Greece Golden Visa vs Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
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
- ›Greece Golden Visa is faster: 4 months vs 6 months for Portugal Golden Visa (ARI).
- ›Faster to citizenship: Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) at ~5 years, vs 7 for Greece Golden Visa.
- ›Lower capital: Greece Golden Visa (250,000 USD) vs 500,000 for Portugal Golden Visa (ARI).
Greece Golden Visa Greece · investment | Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) Portugal · investment | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Greece | Portugal |
| Category | Investment | Investment |
| Application Fee | $2,200 | $5,400 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| Processing Time | 4 months | 6 months |
| Family Included | No additional investment required; covers spouse and dependent children up to 21, as well as parents and parents-in-law | No additional investment required for dependent family members |
| Path to PR | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 7 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Physical Presence | No minimum annual stay required to maintain the Golden Visa; 7 years of actual residence required for citizenship | Only 7 days per year in the first year, and 14 days per every subsequent 2-year 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 | Minimal physical presence means most holders do not trigger Portuguese tax residency; those who do may qualify for NHR status |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | $2,200 | $2,700 |
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 Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal's Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Investimento) grants residency through qualifying investment, with a minimal physical presence requirement of just 7 days per year. As of 2024, real estate investment is no longer eligible; qualifying routes include fund subscriptions, capital transfers, and job creation.
Full Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) 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
Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
- ⚠Real estate investment no longer qualifies as of October 2023 reform
- ⚠AIMA backlog means residence card issuance currently takes 1-2+ years
- ⚠Investment must be maintained for minimum 5 years (citizenship eligibility window)
- ⚠IFICI tax regime generally does not apply to passive investors
- ⚠Source-of-funds AML documentation is strictest among EU Golden Visas
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.