Signs of significant “resilience” amid the turbulence caused in recent months by restrictions on short-term rentals and the Golden Visa program are evident in foreign investment activity. Specifically, although one might have expected a sharper decline, during the second quarter of this year—based on data from the Bank of Greece regarding capital inflows from abroad for property purchases—total inflows reached €581.5 million. This amount is only 6.5% lower than the corresponding period last year (€622 million).
Thus, in the first half of the year, the Greek real estate market attracted a total of €938.3 million, a figure 17.6% lower than last year’s €1.14 billion. In this way, the steep drop recorded in the first quarter of 2025 was significantly moderated. Specifically, in the first three months of the year, foreign capital inflows had shown an annual decrease of 31.4%, amounting to €356.8 million compared to €520 million in the same period of 2024.
Given these data, the performance of the second quarter is considered noteworthy, especially since the minimum investment threshold for obtaining a residence permit through the Golden Visa program has now risen to €800,000 for the entire region of Attica, the municipality of Thessaloniki, and all major islands with a permanent population of at least 3,100 residents. Additionally, since early March, the final deadline for submitting residency applications under the previous, lower investment thresholds has passed—further highlighting the significance of second-quarter figures.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Migration Policy, in the first seven months of this year (January–July), applications for residence permits through the Golden Visa program reached 5,011, compared with 4,734 in the same period last year. This increase is primarily due to the strong rise in applications during the first two months of the year, when 2,076 applications were submitted, compared with 1,331 in January–February 2024—an effect of the final deadline granted to investors seeking to complete property purchases under the old investment rules. Specifically, those who had signed pre-contracts or private agreements for property purchases by 31 August 2024 were allowed to submit residence permit applications until the end of February this year, provided they concluded the final purchase contracts in the meantime.
However, from April onward, application numbers have begun to return to lower levels. For example, in July, 23.3% fewer applications were submitted compared with July 2024.
It is worth recalling that foreign investment in Greek real estate has surged in recent years and—excluding the pandemic year of 2020—has consistently exceeded €1 billion annually, peaking in 2024 at €2.75 billion. The boom in short-term rentals, Greece’s exit from the bailout programs, and comparatively low property prices relative to countries that did not experience a similar crisis over the past decade have made the Greek real estate market one of the most attractive destinations for foreign buyers. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with demand focusing on holiday homes, investment properties, and luxury villas.