Buying a home in Greece: Golden Visa, prices and the buying process
Written by: Marcus M. Araz, MBA, PhD · Updated:
Buying a home in Greece requires neither a residence permit nor citizenship. A foreign buyer takes freehold title and holds the property indefinitely. But one thing sets Greece apart from our other two markets: two different reasons to buy that keep getting mixed up in the same country. One is the Golden Visa, the other is yield. This page separates them, because deciding without knowing the difference is one of the most expensive mistakes on offer.
Announced, not law yet. Greece has announced that the property transfer tax on homes bought by individuals who are nationals of countries outside the European Union will rise from 3% to 15%; the announced start date is 1 July 2027 and Turkish citizens fall within its scope. The measure is not law yet, and the scope and exemptions can change. The detail and what it means in figures are on our the cost of buying a home in Greece page.
First, one distinction
When you see a €250,000 apartment listed in Athens, the first question is usually the Golden Visa. For most of the market the answer is no: after the 2024 reform the threshold for a standard home in Attica is €800,000. But there is an exception to the rule, and our portfolio sits squarely inside it.
Where a commercial or industrial building is converted into housing the threshold falls to €250,000, and at that tier the 120 square metre condition does not apply. Every one of our Greek apartment projects is a conversion that meets this definition, and its own developer confirms eligibility. In other words a standard apartment in the same district would need €800,000; in these projects €250,000 is enough. The €550,000 difference comes down to a single clause.
The second route is the standard home route. The scheme in our portfolio that clears the €400,000 tier is Levante Villas: it sits in Boeotia, so the €400,000 threshold applies, its 130 square metres of internal area clear the 120 square metre rule, and it is bought as a single home.
Golden Visa thresholds
| Tier | Where it applies | Further condition |
|---|---|---|
| €800,000 | Attica (Athens and its surroundings), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100 | A single home, at least 120 square metres |
| €400,000 | The rest of Greece | A single home, at least 120 square metres |
| €250,000 | Region does not matter: conversion of a commercial or industrial building into housing, and restoration of a listed historic building | No floor area requirement |
Our apartment projects fall into the third tier: every one is developed by converting an existing building into housing, and the developers confirm that these projects qualify for the €250,000 tier. Because no floor area condition applies, a €250,000 budget is enough to enter the programme in Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki. For the programme in full, family coverage and frequently asked questions, see article on the Greek Golden Visa page.
The schemes in our portfolio
The capital.works portfolio holds 12 live Greek projects. Eight carry the name of Athens based OIKOS Property Developments, three Royal Investments Group and one Axis. All three developers work by converting existing buildings into housing, and each confirms that its own projects meet the Golden Visa tier. Prices are starting prices; current availability is on the project pages.
| Schemes | Where | Entry price | Entry size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curve Park 6sold out | Ilion, Athens | €250,000 | 40 sq m, garden duplexes available |
| Oasis Residences | Peristeri, west Athens | €250,000 | 35 sq m, 41 apartments |
| Meridia Residencessold out | Piraeus | €250,000 | 40 sq m, completion December 2027 |
| Thermae View Residences | Thessaloniki | €250,000 | 33 sq m, 300 metres from the seafront |
| Royal Boutique Collection | Neo Irakleio, North Athens | €250,000 | 33 m², Royal Investments Group |
| Pikermi Residences | Pikermi, Attica | €250,000 | 56 m², Axis |
| Boulevard | Kallithea, Athens | €260,000 | 38 sq m, 54 apartments |
| Flevas Ilion | Ilion, West Athens | €280,000 | 54 m², two bedrooms, Royal Investments Group |
| Kifisia Suites | Lykovrysi, North Athens | €290,000 | 56 sq m, 42 apartments |
| Trinitysold out | Michalakopoulou, central Athens | €300,000 | 39 sq m, boutique block of 17 |
| Royal Piraeus Maisonettes | Piraeus | €360,000 | 101 m², three bedrooms, maisonette, Royal Investments Group |
| Levante Villas | Skroponeria, Boeotia | €695,000 | 130 sq m detached villa, 3 bedrooms |
What goes on top of the price
The asking price is not what you pay. Buying costs in Greece come to roughly 6.73% of the price plus about €684 in fixed items. On a €250,000 flat that is around €17,500 on top.
| Item | How much | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Property transfer tax | 3.09% of the price | Before the transfer |
| Notary | 1.70% of the price | On signing the contract |
| Legal fees and due diligence | 1.24% of the price | In stages, with an advance at the outset |
| Land registry | 0.70% of the price | At registration, after the transfer |
| Civil engineer due diligence | 300 € | Before the contract |
| Power of attorney | 160 € | At the start of the process |
| E9 declaration | 124 € | After the transfer |
| Postage and documents | 100 € | Throughout the process |
| Opening a bank account | €500, optional | At the start of the process |
For your own numbers, the Greece Purchase Cost Calculator page sets every item out one by one.
Transfer tax, not VAT
A newly built building in Greece carries 24% VAT. Where an existing building has been converted into housing there is no VAT; a 3.09% transfer tax applies instead. The apartment schemes in our portfolio fall into that second group. The gap is about 20 percentage points, which on a €250,000 flat runs into tens of thousands of euros. Which regime a scheme falls under is on its own enough to set your budget.
What the residence application itself costs
If you take the Golden Visa route, application items land on top of the property costs. They are calculated per person, independently of the property price.
| Item | Amount | Who it is charged on |
|---|---|---|
| State fee, main applicant | 2.000 € | Once |
| State fee, family member | 150 € | Per spouse, dependent adult and child over 13 |
| The residence card | 16 € | Per person, everyone |
| Health insurance | €160 to €750 a year | Per person, varies with age |
Cost of holding it
Greece is not a zero tax structure like the United Arab Emirates. ENFIA, the annual property tax, runs from roughly €2 to €16.20 per square metre depending on the zone value of the location. On a mid sized flat that stays at a few hundred euros a year. Rental income is taxed in Greece, and there is a double taxation treaty between Türkiye and Greece. Seeing a binding figure means working from the property’s own zone value, which we do scheme by scheme.
The buying process
- Tax number (AFM). Everyone who buys property in Greece needs a tax number. It can be obtained from Türkiye under a power of attorney.
- Power of attorney. To run the whole process without travelling to Greece, you give your lawyer a power of attorney. It costs €160.
- Due diligence. The lawyer checks title and planning status, the structural engineer checks the physical condition of the building. Both are finished before contracts.
- Preliminary contract and deposit. Price and payment schedule are fixed here.
- Paying the transfer tax. The 3.09% tax is paid before the transfer of title.
- Transfer of title before the notary. The final contract is signed before the notary.
- Land registration and the E9 return. Registration follows the transfer, and the E9 return puts the property on your tax record.
For the weekly updated version of the figures on this page: Greek housing market: weekly data note.
Frequently asked
Can I get a Golden Visa in Athens for €250,000?
On the schemes in our portfolio, yes. The threshold on a standard home in Attica is €800,000, but the €250,000 tier applies to the conversion of a commercial or industrial building into housing, and every one of our apartment schemes fits that definition. On a standard flat bought on the open market, the answer is no.
Does the Golden Visa grant citizenship?
No, it is a residence programme. Citizenship requires having actually lived in Greece and meeting the language and integration conditions.
Do I have to live in Greece?
Not on the Golden Visa. The permit is renewed for as long as the investment is held, and there is no residence requirement in Greece.
Do I need to travel to Greece to buy?
No. From the tax number to the transfer of title, the process can be run under a power of attorney.
Can I rent the flat out?
You can. Rental income is taxed in Greece, and short lets carry a separate registration obligation.
Detailed guides
- Is Buying a Home in Athens a Good Idea?
- Is Buying a Home in Thessaloniki a Good Idea?
- Which Firm Should I Use for the Greek Golden Visa?
- Will House Prices in Greece Fall? Is 2026 a Good Time to Buy?
- Does the Greek Golden Visa Lead to Citizenship? Work, Family and Travel Rights
- How Do You Get a Residence Permit in Greece? By Buying Property and Other Routes (2026)
- Golden Visa Countries 2026: Where Can You Still Get Residency by Buying a Home?
- Dubai or Greece? Residency by Investment and Property Returns Compared
- How Do You Send Money from Turkey to Buy a Home Abroad?
- Is It Worth Buying Property in Piraeus?
- What Do You Need to Buy Property in Greece?
- Buying Property Abroad: Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed page
For the full list of costs, the difference between VAT and transfer tax, and residence permit fees, see our the cost of buying a home in Greece page.
How we help you with this
As capital.works®, the Overseas Property Centre, we represent selected developments in Greece. Every development live on the site has its price list, floor plans and completion schedule on its own page. We are an FCA authorised credit broker (FRN 1049015) and a member of the NACFB; the purchase, the finance, residency and post completion management are all run by one team.
The next step
The quickest way in is to settle which route suits you in Greece: the residence permit, the yield, or both. Write us your budget and what you are after, and we will put together the schemes that fit and the full cost table. write to us. If you want to see it side by side with our other two markets, our Overseas Property Investment Guide page puts all three countries in one table.