Greece Golden Visa property: what investors cannot do with the asset

Greece’s Golden Visa remains a property-investment route, but the residence permit does not give investors unrestricted freedom to use the acquired asset. Government housing-policy guidance states that properties acquired in full ownership and possession for the initial grant or renewal of an investor residence permit cannot be leased on a short-term basis within the sharing economy and cannot be subleased. A 2026 migration-policy circular further clarifies that the short-term-rental prohibition concerns platform-based short-term leasing and does not prevent ordinary long-term leases or professional leasing to tourism businesses.

There is an additional restriction for certain qualifying properties: assets acquired under the relevant €250,000 conversion/restoration category may not be used as the registered office or branch of a business. The circular also clarifies several technical points on the 120 m² threshold, change-of-use timing and the one-time nature of some €250,000 exceptions.

For buyers, the practical lesson is to model the intended use before purchase. A Golden Visa property may still support long-term rental, but an Airbnb-style strategy can conflict directly with the residence-permit rules. Legal and tax advice should be obtained for the exact property and investment category.