Greece Golden Visa vs Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori)
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Key Differences at a Glance
- ›Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori) is faster: 3 months vs 4 months for Greece Golden Visa.
- ›Faster to citizenship: Greece Golden Visa at ~7 years, vs 10 for Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori).
- ›Lower capital: Greece Golden Visa (250,000 USD) vs 270,000 for Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori).
Greece Golden Visa Greece · investment | Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori) Italy · investment | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Greece | Italy |
| Category | Investment | Investment |
| Application Fee | $2,200 | $130 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | $250,000 | $270,000 |
| Processing Time | 4 months | 3 months |
| Family Included | No additional investment required; covers spouse and dependent children up to 21, as well as parents and parents-in-law | Spouse and dependent children may be included as family members at no additional investment requirement |
| Path to PR | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 7 years | Yes — 10 years |
| Physical Presence | No minimum annual stay required to maintain the Golden Visa; 7 years of actual residence required for citizenship | Must reside in Italy for the duration of the visa; investment must be maintained throughout the residency period |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | No mandatory tax residency triggered by the visa; those who choose to tax-reside may benefit from Greece's non-dom lump sum tax of €100,000/year on foreign income for up to 15 years | Residency triggers Italian tax obligations; the €100,000 annual flat tax substitute on all foreign-source income is particularly advantageous for high-net-worth investors and may be combined with family members at €25,000 each per year |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | $2,200 | $130 |
About Greece Golden Visa
Greece's Golden Visa is one of Europe's most accessible investment-residency programmes. Originally a uniform €250,000 real-estate threshold, the 2024 reform raised investment minimums sharply: €800,000 in high-demand zones (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands over 3,100 inhabitants), €400,000 in other regions, with the legacy €250,000 threshold preserved only for commercial-to-residential conversions and specific listed-building restorations. Alternative routes include €500,000 in Greek capital-company shares, €500,000 in mutual funds or AIFs, or €500,000 bank deposit. The visa grants 5-year renewable residence with no minimum physical-presence requirement — making it one of the lowest-effort EU residency permits and a popular passive-investment route for non-EU HNWIs. Holders gain Schengen visa-free travel but cannot acquire Greek citizenship through this route directly; standard naturalisation requires 7 years of physical residence plus B1 Greek language. Greece levies progressive income tax to 44%, but a flat-tax regime for qualifying HNWIs taxes worldwide income at €100,000/year for up to 15 years. Property tax (ENFIA) applies annually to the underlying real-estate investment.
Full Greece Golden Visa profile →About Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori)
Italy's Investor Visa offers non-EU nationals residency through qualifying investments in Italian startups (min €250,000), existing Italian companies (min €500,000), Italian government bonds (min €2,000,000), or philanthropic donations to projects of public interest (min €1,000,000). The two-year initial visa is renewable for three-year periods as long as the investment is maintained. Combined with Italy's €100,000 annual flat tax regime on foreign income, it is one of Europe's most tax-efficient investment residency options.
Full Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori) profile →Gotchas to Watch For
Greece Golden Visa
- ⚠September 2024 reform raised thresholds significantly; Athens/Thessaloniki/Mykonos/Santorini now €800k minimum
- ⚠No physical presence required, but also no path to citizenship without 7 years actual residence
- ⚠Greek Golden Visa ≠ EU Schengen freedom; allows visa-free Schengen travel but not residence
- ⚠Property cannot be rented short-term (Airbnb) in Athens/Thessaloniki districts under some interpretations — consult lawyer
- ⚠Citizenship requires 7 years of genuine residence, B1 Greek, civic test
Italy Investor Visa (Visto per Investitori)
- ⚠€200k/yr flat tax raised from €100k for NEW applicants from August 2024 — existing beneficiaries continue at €100k
- ⚠Startup route (€250k) requires innovative start-up status (iscritta sezione speciale del registro imprese) — not every new company qualifies
- ⚠Family flat-tax addon is €25k/yr per dependent (raised from €25k but check current)
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.