Where to live and travel with a Greek residence permit in 2025: current rules and opportunities

The Greek investor residence permit, known as the golden visa, provides its holder with enhanced opportunities to travel around Europe. First of all, this is visa—free access to the countries of the Schengen Agreement. As of 2025, their number has reached 29. The list includes countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands and others. The full list includes both major tourist destinations and less obvious locations like Liechtenstein or Slovenia.

In addition to the countries of the Schengen area, holders of a Greek residence permit can also visit a number of European countries that are not part of the agreement. Among them are Cyprus, Andorra, Albania and Gibraltar. These areas are especially popular among investors due to the mild climate and favorable tax regime.

It is important to remember: with a Greek residence permit, it is allowed to stay in the Schengen countries and other mentioned states for no more than 90 days during each 180-day period. At the same time, a visit to Cyprus, for example, does not "eat up" the days intended for staying in the Schengen area.

As for accommodation, you can only stay in Greece for more than 90 consecutive days. For those who plan to stay in the country for more than six months, it is worthwhile to familiarize themselves with the tax legislation in advance, as it is possible to change the tax residence.

The validity period of the golden visa is 5 years, with the possibility of extension if the investment remains owned by the investor.

Since November 2021, the extension procedure has been transferred to an online format and is carried out through the official website of the Ministry of Migration of Greece.