According to the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, in January 2026, investors submitted 398 applications for an initial residence permit. This is 63.5% less than in January 2025, when 1,167 applications were registered. The drop is due to an increase in the minimum investment threshold: it now stands at 800,000 euros in Attica, Thessaloniki and the major islands, and 400,000 euros in the rest of the country.
By the end of 2025, the total number of new applications was 7,031, which is 25% lower than in 2024 (9,414 applications). The slowdown in investor activity has also affected the real estate market: according to the Bank of Greece, the inflow of foreign funds in the first nine months of 2025 decreased by 24%, to 1.46 billion euros.
At the same time, the number of approved applications in 2025 increased by 101%, reaching 9479. This is due to the fact that the authorities have stepped up work with accumulated applications for previous periods.
A total of 28,589 residence permits have been issued or extended since the program was launched in 2014. Chinese citizens remain the largest group of investors.
The Greek real estate market in 2025: "Golden Visa", rent, investor boom
Source: Ekathimerini
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