Laws, Regulations & Policy Golden Visa Reform in Greece Postponed Until After Elections by GTP editing team 1 July 2019 written by GTP editing team 1 July 2019 0 comments Share 0FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail 12 Ratification of a revised investor visa scheme in Greece – to have been completed on July 1 – has now been pushed back to later this year due to snap elections in the country scheduled for July 7. Earlier this year, Greek authorities said they were considering expanding the current program to include investments in shares and bonds. Currently, Greece’s investor visa program grants five-year residency rights for third country nationals who purchase, individually or through a legal entity, property in Greece valued at a minimum of 250,000 euros, or who have taken out a minimum 10-year lease in hotel, accommodation, or tourism facilities. The visa also provides instant access to the Schengen Area. Once the revised legal framework covering the visa program is passed, investors will be able to gain residency rights with investments in shares and bonds as well. The program so far has been warmly welcomed by buyers seeking to purchase properties – mostly for holiday homes or for use as short-term rentals. Topping the list of golden visa applicants are the Chinese, who were issued 645 new visas in the first five months of the year, 383 of which were granted in April and May. Since the launch of the Greek golden visa scheme in 2013, a total of 4,537 residence permits have been granted through to June 4, 2019 – almost 61 percent of these, or 2,757, have gone to Chinese nationals, followed by buyers from Russia and Turkey. Overall, according to the migration policy ministry, in 2018, a total of 1,399 golden visas were granted compared to 961 in 2017. According to the same data, of the properties purchased under the Greek golden visa scheme, 80 percent were in the Attica Region. Follow GTP Headlines on Google News to keep up to date with all the latest on tourism and travel in Greece. Share 0 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail GTP editing team This is the team byline for GTP. The copyrights for these articles are owned by GTP. They may not be redistributed without the permission of the owner. previous post Ferry Strike in Greece on July 3 next post KEPE: EU Tourists Generate Almost Half of Greece’s 10-year Revenue You may also like Greece’s Hotel Market Sees Major Investments Over Four Months 5 February 2025 Greek Tourism Ministry Monitors Santorini Situation as Seismic Activity Continues 5 February 2025 Global Air Passenger Demand Reaches Record High in 2024, IATA Reports 5 February 2025 Greek PM Reassures Public About Santorini’s Ongoing Seismic Activity 5 February 2025 Milos: Ministry Suspends 5-star Hotel Construction Near Sarakiniko Beach 5 February 2025 ELIME and HELMEPA Join Forces for Safer, More Sustainable Greek Ports 5 February 2025 Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ