The Greek Golden Visa for Turkish Investors
A renewable Schengen residence permit, close to home, with family included — resting on a property that genuinely qualifies. We confirm the real threshold before you commit, and tell you plainly when a marketed €250,000 property does not meet the law.
Independent legal counsel, in English. We act for you — not the seller — and take no commission on the sale.
Why Turkish investors choose Greece
Proximity to Turkey, an established Turkish community, a mature property market, and a Schengen residence permit that does not require minimum physical presence for renewal. For investors seeking lawful asset diversification and Schengen travel rights, the Greek investor residence permit is among the most accessible routes in Europe.
But the legal framework has changed significantly since 2023, and properties widely marketed at the €250,000 threshold often do not qualify under current law. Independent legal review before any commitment is not optional — it is the correct starting point.
To date, we have filed Golden Visa and residence applications for hundreds of families, with no rejections. We protect that record the only way it can be protected — by carefully preparing the matters we accept, declining those we cannot stand behind, and telling clients the truth about a property before they commit. That is a record, not a promise: every application is decided by the Greek authorities on its own facts, and no lawyer can guarantee an outcome.
The threshold structure, told honestly
There are three thresholds. The first two are straightforward. The third — €250,000 — is the one most often misrepresented in marketing, so we set it out precisely.
The specified areas
Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population of more than 3,100 residents.
Other regions
All other regions of Greece.
Qualifying cases only
Only change-of-use conversions and listed-building restorations, under strict statutory conditions, usable once per property. Not a general "cheap Athens" route.
In both the €800,000 and the €400,000 categories the investment must be made in a single property of at least 120 m², held in full ownership. Surface is a condition in its own right, independent of price: a smaller property does not qualify at either threshold whatever it costs, so an 85 m² flat in Athens bought for €900,000 will not support an application. The figure that counts is the one in the title deed and the building permit, not the one in the listing. The €250,000 categories carry their own separate conditions, and we confirm in writing which apply to your property before you commit. Check a specific property against both conditions — it runs in your browser and nothing is sent to us.
Most €250,000 properties do not qualify
A change-of-use conversion must have been a genuinely non-residential property (commercial, office, industrial) converted to residential, with the conversion completed or permitted after 5 April 2024, certified by an accredited engineer — and the benefit can be used only once per property. A listed-building case must involve a formally protected building requiring full restoration.
If a previous buyer already used the €250,000 route on a property, it reverts to the standard threshold for the next buyer. Marketing materials describing a property as "250K eligible" are not a legal opinion. We verify it against the title, the permits, the engineer certification and the prior-use history before you commit a euro.
The risks Turkish investors encounter
These recur in the files that reach us. Each is discoverable in advance — which is the entire point of an independent review.
Wrong-threshold marketing
A property presented as €250,000-eligible that, in law, requires €400,000 or €800,000 — leaving the application short and the permit refused.
Seller-side "legal advice"
Relying on a lawyer recommended by, and paid through, the seller or agent. Independent representation, with no sale commission, is the safeguard.
Undisclosed encumbrances
Mortgages, liens or seizures registered against the property that would pass to or obstruct the buyer.
Source of funds & payment
Funds transferred from Turkey should be documented as to lawful origin, and the price paid bank-to-bank; cash payment can invalidate the application. We address the Greek-side requirements only.
The process, with family included
Many steps may be managed through a notarised Power of Attorney, subject to acceptance by the competent notary, authority, bank or registry. The biometric appointment for the residence permit requires physical presence in Greece. Where the file is lodged complete, each applicant receives the official filing certificate (βεβαίωση κατάθεσης), which evidences lawful residence in Greece for as long as the application is under examination; it is not the residence card, and it does not by itself confer a right to travel in the other Schengen states. There is no statutory deadline for deciding a Golden Visa application. Law 5275/2026 introduced a 90-day decision period when it transposed EU Directive 2024/1233, and it is widely quoted as a Golden Visa improvement — but article 81 par. 2(ιγ) of the Migration Code, as replaced by that same law, expressly excludes holders of residence permits for investment purposes under articles 96 to 100 from the procedure that deadline belongs to. Plan around the certificate rather than a calendar. We will tell you at the outset what we are seeing on files comparable to yours — our experience to date, not a forecast of your file.
Legal Risk Check
We verify the genuine threshold for the specific property and confirm it qualifies, before any commitment.
Power of Attorney & AFM
PoA executed in Turkey with Apostille; Greek tax number and bank account arranged so funds transfer bank-to-bank.
Acquisition
Due diligence completed, notarial deed signed, and the acquisition registered.
Permit & family
The Golden Visa application is filed, family members included where eligible, with one visit to Greece for biometrics.
Who will read what you send
Not an account manager, and not a call centre. Every enquiry is read by one of three partners, and the one who answers you is the one who will run the matter. All are members of the Athens Bar Association and work from the same office at 12 Athanasiou Diakou Street, a few minutes from the Acropolis.
Konstantinos Touris
Managing Partner
Greek property, citizenship, immigration, inheritance and accredited mediation.
Georgia Louka
Senior Partner
Greek and international tax, the non-dom regime and family-office structuring.
Apostolos Parthenis
Partner
Property, civil litigation, corporate and commercial disputes.
You are welcome to ask for any of them by name, and to see the file they open for you. Full profiles.
Send a property for legal review
Tell us about the property you are considering for the Golden Visa. A supervising partner will review the details and respond personally, usually within one business day, to confirm the genuine threshold, scope, and the fixed fee for a written legal note.
There is no obligation, and nothing here creates a lawyer–client relationship until terms are agreed in writing. Legal services are provided in English; initial enquiries may be sent in any language.
Sensitive documents: please do not send identity documents or contracts through this form. After initial contact, we provide access to the Secure Client Portal for confidential document exchange. Documents are not exchanged by WhatsApp.
Or contact us directly
Phone: +30 210 363 6035
WhatsApp: +30 697 827 6455 (first contact and scheduling only)
Email: [email protected]
Request received.
Thank you. A supervising partner will review your details and respond personally, usually within one business day, to confirm scope and the fixed fee. For anything urgent you may also email [email protected].
Common questions from Turkish investors
What is the Greek Golden Visa, and why do Turkish investors choose it?
A renewable residence permit for non-EU nationals who make a qualifying investment, most commonly in real estate. Turkish investors value its proximity, the Schengen travel rights it confers, and that renewal does not require minimum physical presence. It is a residence permit, not citizenship, and must rest on a property that genuinely meets the applicable threshold.
What are the current investment thresholds?
€800,000 for Attica, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population of more than 3,100 residents; €400,000 for other regions; and €250,000 only in specific qualifying cases — change-of-use conversions and listed-building restorations — subject to statutory conditions and usable only once per property. The applicable threshold must be verified for each specific property.
Why do most properties marketed at €250,000 not qualify?
The €250,000 threshold is narrow: genuine change-of-use conversions (a non-residential building lawfully converted to residential after 5 April 2024, engineer-certified) and listed-building restorations, each under strict conditions, usable once per property. Many listings advertised as 250K-eligible do not meet these conditions in law. Marketing is not a legal opinion; eligibility must be confirmed by an independent lawyer.
Can family members be included?
The Golden Visa generally allows the inclusion of family members, such as a spouse and dependent children, and certain dependent parents, subject to the statutory conditions in force at the time of application. The exact composition should be confirmed for each family before applying.
Does the Golden Visa lead to Greek or EU citizenship?
No. The Golden Visa is a residence permit and does not by itself grant citizenship. Greek citizenship is a separate legal process; naturalisation requires separate statutory conditions, including actual residence over a number of years. Greece does not offer citizenship by investment.
Counsel written for other jurisdictions
Greek law is the same for everyone. What differs is the route the money and the documents take to get here — and how long each one takes. If you hold a different passport, or a family member does, these pages are written for them.