Can You Buy Off-Plan for the Greek Golden Visa?

For the €250,000 conversion route, the change of use must be legally completed before the application is filed, so a project that is still being converted cannot be the basis of a filing until the work is done (IBA, September 2026). For the €800,000 and €400,000 levels we found no official text on off-plan purchases, and the sources we read disagree. Treat any promise that the permit can be issued while the building is unfinished as something to confirm in writing.

What is clear

• Conversion route (€250,000). The change of use from non-residential to residential must be legally completed before filing, must occur after 5 April 2024, and is proved by the prescribed engineer's certificate. A property that is merely capable of conversion does not qualify (IBA). In practice this means you can reserve and pay during the works under a contract, but the application waits for the finished conversion and its certificate.
• Listed buildings (€250,000). The restoration must be completed before the first renewal after five years, and the property cannot be sold before then. See the €250,000 route explained.
• Area. For a built property or one with a building permit, the main areas must be at least 120 m² on the €800,000 and €400,000 levels: thresholds and the 120 m² rule.

What sources disagree on

Question	What we found
Can the permit be issued before completion on the standard levels?	Some agency and lawyer pages say a notarised preliminary contract with the full price meeting the threshold is enough. Another guide says the permit is typically issued only after completion and transfer of title.
What contract is required?	Pages mention a valid contract for at least the threshold amount; none quotes the official list.
Does it differ by tier?	Several pages mix the old €250,000 framework with the new levels, so their statements may not apply.

None of these is an official publication, and several describe the rules before 2024. We could not confirm any of them from the law's text.

What to do before paying a deposit

1. Ask which route the project uses and, for a conversion, whether the change of use is already completed and certified, or when it will be.
2. Ask your lawyer to confirm in writing, from the competent office, whether your file can be filed at the stage the building is in.
3. Read the preliminary contract for the completion date, what happens if it is missed, and how your payments are protected; check the documents.
4. Plan for waiting. If the application can only be filed after completion, the clock of processing time starts later than you may assume.
5. Check the developer's record of delivering on time in the developers ranking; the completion date shown there is what the developer gives in its price list.

Sources: IBA, "The Greek Golden Visa after the 2024–2026 overhaul" (September 2026); agency guides and lawyer Q&A pages as described. Informational, not legal advice.