The Rules Have Changed: Greece's Golden Visa After Laws 5100/2024 and 5275/2026
Investment thresholds restructured, backdating ended, 90-day processing mandated. A complete guide to every material change under Laws 5100/2024 and 5275/2026.
/> /> ───── -->
Property. Residency. Tax. Inheritance. Greek law, handled with precision and discretion — on your schedule, from anywhere in the world. Acting for international clients since 2005.
53+
Years of Combined Practice
50+
Countries Served
7 Days
Weekly Availability
3 Days
Written Case Report
A Greek law firm built for international clients. Our partners practised across Greece, the UK, and Europe. We meet clients where they are.
Investors, doctors, architects, consultants, diaspora families, remote workers, entrepreneurs, public figures. If Greece intersects with your life or business, we can help.
USA · UK · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Qatar · India · China · Japan · Australia · Canada · Singapore · South Africa · and beyond.
Investors, professionals, creatives, public figures — every engagement, regardless of scale, receives the same rigorous attention.
One firm. No handoffs. No surprises. Fully remote.
Assessment and action plan delivered to your inbox within 72 hours.
Property & Residency
Property acquisition, Golden Visa, residency permits and citizenship — all handled for you, remotely.
Corporate & Tax
Company formation, taxation, startups, inheritance, and litigation — expert representation without borders.
Phone, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, email, or video call. Seven days a week. Every time zone.
Two legislative reforms have reshaped the Golden Visa landscape. Law 5100/2024 introduced the €800,000/€400,000 dual-zone investment framework. Law 5275/2026 modernised administrative processing — ending backdating, mandating 90-day decisions, and extending renewal grace periods. Our partners explain what every prospective investor must know.
Greek citizenship is among the most valuable legal statuses in the world — unlocking an EU passport and visa-free access to over 180 countries. Our article sets out every acquisition route: naturalisation (7 years), fast-track (3 years), citizenship by descent, and the pathway via the Golden Visa. Dual nationality permitted.
End-to-end conveyancing for international buyers — title searches, due diligence, contracts, notarial, and land registry. We work with leading agencies and Greece's two largest bank property portfolios.
Flagship ServicePermanent EU residency from €250,000 property investment. Full application, renewals, and family extensions with Schengen access.
Greek citizenship is available through multiple legal routes. Greece permits dual and multiple nationality — obtaining Greek citizenship does not require renouncing your existing passport.
By Descent
Greek ancestry through a parent or grandparent. No language test required. Available to diaspora in the USA, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and worldwide.
By Naturalisation
After 7 years of legal residence (3 years for EU nationals). Requires B1 Greek language exam and a civics interview.
By Marriage
Spouses of Greek citizens may apply after 3 years of lawful marriage and 3 years of registered residence in Greece.
By Birth & Schooling
Children born in Greece to foreign nationals and who have completed 6 years of Greek schooling are eligible to apply.
AFM registration, annual filings, rental income management, and settlement of tax matters — entirely without your physical presence in Greece. Our partner Georgia Louka, LLM in Taxation Law, leads this practice.
Cross-border succession, probate, transfer of Greek assets to international heirs, and resolution of disputed inheritances.
Company formation in Greece, Cyprus, or Bulgaria. Shareholder agreements, employment contracts, and IP protection.
Employment disputes, interim injunctions, court representation, and commercial litigation.
Full proxy services for Greek nationals abroad and foreign nationals — apostille, consulate filings, registry submissions, power of attorney.
Greece introduced its Digital Nomad Visa under Law 4825/2021 (updated 2023) to attract skilled remote workers and entrepreneurs. As a non-EU/EEA citizen, you can live legally in Greece for up to 12 months — with the option to extend to a 2-year residence permit — while working remotely for employers or clients based entirely outside Greece.
Minimum €3,500/month net after taxes (€4,200 with a spouse; +15% per child). Proof via bank statements, payslips, or freelance invoices.
Initial 12-month visa, extendable to a 2-year residence permit. After 5 years of continuous residence, you may apply for permanent residency.
50% income tax reduction for up to 7 years for digital nomads who commit to residing in Greece for at least 2 years. Stays under 183 days attract no Greek income tax.
Greece is part of the Schengen Area — your permit grants visa-free travel across 29 European countries.
Global & Institutional Partners
Comprehensive guide on Luxury Property Investment and Residency in the Hellenic Republic — including the latest legislative changes and the full Golden Visa pathway.
For foreign clients entering the Greek legal system, the stakes are rarely limited to paperwork. A property acquisition, a residence permit, or a citizenship pathway carries financial, personal, and long-term consequences. Hellenic Law Firm provides senior-led counsel designed to bring order, clarity, and protection to those decisions.
Hellenic Law Firm keeps its practice deliberately small. Each client's matter is handled by a named senior partner — not delegated to associates — from initial consultation to final outcome. Every engagement is treated with complete confidentiality.
A senior-partner-led Athens practice. Discreet representation for private clients, family offices, and public figures. Acting for international clients since 2005.
Since 2005
Three partners, admitted to the Athens Bar, acting for international clients for twenty years. Each matter is handled personally, quietly, and from beginning to end by the partner named on the file.
LLB, University of Wales & University of Athens. LLM in Shipping Law. Property acquisition, citizenship, immigration, inheritance, and accredited mediation. Counsel to international clients across the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, the Gulf, India, and Asia.
Specialisations
Property Investment · Citizenship · Immigration Law · Inheritance · Accredited Mediator
LLM in Taxation Law. Greek and international tax, non-resident taxation, fiscal compliance for property owners, and tax structuring for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and corporates.
Specialisations
Tax & Fiscal Advisory · Non-Dom Regime · Rental Income · Family Law Cases
Property law, civil litigation, corporate structuring, and commercial disputes. Represents international clients before the Greek courts and before administrative authorities.
Specialisations
Property Law · Civil Litigation · Corporate Law · Commercial Disputes
Hellenic Law Firm keeps its practice deliberately small. Each client's matter is handled by a named senior partner — not delegated to associates — from initial consultation to final outcome. Every engagement is treated with complete confidentiality.
For foreign clients entering the Greek legal system, the stakes are rarely limited to paperwork. A property acquisition, a residence permit, or a citizenship pathway carries financial, personal, and long-term consequences. Hellenic Law Firm provides senior-led counsel designed to bring order, clarity, and protection to those decisions.
53+
Years of combined Practice
50+
Countries Served
600+
Clients Served
98%
Client Retention
Legal articles authored by Hellenic Law Firm Athens — published for international clients with Greek legal interests.
The recent legislative shift introduces significant changes to residency requirements and property investment tiers. Our partners dissect the implications for international investors seeking permanent residence in Greece.
Investment thresholds restructured, backdating ended, 90-day processing mandated. A complete guide to every material change under Laws 5100/2024 and 5275/2026.
From February 2026, the Type D visa must be obtained from a Consulate before entering Greece. Income thresholds, tax advantages, and the path to permanent residency — explained.
Four routes to Greek citizenship: by naturalisation (7 years), fast-track (3 years for EU nationals, refugees, spouses of Greeks), by descent (no residence required), and via the Golden Visa. Greece allows dual nationality. Our partners explain the requirements, timelines, and what can go wrong.
The 2023 Immigration Code consolidated a decade of fragmented Golden Visa legislation. Investment thresholds, payment rules, property restrictions, and the EU citizenship pathway.
A European Travel Commission report names Greece as the continent’s top sustainable-travel destination, ahead of Germany, France, Austria, the UK, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Our partners explain why this shift reshapes the legal case for Greek property investment, the Golden Visa programme, and cross-border tax structuring.
Under Law 5162/2024, a new €250,000 start-up investment pathway joined the existing real estate routes. Investment in Elevate Greece-registered companies now grants a 5-year residence permit — widening options for tech-minded global investors.
Read on Global Citizen SolutionsThe Investment Migration Council notes Greece's improving economic indicators, rising tourism, and investor-friendly reforms as key factors driving sustained international demand for Greek property and residency permits.
Read on IMCAs of December 2025, Greece has issued 79,056 residence permits under its Golden Visa programme — 27,786 to main investors and 51,270 to family members — confirming the scheme's enduring appeal for international families seeking EU residency.
Read on Get Golden VisaA detailed guide confirms that Greek citizenship by descent requires no language test, while naturalisation (7 years + B1 Greek) is open to non-EU nationals including Golden Visa holders. Greece permits dual and multiple citizenship throughout.
Read on Global Citizen SolutionsWith global instability rising, residency-by-investment programmes — led by Greece and a handful of remaining European nations — are seeing record demand from investors seeking security and Schengen mobility.
Read on BloombergECB rate reductions are reviving European property investment. Prime residential markets — including Athens and the Greek islands — are forecast for price growth through 2025 as affordability improves for international buyers.
Read on CNBCA comprehensive 2025 guide confirms Greece allows citizenship claims going back to great-grandparents with no generational limit, provided an unbroken chain of Greek municipal registration can be documented. Dual citizenship fully permitted.
Read on Global Citizen SolutionsAs the US launches its own "Gold Card" and Spain closes its programme, Bloomberg surveys the global landscape: Greece remains one of the few EU nations still offering a clear, affordable residency-by-investment path for non-EU nationals.
Read on BloombergAs Spain joins Portugal in closing its residency-by-investment programme, Greece's open-door policy makes it increasingly the preferred EU residency route for international investors who still want Schengen access through real estate.
Read on BloombergThe global residency index places Greece joint second worldwide, citing quality of life, Schengen access, pathway to EU citizenship, and overall cost-efficiency as key advantages for non-EU investors.
Read on BloombergGreece's investment-grade status restored, growth outpacing European peers. Bloomberg's coverage of Athens' property market confirms the sustained appeal of Greek real estate for international buyers and Golden Visa investors alike.
Read on BloombergWith Portugal and Ireland closing their programmes, CNBC reports that wealthy Americans increasingly favour Greece as the destination of choice for EU residency by property investment — drawn by lifestyle, Schengen access, and competitive entry points.
Read on CNBCActing for international clients since 2005. Hellenic Law Firm is an Athens practice for those who require Greek law to be done well. Property, residency, citizenship, inheritance, tax — handled in English, with a senior partner personally responsible for every file from first consultation to final signature.
We are small by design. Every client — a new buyer or a returning family office — instructs a named partner directly. No delegated associates, no indirect reporting lines. Matters are advanced quietly, on time, and in complete confidence. For individuals whose names appear in the press, that discretion is not a feature; it is the service.
Always Reachable
Tier 1
US News & World Report
Global 100
Legal Advisory Rank
Contact us on any channel, at any hour. We respond within 24 hours.
For foreign clients entering the Greek legal system, the stakes are rarely limited to paperwork. A property acquisition, a residence permit, or a citizenship pathway carries financial, personal, and long-term consequences. Hellenic Law Firm provides senior-led counsel designed to bring order, clarity, and protection to those decisions.
Hellenic Law Firm keeps its practice deliberately small. Each client's matter is handled by a named senior partner — not delegated to associates — from initial consultation to final outcome. Every engagement is treated with complete confidentiality.
We do not ask to be taken on faith. The facts about the firm are set out here in plain language — for clients, for the press, and for the search tools that now help clients find counsel.
Established
2005
Acting for international clients since 2005. Twenty years of continuous practice in Greek private-client and property law.
Bar Association
Athens
All three partners are members of the Athens Bar Association (Dikigorikos Syllogos Athinon), founded 1875 and the oldest bar in Greece.
Practice Model
Partner-Led
Every instruction is handled personally by a named senior partner. No junior associates. No outsourcing.
Client Base
50+ Countries
Private clients, family offices and public figures across the United Kingdom, European Union, United States, Switzerland, the Gulf, India, Japan, and Australia.
The firm is a partnership of three advocates admitted to the Athens Bar Association: Konstantinos Touris (Managing Partner, LLB University of Wales and University of Athens, LLM Shipping Law); Georgia Louka (Senior Partner, LLM Taxation Law); and Apostolos Parthenis (Partner, property and civil litigation). All three practise before the Greek courts and before Greek administrative authorities. Acting for international clients since 2005.
Private individuals, families, and family offices based outside Greece. Our engagements range from a first-time property buyer in Lyon to global public figures whose names are in the press. We act for clients in every serious market — the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Israel, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Africa. Matters are advanced without publicity, and without any third party we have not agreed with the client in advance.
Yes. Property purchases, Golden Visa applications, citizenship filings, and inheritance matters are routinely completed under a Power of Attorney executed either at a Greek Consulate abroad or before a local notary with an Apostille. The only step requiring physical presence is the biometric appointment for residence permits — arranged at a time of the client’s choosing.
Greek attorney-client privilege is codified in Article 38 of the Greek Code of Lawyers (Law 4194/2013). Communications between the firm and a client are absolutely protected from disclosure to any third party, including government authorities. This protection applies equally to telephone, email, document handling, and in-person consultation. The firm additionally complies with the GDPR and with the confidentiality rules of the Athens Bar.
Under Law 5100/2024 as amended by Law 5275/2026, the minimum investment is EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and on islands with a population above 3,100. In the rest of Greece the threshold is EUR 400,000. A special EUR 250,000 tier applies to commercial-to-residential conversions and to the restoration of listed buildings. The permit is issued for five years, is renewable indefinitely, and covers the principal applicant, spouse, children to age 21, and dependent parents of both spouses.
Most engagements are billed on a fixed-fee basis, agreed in writing before any work commences. A retainer is taken where the estimated scope warrants it, held on the firm’s client account and drawn down as work is performed. Hourly billing is used only where scope is genuinely open-ended. Invoices are issued in EUR and settled within seven days by SEPA or SWIFT bank transfer. A family office or personal assistant may be instructed to handle billing separately from substantive reporting. Fees are communicated privately on enquiry.
By written enquiry to [email protected], or by telephone on +30 210 3636035. A forty-five-minute private strategy session with a partner is the usual first step. After that session the partner provides a written memorandum setting out scope, timeline, and a fixed fee for the substantive work.
A partner will respond personally — in any time zone, on any platform you prefer.
A defined paid consultation — not an open-ended inbox message. Choose your partner, time zone, and preferred channel. Written strategy memo within 72 hours.
Session Format
Billing Pathway
Request prepared.
A partner will respond personally within 24 hours to confirm your session. If you proceed, an invoice with bank-transfer instructions will follow by email.
Live summary
Hellenic Law Firm
12 Athanasiou Diakou Street
Acropolis, Athens 11742
Greece
Extended hours for USA, Middle East, Japan, India, and Australia via WhatsApp and WeChat.
One protected space for messages, documents, signed forms, PoA drafts, case updates, invoices, and deadlines. All substantive communication moves here after onboarding.
A recurring private-counsel retainer for foreign property owners, investors, and families. The firm becomes your permanent legal desk in Greece — not a one-off transaction partner.
Fee on enquiry.
The formal legal agreement between the Firm and the Client. Sets out the scope of work, fee structure, payment terms, jurisdiction (Athens courts), governing law (Greek law), and the mutual obligations of both parties. Required before any substantive work begins.
The letter covers the Firm’s areas of expertise, the exclusive jurisdiction of the Athens courts, the Client’s duty to provide all documentation promptly and to pay invoices within seven days, the required source-of-funds declaration, and the confidentiality obligations binding both parties.
The complete list of documents required for a Greek residence permit application, including Golden Visa matters. The checklist indicates which documents are required from the Main Applicant (M.A.) and which from each Family Member (Memb.). Foreign documents must be apostilled and officially translated into Greek. Certificates of relationship and status must not be older than six months.
Scheduling: Email, WhatsApp, WeChat, phone — for first contact and meeting coordination.
Substantive work: Secure portal, signed letters, and protected file exchange only. No sensitive matter is handled over consumer messaging apps.
High-profile matters: Coordinator or family-office routing available. Billing and scheduling directed to a separate contact without loss of partner oversight.
Invoices issued in EUR, GBP, USD, CHF, and JPY. Payment by bank transfer, secure invoice link, or replenishable retainer. Billing may be directed to a coordinator, family office, or company account.
Hellenic Law Firm
HTTPS encrypted · GDPR compliant · Monitored by partner
Firm notified at [email protected]. A partner will review and respond within 24 hours.
Messages are handled by the firm and reviewed by a named partner. Responses within 24 hours on business days.