Greek government extends deadline for golden visa deals under old rules: key changes and what investors need to know
Investors who have paid deposits and signed preliminary agreements by December 31, 2024, now have until almost the end of winter—February 28, 2025—to finalize all necessary procedures.
This decision is expected to benefit approximately 3,000 participants of the program, enabling them to purchase property and complete all transactions and documentation under the old Golden Visa rules.
Changes to Greece’s Golden Visa Program
As a reminder, changes to the minimum investment threshold for participation in the program came into effect on September 1, 2024:
€800,000 – for properties in major cities and popular tourist destinations such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini.
€400,000 – for properties in other regions of the country.
However, applications submitted before August 31, 2024, remained eligible under the previous threshold of €250,000, provided the transactions were completed by the end of 2024. Now, this period has been extended until the end of winter.
The extension allows investors more time to complete procedures and reinforces the Golden Visa program’s reputation as an essential economic tool for attracting investments, enabling them to finalize transactions and register property rights as stipulated by the program.
Why Did Greek Authorities Grant Investors More Time?
The extension was a necessary measure, as acknowledged by the government. The main reason: delays in completing transactions. Investors who had already paid deposits risked losing their funds due to bureaucratic challenges and the limited timeframe for document processing.
This decision aims to prevent deal cancellations, financial losses, and legal disputes while strengthening trust in the Golden Visa program as a reliable instrument for attracting foreign capital.
