At the end of 2024, Greece significantly increased the investment thresholds in the Golden Visa program. In Athens, Thessaloniki and islands with a population exceeding 3,100, the standard threshold is now 800,000 Euros. However, there is a critical exception here that most people overlook:
Resident projects are excluded from this rule.
When you purchase a commercially licensed property (former office, warehouse, workshop) and convert it to residential use or restore a registered historic building, Even in the very center of Athens, the investment threshold remains constant at 250,000 Euros.
What does this mean? When you buy a commercial property suitable for transformation in the popular districts of Athens such as Koukaki, Pangrati or Eksarchia and convert it into a residence, you are making a budget-friendly investment and also have the right to a golden visa. You are winning. Moreover, after these types of properties are restored, they become extremely attractive for short-term rental (Airbnb).
Working with a consultancy firm to determine the right property, manage the title deed process and conversion permits takes approximately 3-4 months. It continues. At the end of the process, you will have both a title deed property and a 5-year renewable EU residence permit for your entire family.
Families with a Golden Visa residence permit have the right to fully benefit from all educational opportunities in Greece. Both public school and private school are completely options.
Public Schools: Completely free
12 years of education are free in public schools in Greece. Including kindergarten, primary school, middle school and high school. Since the language of education is Greek, children need time for language adaptation in the first year; However, Greek is a language that is not structurally similar to Turkish, but is relatively quick to learn. Public schools are a strong option if the family does not want to move to Greece completely.
International and Private Schools: Both Quality and Affordable
Many Turkish families want their children to receive education in English and to be able to apply to European or American universities in the future. Greece also responds to this need.
International schools in Greece vary from 7,000 to 13,000 Euros per school year, depending on the educational environment and school policy. It provides services at nominal fees. There are approximately 13 international schools in Athens; Most universities offer the IB (International Baccalaureate) or English curriculum. Graduates of these schools experience a distinct advantage in applying for admission to leading universities in Europe and the USA.
When international school fees in Greece are compared to similar schools in Turkey, the table is as follows:
The average price of private and international schools in Athens is around 14,000 Euros per year. This figure corresponds to approximately 560,000 600,000 TL at today’s exchange rate.
In Turkey, the picture is different: In some private schools in Istanbul, 1st grade new registration fees reach up to 960 thousand TL. While Robert College sets the highest price with 1,728,900 TL, most of the famous foreign high schools are in the range of 800,000 to 1,500,000 TL. Moreover, these wages increase every year at the rate of inflation.
In short: For less money than what you pay per year for a middle-to-upper segment private school in Turkey, you can go to an international, English-speaking school in Athens. You can send your child. And with a fixed fee in Euro, without worrying about exchange rate fluctuations.
One of the biggest advantages of Golden Visa is exactly this: You do not have to live in Greece to maintain a residence permit. As long as your license remains active, your permit can be renewed every 5 years.
Thanks to this arrangement, many Turkish families follow the following model: While the children study at an international school in Athens, one or both parents work in Turkey. We meet on weekends or holidays. While the property is the house where children live during their school years, it can also be rented for short-term rent during the summer months.
250,000 Euro transformation project opportunity is valid as long as the current legislation is not changed. In Athens, the number of properties suitable for these features is decreasing every year and prices are increasing. Real estate prices in Greece increased by 13.4 percent on an annual basis in 2024.
Securing your children’s future is both an investment and a plan. Greece Golden Visa offers both: a European property with rental income and a Schengen gateway for your family.
Contact us now to get a free consultancy appointment and to see the current property list suitable for transformation projects.
