Immigration Law

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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

Citizenship by investment in real estate in Greece Foreign citizens who invest in real estate property in Greece can be granted a five-year residence permit for themselves and their family members. This is a permanent residence permit which can be renewed every five years, provided that the investor retains ownership of the property. According to the new legislative framework on monetary thresholds, for the purchase of property, for areas of the Northern, Central and Southern sector of Athens and the municipality of Vari – Voula - Vouliagmeni of the Region of Attica, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and for islands of Mykonos and...

25 Apr 2023

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Citizenship by investment in real estate in Greece

Foreign citizens who invest in real estate property in Greece can be granted a five-year residence permit for themselves and their family members. This is a permanent residence permit which can be renewed every five years, provided that the investor retains ownership of the property. According to the new legislative framework on monetary thresholds, for the purchase of property, for areas of the Northern, Central and Southern sector of Athens and the municipality of Vari – Voula - Vouliagmeni of the Region of Attica, the Municipality of Thessaloniki and for islands of Mykonos and Santorini, the minimum value of the property...

20 Apr 2023

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The right to EU citizens and their family members for residence and movement in Greece

The right to EU citizens and their family members (irrespective of their nationality) to enter, reside and move in the Greek territory is recognized by the Greek Presidential Decree no. 106/2007 which integrates the Directive 2004/38/EC into the Greek legislative framework, and more specifically in article 3, as in force: Article - 3 Beneficiaries (Article 3 of Directive 2004/38/EC) This Presidential Decree shall apply to citizens of the Union who enter or reside in Greece and do not have Greek nationality and to members of their families, irrespective of nationality, as defined in paragraph 2 of Article 2, who accompany...

16 Jan 2023

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Changes to the Greek golden visa scheme