Greece Golden Visa Application: Step-by-Step Process 2026

A residence-permit application form being completed, the start of the Greek Golden Visa process.

A step-by-step guide to the Greece Golden Visa application in 2026: an 8-step process that runs mostly remotely through a Greek lawyer under Power of Attorney, with only biometrics needing a short visit. It covers the AFM tax number, due diligence, purchase, submission and residence cards.

Quick Answer
Reviewed by Clare Toumpaniari, Legal & Compliance Lead, mamaXO.
The Greek Golden Visa application is a sequenced 3-6 month process from application filing to card issuance. Most steps run remotely through a Greek lawyer under Power of Attorney. Only biometrics require physical presence in Greece - even a one-day visit is enough. Under Law 5275/2026, the five-year permit clock now starts from card issuance, not filing date.

The Greek Golden Visa application is not buy a property and get a card. It is a sequenced workflow that runs remotely under Power of Attorney - only biometrics require physical presence in Greece. Below are the eight steps in the order they actually happen.

Greece Golden Visa process at a glance

Step	What happens	Remote?	Main risk
1. Power of Attorney (1-2 days)	Sign POA so we can handle tax ID, banking, property, and imigration steps on your behalf	Yes	Generic POA misses required scope
2. Greek tax ID / AFM (3-5 days)	Lawyer obtains your AFM, required before any property contract or bank account	Yes	Delays here block everything downstream
3. Property selection & due diligence (2-4 weeks)	Choose €800K Zone A, €400K Zone B, or €250K special route - lawyer verifies title, cadastre, 120 m², zone	Yes	Reserving before screening clears loss of deposits
4. Purchase & notarial completion (1-2 weeks)	Bank wire, notarial deed at Greek notary, cadastre registration	Yes	Payment not routed to the seller's Greek account
5. Submit residency application (1-2 weeks)	Lawyer files application with full document pack, temporary "blue paper" / Veveosi issued	Yes	Missing documents trigger delays
6. Biometrics appointment (1 trip to Greece)	In-person fingerprints, signature, photo at Greek immigration office	No	Late booking pushes the timeline
7. Receive residency cards (3-6 months processing)	Ministry decision, 5-year residence cards issued for each applicant	Yes	Backlog can extend timeline
8. 5-year renewal support (ongoing)	Optional assistance through renewal cycle and ongoing property operation	Yes	Permit lapses if investment not maintained

Step 1: Sign the Power of Attorney

To start the process, you sign a Power of Attorney (POA) so a Greek lawyer can act on your behalf throughout the process. A properly scoped POA - covering property, banking, tax, and immigration filings - makes the entire process remote except for the biometric appointment. The POA is signed at home, apostilled, the rest of the process then runs in Greece without requiring any travel.

Step 2: Obtain your Greek tax ID (AFM)

The Greek tax number (AFM) is mandatory before any property contract, bank account, or utility connection. Your lawyer applies for it under POA on your behalf. Holding an AFM does not by itself create a tax obligation in Greece - it is simply an identifier needed for any Greek transaction. Tax residency is a separate question that depends on physical presence and centre of vital interests (see FAQ below).

Step 3: Select property and complete due diligence

The lawyer verifies title, cadastre, encumbrances, the 120 m² minimum (usable interior only - balconies and parking do not count), and the single-property rule. Civil-status documents (passports, birth and marriage certificates), health insurance covering Greek territory are prepared in parallel. Foreign documents need an apostille and certified Greek translation. Names must match across documents.

Step 4: Complete the property purchase

Bank wire, notarial deed signed at a Greek notary (lawyer signs under POA if you are remote), and cadastre registration. The receiving Greek bank's KYC is stricter than the Ministry's. Payment must flow to the seller's or developer's Greek bank account to satisfy source-of-funds and tax-audit requirements, offshore or third-party routing fails the Golden Visa process.

Prior to deed signing you also settle property transaction costs: transfer tax (3.09% of deed price, or 24% VAT for new properties, currently suspended until 31 December 2026), notary fees, cadastre fees, and legal fees. Government residency fees come at the next stage.

Signing the notarial deed at a Greek notary, where the property purchase is completed.

Step 5: Submit the Golden Visa application

The lawyer files the application with all civil-status documents, the property deed, property payment and tax payment confirmation, and government fees (€2,000 main applicant + €150 per dependant + €16 biometric per person). You receive a Temporary Residence Permit (the "blue paper" / Veveosi) valid for 1 year - it allows you to remain in Greece but does not grant Schengen travel rights.

Step 6: Attend biometrics in Greece

The only in-person step. Even a one-day visit is enough. Each applicant attends a Greek immigration office for:

Fingerprints (children under 6 are exempt)
Photography
Signature (children below age threshold may be exempt - confirmed at the appointment)

It must be done within six months of filing - a small penalty applies otherwise. Needs to be booked early as slots are scarce in busier districts.

Step 7: Receive your residence cards

The average timeline from filing to card issuance is 3-6 months, backlog cases run 12-14 months. Under Law 5275/2026, the five-year clock starts from card issuance date, not application date - meaning processing delays no longer eat into the permit period.

Card collection runs through the lawyer under POA. mamaXO collects the cards from the Greek migration office and ships them to you via DHL or FedEx - most investors never need to return to Greece for card delivery.

Step 8: 5-year renewal support

The 5-year residence card renews, provided the qualifying investment is still held. Renewal applications follow a simpler process than the initial filing. mamaXO offers optional ongoing assistance through the renewal cycle, including coordination of the renewal application, ongoing property operation (long-term rentals, maintenance), and Greek tax filings for any rental income generated.

How mamaXO supports the process

mamaXO coordinates the operator layer end-to-end: route screening, property sourcing that actually meets Golden Visa criteria, pre-commitment legal screening, transaction coordination with Greek lawyers, notaries, developers, and banks - plus card delivery via DHL/FedEx and long-term property management after purchase.

Before committing to a property, mamaXO can help you check whether the route, asset, timeline, and post-purchase operation make sense for your Golden Visa plan.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the Greece Golden Visa remotely?

Yes, except biometrics. A properly scoped Power of Attorney to a Greek lawyer covers AFM application, property purchase, document submission, application filing, and post-filing correspondence. mamaXO also collects the cards on your behalf and ships them via DHL or FedEx - the biometric appointment is the only step requiring physical presence in Greece.

How long does the application process take?

3-6 months from filing to card is the average planning assumption. Backlog cases have run 12-14 months in pockets of the system. Under Law 5275/2026, the five-year card validity starts from issuance date, so processing delays no longer eat into the permit period.

Can family members apply together?

Yes. The Greek programme uses a three-generation framework covering spouse, children under 21, and the parents of both spouses on the same investment. Each receives an individual residence card.

Why do I need a Greek tax number and does it mean I have to pay taxes in Greece?

The Greek tax number (AFM) is mandatory before any property contract, bank account, or utility connection. Holding an AFM by itself does not create a tax obligation in Greece. You only become a Greek tax resident if you spend more than 183 days per year in Greece or your centre of vital interests is in Greece. Most Golden Visa investors hold an AFM without being Greek tax residents - though they do file annual tax returns reporting any Greek-source income (such as rental income from the property).

At what point does property ownership transfer to me?

Ownership transfers when the notarial deed is signed in front of a Greek notary and then registered at the cadastre (Ktimatologio). The notary verifies the parties, reads the deed aloud, and the parties (or their POA representatives) sign. Registration at the cadastre, typically completed within a few days of signing, makes the new ownership enforceable against third parties. The reservation deposit before the deed does not transfer ownership - only the notarial deed does.

Why does the payment have to go to the seller's or developer's Greek bank account?

Greek tax law and Golden Visa rules require the full investment amount to be paid through the Greek banking system, directly to the seller's or developer's Greek bank account. This creates the auditable paper trail that the Ministry of Migration uses to verify the investment, and that the Greek tax authority uses to assess transfer tax. Payments routed through offshore accounts, third-party intermediaries, or cash will fail the proof-of-payment review and can invalidate the Golden Visa application.

When are taxes, cadastre, notary, lawyer, and government residency fees paid?

Most transaction costs are settled prior to the deed signing (Step 4): property transfer tax of 3.09% of the deed price (or 24% VAT for new properties, currently suspended until 31 December 2026), notary fees of roughly 1-2%, cadastre and registry fees of roughly 0.7%, and the lawyer's fee per their engagement (typically 1-2%). The government residency fees - €2,000 for the main applicant, €150 per dependant, and €16 biometric fee per person - are paid prior to the application submission (Step 5).

Who receives the residence cards and how do I get them?

The Greek imigration office issues physical residence cards for the main applicant and each family member individually. mamaXO collects the cards from the imigration office using the Power of Attorney and ships them via DHL or FedEx to wherever you are. Most investors never need to return to Greece to collect their cards - the biometric appointment is the only mandatory in-person step in the entire process.

About mamaXO

mamaXO is an Athens-based property and Golden Visa operator. This guide is produced by the mamaXO editorial team and reviewed by our in-house legal, tax and property specialists. We focus on accurate, source-backed and risk-honest guidance for international investors in Greek real estate. Meet the team →