant.
   • Invoices by the contractors and the corresponding proofs of payment.
6. Residence permits for third country citizens who have signed a timeshare agreement (lease) based on the provisions of Law 1652/1986, for hotel units and generally tourist facilities operating under the permission of the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT). The following additional documents must be submitted:
   • Timeshare contract for a minimum period of five years which should state the corresponding price per year.
   • Proof of transfer registration issued by the competent Land Registry.
   • A certificate issued by the National Tourism Organisation (EOT) that it has been informed of the conclusion of the particular timeshare contract.
7. Residence permits for family members of the third country citizen.
   • Recent family status certificate from foreign authorities which certifies the family relationship, duly apostilled or certified by a Greek consulate, and officially translated into Greek.

Translation into Greek should be completed:

• By a translator certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Greece (Athens) who is included in the Register of Certified Translators of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or
• By an attorney, member of the Greek Bar Association, or
• By a professional translator, graduate of the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting of the Ionian University. The translation is certified by the translator with a stamp and his/her signature.

Procedures until the final issuing of the permit Upon arrival

A third country citizen who intends and has the necessary supporting documentation to own real estate property or to lease hotel accommodations or furnished tourist residences and has entered the country legally, is required to complete the required actions to apply for the residence permit before the expiry of the entry visa. In this case, the prospective applicant is able to undertake legal acts and transactions with the competent authorities, using their entry visa. Alternatively, the third-country citizen may buy a property and submit the application for a residence permit by proxy. The application is submitted by a lawyer by virtue of a power of attorney signed before a Greek consulate or before a notary public and is duly apostilled or certified by a Greek consulate, as applicable. In such case, the citizen needs to enter the Greek territory on an active entry visa, if required, within 12 months from submitting the residence permit application, to submit the required biometric data to the competent department for the permit to be issued.

Application process

Since February 20, 2017, the new procedure for granting non EU-EEC nationals residence permits in Greece was launched, pursuant to Regulation (EC) 1030/2002, as amended by Regulation (EC) 380/2008, under which all EU Member States will issue an electronic residence permit, which will replace the sticker, typically affixed in a valid passport. Starting from 16/11/2022, the applicant or their proxy (lawyer) submits the applications and supporting documents for the initial granting and renewal of the permanent residence permit for investors, strictly online through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum e-services (www.migration. gov.gr), directly to any relevant authority of the Aliens and Immigration or to the General Secretariat for Immigration Policy at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (Ministerial Decision No 674588/2022 – Greek Government Gazette B/5801/14.11.2022).

Following the online submission of the application for the permanent residence permit for investors, it is possible for the applicant to define a specific date for submitting his biometric data, required for the issue of the residence permit, in consultation with his attorney, so that this date is convenient for the applicant. For applications submitted to the one-stop shop of the General Secretariat for Immigration Policy of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the appointment for the biometric data may be defined online through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum e-services on a date suitable for the investor.

Along with the biometric data, the investor will also have to submit [on top of the application and other supporting documents provided by Law (Joint Ministerial Decision 31399/01-10-2018 / Greek Government Gazette B/4366 – Category C 3.2, which are submitted through the e-services)] the following:

• 4 printed digital passport photos, also stored in digital form(CD).
• A fee of 16 euros, which covers the cost of supply, printing and secure handling of the e-card, paid through the “e-paravolo” online payments platform.
• Completion of the fingerprinting process (for two fingers).
• A sample of his digital signature.

If the applicant’s travel arrangements change and thus cannot attend the biometrics appointment, then he should promptly inform the competent authority through his attorney so as a new date for the appointment is fixed or in case the appointment is defined online through the e-services of the Ministry of Immigration it is possible to reschedule for another date.

In any case, since the applications must be handled quickly and should not remain pending for a long time, the attendance of the applicant for submitting his biometric data should be completed within six months from the time of application and in any case before the lapse of 1 year.

One of the major advantages enjoyed by holders of permanent investor residence permit, is that following their initial entry into Greece, they have no other obligation to stay in the country for any length of time, without affecting in any way their residence permit.

Therefore as the investor, after signing the property purchase contract or even after filing the application for his investor permanent residence permit, may depart from Greece it is necessary to instruct the relevant department, where his application was filed, about the attorney through whom communication between the department and the permit holder will be carried out, whenever necessary.

Documentation check

The authorities receiving the application will issue an electronic confirmation that the application has been submitted, provided that all the necessary documentation has been submitted with the application.

This confirmation is valid until the decision on granting the residence permit or rejecting the application is issued, and it constitutes an evidencing document until the residence permit is issued.

Application processing timeframe

The owner of the real estate property is not affected by the duration of the processing of their application, from the moment the application is submitted to the relevant authorities until the issuing of a decision by the Secretary General of the Decentralised Authority or the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum regarding their residence permit.

After the application has been submitted, the applicant receives a receipt confirming the submission of the application, which is valid for one year. The time required to process the application depends on the authority where it has been submitted yet it may not exceed two months after all the necessary documents have reached the competent authority and the biometric data have been provided.

Provisions during the application processing period

The third country citizen, who has submitted an application and received the online confirmation receipt described above, can reside legally in the country for the duration of the confirmation receipt. The holder of the online confirmation receipt is entitled to the benefits of the residence permit that they have applied for. Hence, they can proceed with any legal transaction regarding their investment and can transact with all the relevant authorities. Issuing of the decision. Once the authority of Aliens and Immigration of the Decentralised Authority or the one-stop shop of the Permit Division of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum has verified that the application fulfils all necessary conditions and they will issue a five-year residence permit.

Procedure for residence permits for family members

According the information above, third country citizens can be accompanied by their family members, who will be granted the appropriate entry Visa. Members are:

• Spouses.
• The other spouse or partner with whom a third-country national has a cohabitation agreement in Greece.
• The direct unmarried descendants of the spouses, who are under the age of 21.
• The direct unmarried descendants of the supporter or of the other spouse/partner , pro- vided that their custody has been legally entrusted to the sponsor (for his/her children) and to the other partner (for his/her children), under 21 years of age, e. the direct relatives of the spouses in the ascending line.
• The direct relatives of the spouses in the ascending line.

Family members are not obliged to submit their application for initial residence permit simultaneously with the investor, they have the option to submit it subsequently, whenever they enter the country. These family members are issued with a residence permit of the same duration as the applicant, but this permit does not include access to employment. The children of the applicant, who have been originally admitted to the country under the terms and requirements of residence permit for property owners, are issued with a resi- dence permit for family reunification until the age of 21. After that, it is possible to acquire a renewal as an independent residence permit until they reach the age of 24 and then it is possible to renew it further according to pertinent immigration legislation. Family members have the same obligation pertaining to the collection of biometric data. The requirement to provide their fingerprints applies to all third-country nationals over six (6) years old, and the digital signature requirement applies to all citizens over the age of twelve (12) years.

Cost associated with the application process for the residence permit for owners of real estate

Interested parties are subject to the fee for the issuance of a five year residence permit amounting to €2000. At the time of providing the biometric data a fee is paid, which covers the cost of supply, printing and secure handling of the electronic residence permit, set at 16 euros per card. This fee is independent from the respective Application fee, even if the applicant is exempt from paying the fee (eg minors), and collected in the form of electronic fee (e-paravolo). The obligation to pay the fee applies to all third country citizens, whose applications for residence permits are successful and eventually lead to their issue, including children under 6 years old, although fingerprinting is not required.