New applications for residence permits under Greece’s Golden Visa program are on track to fall by roughly half this year, according to data for the first six months of 2026.
Figures from the Migration and Asylum Ministry show that 2,551 applications for new residence permits were submitted in the first half of the year, including 395 in June. That was down 44% from 4,553 applications during the same period in 2025.
At the same time, authorities issued 4,919 new permits, up 21% from 4,057 a year earlier. Many were based on applications filed in 2024 and 2025 that were still awaiting processing.
A further 7,368 applications from the previous two years remain pending. Applications surged during that period as investors rushed to buy property before changes to the program took effect, allowing them to qualify under the previous, more favorable rules.
Most new Golden Visa applications involve investments of €250,000, with fewer at the €400,000 level and very few at the €800,000 threshold that applies in Attica, Thessaloniki and major islands with permanent populations of more than 3,150.
