Immigration Law

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Reacquisition of Greek citizenship by victims of the Holocaust who previously held Greek citizenship (born in Greece before May 9, 1945, and in direct line of descent)

Greek citizenship is restored or granted to persons of Jewish origin in the following two cases, which presuppose that the person of Jewish origin is or was born in Greece before 9 May 1945. There is no special visa related to this right, neither the application for Greek citizenship gives the right to reside in Greece before the application is accepted. In particular, 1. Citizens of Israel or of other countries of Jewish origin, as evidenced by public documents, who were born in Greece before 9 May 1945 and are still alive, shall be restored to Greek citizenship, provided that they previously...

19 May 2025

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Issuance of residence permit to financially independent persons

Under Article 163 par. 8 of Law 5038/2023 and by decision of the General Secretary of the Region, a three-year residence permit is granted to a third-country national provided that the third-country national has obtained a special visa (VISA D) and is in possession of sufficient resources corresponding to a stable annual income to cover the living expenses, which may be renewed for a period of equal duration subject to the fulfillment of the other requirements provided for in the applicable law. The amount of sufficient resources is laid down in a Joint Ministerial Decision pursuant to para. 51 of...

26 Feb 2025

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Golden Visa – Table of permitted investments (articles 99-100A of Law 5038/2023)

INVESTMENTS IN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY Category of investment Minimum value Comments - Remarks Purchase of property in the regions: Region of Attica, Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Thira (Santorini), and islands with a population of more than 3.100 inhabitants. €800.000 The purchase of real estate is carried out on a single property. If it is a built property or a property for which a building permit has been issued, a minimum of 120 square metres of floor area of the main premises is required. In the case of investment through purchase of an undivided co-ownership share in a property, the minimum value of the co-ownership share is set...

14 Oct 2024

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Residence permit (Golden Visa) for third country nationals who invest in Greek State Bonds or other financial instruments (summary of options)

According to the provisions of Law 5038/2023, article 99 et seq (as amended by Law 5130/2024), by decision of the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, upon the proposal of the Foreign Direct Investment Directorate of the Ministry of Development and Investment, a residence permit may be granted to third country nationals who have made an investment in Greece in one of the following categories: (a) contribution of capital, in the amount of at least €500,000, to a company having its registered office or establishment in Greece, with the exception of Portfolio Investment Companies and, subject to sub-paragraph b, Real Estate Investment...

10 Jun 2024

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Residence permit in Greece for owners of real estate property [“golden visa”]

Residence permit in Greece for owners of real estate property [“golden visa”] Non-EU citizens who own real estate property in Greece with a minimum value, as described below, can be granted a 5-year residence permit for themselves and their family members. This is a permanent residence permit which is renewed every 5 years, provided that ownership of the property is retained. The most recent threshold for the value of the property is set at the (higher) amount of €800.000 for the following extended (compared to the previous regime applicable until 05/04/2024) range of areas in Greece: o Region of Attica o Region of...

15 Apr 2024

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Civil marriage procedure for foreign nationals and residence permit for a foreign spouse of a greek citizen

Greece has recently become a popular destination for third country citizens who wish to have their civil marriage in Greece. The procedure to be followed and the documents to be collected are the following : I) Civil marriage license The procedure for a civil marriage must be completed in accordance with the following requirements. The competent authority for the issuance of a civil marriage license is the Municipality of the area where the marriage is to be performed. The following supporting documents are required for the issuance of the license: An application of the parties involved A copy of valid passport or birth...

07 Dec 2023

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Support in the recruitment process of a non EU citizen

As a crossroads of trade routes, Greece is a host country for many migrants, therefore the Immigration Code, as it is in force, reflects and regulates the economic and social changes that occur in the movement of populations. A basic, if not the most basic reason for the movement of non-EU citizens is to find employment, but also more specialised employment for non-EU citizens who move to Greece as specialised personnel and in the context of more specialised forms of employment. The Immigration Code currently in force is governed by Law no. 4251/2014, as amended and in force, however Law...

20 Jun 2023

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Greek residence permit for investors-Eligible investments and monetary thresholds of investments according to Immigration Code

The current legal framework for granting residence permit to third country citizens for investment activities is provided in article 16 of Law 4251/2014, according to which the limits of investment activities are as follows: Α.INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES, WHICH GRANT RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY ARTICLE 16 OF LAW 4251/2014: According to paragraph 1 of Article 16 "The entry and residence of third country nationals in Greece, as investors, is permitted in order to make an investment that will have a positive impact on the national development and economy", under the specific terms and conditions set out in this provision. In the residence permit...

20 Jun 2023

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Golden Visa – Guide for residence permit to owners of property