Zakynthos, Greece—the country has an additional golden visa program for 2026.
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The Greece golden visa program is evolving with a new startup pathway for investors, in addition to the existing golden visa that focuses on real estate. Here’s what to know.
The Greece Golden Visa Program Is Very Popular
Greece has one of Europe’s most popular golden visa programs. For just under $300,000 in investment to convert commercial real estate into residential, holders receive residency without the need to permanently live in the country.
For a $400,000 investment, holders can invest in real estate in less-populated areas, or $800,000 in more sought-after areas, such as Athens, Thessaloniki or a Greek island with more than 3,100 residents, as per CNTraveler.
Portugal has been a favorite golden visa option, but recent changes have extended its residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years. This shift has sparked debate in the golden visa landscape, as many seek these programs as shortcuts to citizenship.
Europe’s golden visa programs are attractive because they provide access to the Schengen area (currently 29 countries, including many EU member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland). Plus, most holders are not required to live in the country full-time.
The New Greece Golden Visa Program Is Different
Greece’s new golden visa program still requires a minimum investment of €250,000 (about $290,000), but it must be made in a startup listed on the national registry, Elevate Greece, in sectors such as real estate, defense and finance.
In exchange, holders receive a five-year residence permit that has to be renewed every other year during this timeframe if they meet certain criteria–for instance, if the company generates at least two new jobs in its first year and maintains them for five years, and the investor holds no more than 33% of the equity or voting rights.
After seven years of continuous legal residency, they can apply for Greek citizenship and the right to permanently stay, subject to language and integration requirements.
This New Greece Golden Visa Program Addresses Real Estate Concerns
Many critics of golden visa programs believe they are inherently unjust. Firstly, because they don’t require holders to meet the same exacting language and residency requirements as other immigrants arriving into the country.
Advocates say they bring governments lots of much-needed funds, sometimes for very targeted reasons. Nauru, for example, recently launched a citizenship-by-investment program to fund the relocation of its population to higher ground to counter the impacts of the climate crisis.
Detractors, however, believe the general population does not reap the economic dividends. Indeed, golden visa programs that allow investment in real estate are believed to skew local economic balances in favor of investors, pricing locals out of available housing. This was one of the reasons Spain ended its real estate golden visa program.
Political tides are also against golden visa programs in Europe (though not as pronounced elsewhere), where there has been much debate across the EU about whether European citizenship should be for sale to the highest bidder.
While the new Greek golden visa may seem similar to the existing program, a key difference is that it targets investments in startups rather than real estate, aiming to address the public and political concerns associated with real estate-focused golden visas.
As reported by Global Citizen Solutions, a global mobility investment agency, there was speculation that the government would withdraw the real estate golden visa option in favor of investment in startups, but the government “made it clear that the startup investment option was to be added to the existing investment options.”
So, it can be said that this new pathway within the Greece golden visa program reflects the shift in the residency‑by‑investment landscape in Europe, where traditional real‑estate options face increasing political and public scrutiny.