The €250,000 Greek Golden Visa Route: Conversion Rules and What to Check

The €250,000 level is for a property whose main areas were legally converted from non-residential to residential use after 5 April 2024, and for the restoration of a listed building. The conversion must be completed before the application is filed, and it is proved with the prescribed engineer's certificate (IBA, September 2026). This is now the route most new applicants use (IMI Daily, 27 August 2026), which makes the paperwork of each project the thing to check.

What qualifies as a conversion

• Change of use. The main areas of the property move from a non-residential to a residential use. There is no 120 m² minimum on this route.
• Dates. The change of use must be legally completed before filing and must occur after 5 April 2024.
• Proof. It is evidenced by the engineer's certificate prescribed by the rules.
• Not enough. A property that is merely capable of being converted does not qualify.
• Other non-residential uses. The category also covers other non-residential uses, including professional and industrial, subject to the statutory conditions. For industrial property there must have been no industrial activity during the relevant five-year period.
• Company seat. The property cannot be used as a company's registered seat or branch.

Listed buildings

A restoration or reconstruction of a listed building also qualifies at €250,000, with no minimum surface. The full restoration must be finished before the first renewal after five years, and the property cannot be sold before then; a transfer in breach is void. If the restoration is not done, the permit is revoked and a €150,000 fine applies (IBA).

The ban on short-term letting

Properties acquired for the grant or renewal of the permit may not be let short-term under the sharing-economy rules, nor sublet. A breach can lead to revocation and a €50,000 fine. Long-term leasing is allowed and is not mandatory. See renting out your property.

Why so many buyers choose it

According to IMI Daily, new applications fell 39% to 3,086 in the first seven months of 2026, and most of them now come through this route. More figures: the Golden Visa in numbers.

What to check before you reserve a unit

1. The engineer's certificate for the change of use, for the exact unit, dated before you file.
2. The date of the change of use: after 5 April 2024.
3. Building permits and the cadastre record that show the residential use, and that the project is finished or when it will be (a conversion that is still under way cannot be the basis of a filing: off-plan purchases).
4. The title and a certificate that there are no encumbrances.
5. The payment trail: the funds move from your account to the seller's Greek account; see loans and mortgages.
6. That the unit will not be a company seat, and that you accept the short-term letting ban.
7. A unit-specific legal and technical review by an independent Greek lawyer and engineer, not only the seller's documents.
8. The developer's track record: compare completed projects and delivery dates in our developers ranking and in the list of projects.

The full cost

On top of €250,000 there are the acquisition tax, the lawyer, the notary and the land registry, and the state fees for the permit and family members. Work it out in the property purchase calculator and the residence permit calculator.

Sources: IBA, "The Greek Golden Visa after the 2024–2026 overhaul" (September 2026); IMI Daily (27 August 2026). Informational, not legal advice; the competent office decides each file.