GreeceBusiness and self-employment

Greece investor visa (business investment)

Investor residence permits for company shareholders and executives (category B, Articles 96–99 of Law 5038/2023)

In short

Besides the real-estate golden visa, the Migration Code offers investor permits for strategic investors, for shareholders who hold at least 33% of a Greek company with at least EUR 500,000 paid in cash (or EUR 500,000 in shares listed in Greece), for unpaid executives of large companies and for financial investors. Permits last five years and are renewed while the investment continues.

Apply on Ministry of Migration and Asylum – electronic applications checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Validity
Five years, renewable for the same period while the investment continues or operates.
Fee
€2,000Residence permit fee for investor categories (EU Immigration Portal); plus EUR 16 for the card. National visa for investors EUR 180.
Funds required
€500,000Minimum own cash contribution for a stake of at least 33% in a Greek company, or nominal value of shares held in a company listed on a Greek regulated market.
Family
Family members receive family permits linked to the investor’s permit, outside the general reunification approval procedure.
Where to apply
The request to characterise the investment is lodged at the Greek consulate of your residence, or at the Ministry’s Directorate of Residence Permits if you are already in Greece (also via a proxy). You may enter with a Schengen visa or visa-free.

Who qualifies

The shareholder route (Article 98) covers people who hold at least 33% of a Greek company’s capital, paid in cash by themselves for at least EUR 500,000 in registered shares, or who own shares with a nominal value of EUR 500,000 in a company traded on a regulated market in Greece. A second route covers unpaid board members, legal representatives and managers of Greek companies or branches with assets or turnover of at least EUR 4 million. Strategic investors and financial investors have their own categories.

Approval procedure

The permit is granted by decision of the Minister of Migration and Asylum on a proposal of the Directorate for Foreign Direct Investment of the Ministry of Development, which assesses the investment. You file the request for characterisation of the investment at the consulate or, if you are in Greece, at the Directorate of Residence Permits; then you apply for the residence permit online.

  1. Structure the investment: at least 33% of a Greek company with EUR 500,000 in cash, or EUR 500,000 in listed Greek shares.
  2. File the request for characterisation of the investment at the Greek consulate or the Directorate of Residence Permits.
  3. After the Minister’s approval, obtain a national visa if needed, or use your Schengen or visa-free entry.
  4. Apply online for the investor residence permit and pay the fees; family members apply alongside.

Renewal

Investor permits run for five years and are renewed for the same period while the investment continues or the business operates. If you change the investment product after the new thresholds took effect, the current minimums of the Migration Code apply.

Family

Family members are excluded from the general reunification approval: they apply for their permits directly under the investor-family rules.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Signed national visa application form with a recent ICAO-standard colour photo; it doubles as a solemn declaration that the data are true.
  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the planned departure, with at least two blank pages.

Money

  • Company documents showing your stake of at least 33% and the EUR 500,000 cash contribution, or a statement of listed shares of EUR 500,000 nominal value.

Insurance

  • Health insurance valid in Greece.

Other

  • Business plan or investment description for the Ministry of Development’s assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as the golden visa?

No. The golden visa is the real-estate route under Article 100; this page covers company and financial investment routes under Articles 96 to 99.

Can a foreign company make the investment for me?

The Migration Code allows a foreign legal entity’s investment to cover up to three non-EU individuals, according to the EU Immigration Portal.

What are the thresholds for deposits or bonds?

Financial investments have their own minimums under Article 99 of the Migration Code; ask the Ministry for the current amounts before investing.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Greece

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.

Study and training

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Long stay; the visa is converted into the residence permit.
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: Long stay; the card allows residence and work in Greece.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Total transfer period across the EU: up to 3 years for managers and specialists, 1 year for trainees.
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Up to nine months of residence and work in any 12-month period on the E.6 permit; leave Greece for the remaining three months.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: Visa for up to 12 months; residence permit afterwards.

Family

Residence

  • Golden visa and residence by investment Maximum stay: Permanent residence right while the investment is held; the card is renewed every five years.
  • Retirement visa Validity: Under the Migration Code initial permits are, as a rule, issued for three years and renewed for the same period; the exact validity is printed on the permit.
  • Permanent residence Validity: M.1: five years, renewable for five years. M.2: ten years, then automatic conversion to M.1 if absences were limited.

Protection

Greece visa guide