Greek Golden Visa · €250,000 conversion route
An independent, carefully checked shortlist of commercial-to-residential conversion projects in Athens and Piraeus — with the rules explained plainly, before you commit a single euro.
Via WhatsApp +30 690 884 7300 · or email · no obligation · no advisory fee for you
The real question
Since 2024, a standard Golden Visa purchase in Athens or Piraeus requires €800,000 and 120 m². The €250,000 route still exists — but only for specific converted buildings, under strict conditions. Many listings say “Golden Visa eligible”. Fewer can prove it.
We help you answer these questions before you sign — not after.
How the €250,000 route works
Greek Migration Code, Article 100 (Law 5038/2023, as amended by Law 5100/2024), clarified by the Ministry’s Circular 1/2026 of April 2026. In short:
The reduced €250,000 threshold applies to property whose main areas are lawfully converted from non-residential (commercial, office, industrial) to residential use. The 120 m² minimum does not apply.
The full amount must go into a single property, paid through a Greek bank account before you apply. Several smaller units cannot be combined.
The change of use must be completed and certified before the residence application is filed. For most shortlisted projects, that means 2027–2028.
Airbnb-style lets (under 60 days) are prohibited, including through sub-leases. Long-term rental remains allowed. Breaches can cost the permit, plus a fine of €50,000.
The investor residence permit is issued for five years and can be renewed while you keep the property. Eligible family members can be included.
A converted property can support the €250,000 route only once. A later buyer cannot reuse the reduced threshold — relevant for your future resale value.
Greece’s Migration Minister stated publicly that permits will be revoked where the real cost of the purchase fell below €250,000 — for example through rebates, or guaranteed lease payments that return part of the price. For that reason we do not present guaranteed yields or leasebacks as a reason to buy, and we recommend that your own lawyer reviews any rental arrangement offered by a developer.
| Minimum | Where / what |
|---|---|
| €800,000 | Attica (including Athens and Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents. Single property, at least 120 m². |
| €400,000 | All other regions of Greece. Single property, at least 120 m². |
| €250,000 | Anywhere in Greece, but only for qualifying conversions to residential use (or restoration of listed buildings). |
Featured project
The redevelopment of the historic Keranis tobacco factory at the entrance to Piraeus into a mixed-use residential complex: 408 fully furnished one- and two-bedroom residences across six floors, with shared amenities. Presented by the developer as one of Greece’s largest mixed-use developments.
Golden Visa eligibility is the developer’s statement; it depends on the conversion being completed and certified before you apply, and must be confirmed by your own lawyer. Any rental arrangement is reviewed separately and is not part of our recommendation.
Also on our shortlist
Selected for location, a clear conversion story and a price at or near the €250,000 threshold. We left out projects whose eligibility we could not confirm, and those that did not meet our standards.
Former commercial building, studios and one-bedrooms, short walk to Kerameikos and Metaxourgeio metro.
Waterfront conversion of a former commercial building: 76 residences, studios to two-bedroom duplexes.
Small building of 21 apartments and maisonettes, converted from offices, a minute’s walk from the Mikrolimano marina.
20 residences delivered fully furnished, about 500 m from the port. The later delivery means a later application.
Boutique building of 14 one-bedroom apartments in the city centre. Conversion status to be confirmed in due diligence.
47 one- and two-bedroom apartments in a converted building. Latest listings show very limited stock — we will confirm before you plan around it.
Indicative prices from public listings, Sep–Oct 2026, subject to availability. Delivery dates are developers’ estimates. Golden Visa eligibility is stated by the developers and must be confirmed for the specific unit by your independent lawyer.
Why Filios Real Estate
Golden Visa listings are everywhere. Clear, independent judgement is not. We are a family-run advisory firm, and we work for the buyer.
We compare projects from several developers and tell you what we would — and would not — buy, and why.
You pay us nothing for our advice. As is usual in Greek real estate, our fee is paid by the selling side when a sale completes — we tell you this upfront.
We explain the conditions and the risks first, and we never sell a permit on the promise of guaranteed returns.
Paschalis has worked with international investors in Dubai and Qatar, and understands what buying abroad from a distance feels like.
Investment advisor, Filios Real Estate. [Short bio line – to be confirmed by Paschalis.]
Your plan
A free call about your goals, family, budget and timing. You leave with a clear view of whether the €250,000 route suits you. No obligation.
Paschalis shares current prices and availability and an honest comparison of the units that fit you. An independent Greek lawyer of your choice then checks title, permits, conversion status and contract.
You sign and pay through a Greek bank account, as the law requires. Once the conversion is completed and certified — typically 2027–2028 — your residence application is filed.
Questions
Only after the change of use is completed and certified. For the projects shown here, developers currently expect delivery between late 2027 and 2028, and later if construction is delayed. Until then you own the property (or have contracted to buy it), but you cannot yet file the €250,000 application.
Long-term rental is allowed. Short-term, Airbnb-style rental (under 60 days) is prohibited for Golden Visa properties, including through sub-leases, and can lead to loss of the permit and a fine.
We do not treat guaranteed yields or leasebacks as a reason to buy. On 15 October 2026 the Ministry warned that permits will be revoked where such arrangements bring the real cost below €250,000. If a project includes a rental arrangement, your lawyer should review it.
Eligible family members — typically a spouse or registered partner, children under 21, and the parents of the couple — can be included. Your lawyer will confirm this for your family.
There is no minimum stay requirement to keep an investor residence permit. Note that the permit itself does not give the right to work in Greece.
Selling the property while the permit is valid ends the permit. A future buyer cannot use the €250,000 route for the same property again, which may affect resale demand.
No. We guide you through the market and the projects. For legal, immigration and tax questions we recommend your own independent Greek lawyer and tax advisor.
Next step
Talk it through with Paschalis: the rules, the timing, and which projects fit you — no pressure, no fee.
WhatsApp +30 690 884 7300 · Email paschalisfilios@gmail.com