Greece

Golden Visa Program

Greece, whose official name is the Greek Republic, is one of the origins of the Mediterranean civilization and the cradle of the Western civilization.  The population of Greece is approximately 11 million and its capital city is Athens.  The temperature range is 6 – 13 degrees Celsius in Fall and 23 – 33 degrees Celsius in the Summer. 

The time zone of Greece is 6 hours behind Hong Kong and the flight time from Hong Kong to Athens is around 15 hours.  The Greek education system is similar to the American system and schools are divided into public and private schools, tuition fees in private schools are approximately 1/3 of the fees in countries such as Britain and the United States.  

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, Greece’s investment in the medical system sector accounts for 9.8% of its GDP.  With superb medical technology and high-end medical equipment, Greece’s sound medical system ranks 14th in the global ranking.

Requirements:

  • Be a non-EU/EEA country citizen;
  • Be at least 18 years old;
  • Have a clean criminal record;
  • Have medical insurance for yourself and your family;
  • Be of good character

Categories of investment and conditions for the investment activity:

  1. A capital contribution with a minimum value of EUR 400,000 to a company head- quartered or established in Greece, except for Holding Companies and Real Estate Investment Companies, for the acquisition of stock in a capital stock increase or bonds upon the issuance of a bond loan, which are listed for trading in regulated markets or multilateral trading facilities operating in Greece.
  2. A capital contribution with a minimum value of EUR 400,000 to a Real Estate Investment Company (REIC) under article 21 of Law 2778/1999 (OJHR A-295), whose object is to invest exclusively in Greece, for the acquisition of stock in an increase of its capital stock.
  3. A capital contribution with a minimum value of EUR 400,000 to a Venture Capital Company (Article 5 of Law 2367/1995) for the acquisition of stock, or capital contribution to a Venture Capital Fund (VCF) under article 7 of Law 2992/2002 (OJHR A-54) for the acquisition of shares, provided that the object of the said Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) is to invest exclusively in companies headquartered or established in Greece.
  4. Purchase of Greek Treasury bonds, with an acquisition value of at least four hundred thousand EUR 400,000 and a residual duration, at the time of purchase, of at least three years, through a credit institution established in Greece, which is also their custodian.
  5. Term deposit of at least EUR 400,000, in a domestic credit institution, for at least one year, with a standing renewal order.
  6. Purchase of shares or corporate bonds with a minimum acquisition value of EUR 800,000, which are admitted for trading or are traded on regulated markets or multilateral trading mechanisms, operating in Greece.
  7. Purchase of units with a minimum value of EUR 400,000 of a mutual fund incorporated in Greece or another country and with the intention to invest exclusively in shares, corporate bonds, and/or Greek government bonds that are admitted for trading or are traded on regulated markets or multilateral trading mechanisms, operating in Greece.
  8. Purchase of units or shares with a minimum purchase value of EUR 400,000 of an alternative investment fund established in Greece or another country of the EU, which intends to exclusively invest in immovable property in Greece.

Advantages:

  • Speedy application;
  • Low investment requirement;
  • Unlimited perpetual extension of the residence permit;
  • No physical residence requirement in Greece;
  • Can include extensive family members as dependents: spouse; children under 18 years of age or unmarried children up to 21 years of age who are financially dependent on their parents; parent(s) of the main applicant and spouse who are financially dependent on the main applicant;
  • Applicant and dependents can live, work and study in Greece;
  • Dual citizenship is allowed;
  • Visa free travel to all Schengen member states;
  • Once Greece citizenship status is granted, the Greek passport holder can enjoy the freedom of movement and establishment within the European Union and are entitled to the same rights and benefits in all EU states as a local citizen (education, employment, medical benefits, social security, etc.);
  • Greece passport holders enjoy 184 countries visa free travel worldwide.