For many global citizens, the decision to seek a second residency is driven by a single, powerful motivation: providing a better, more secure future for their family.
It’s about giving your children access to world-class education, ensuring your parents have peace of mind, and creating a safe haven where your entire family can thrive for generations to come.
While many residency programs allow for family inclusion, the Greek Golden Visa stands in a class of its own. It is one of the most generous and far-reaching programs in the world, designed with a deep understanding of the importance of family ties.
It allows a single investment to become a legacy, extending the benefits of EU residency not just to your spouse and children, but to your parents and parents-in-law as well.
This guide is designed for the family-focused investor. We will walk you through exactly who qualifies, the life-changing benefits available to each family member, and how the process works, demonstrating why the Greek Golden Visa is more than just an investment in property—it’s an investment in your family’s future.
The Three-Generation Solution: Greece’s Unique Family Advantage
The core strength of the Greek program is its unique “three-generation” approach. With a single qualifying investment, you can secure residency permits for:
- Yourself (the main applicant)
- Your Spouse or Partner
- Your Unmarried Children (up to age 21)
- Your Parents
- Your Spouse’s Parents
This is a significant advantage over many other programs that have stricter limits on dependents. It allows you to provide security and opportunity for your entire immediate family tree under one unified application.
Who Qualifies? A Detailed Breakdown of Eligible Family Members
Understanding the specific eligibility for each family member is key to a successful application.
Spouse or Partner
Your legal spouse is eligible to be included. Following Greece’s marriage equality legislation, this now includes same-sex spouses. Partners in a registered civil union may also qualify, provided the union is legally recognized in Greece.
Children: Securing Their Future
This is often the most critical area for parents. The rules are designed to support children through their education.
- Up to Age 21: All your unmarried children under the age of 21 can be included in the initial application without any further conditions.
- From Age 21 to 24: Once a child turns 21, their residence permit can continue to be renewed up until their 24th birthday, provided they remain unmarried and are enrolled as a student in a tertiary education institution (in Greece or abroad).
- After Age 24: Upon turning 24, the child is no longer considered a dependent. To maintain residency, they would need to apply for their own independent permit or become the main investor in a new Golden Visa application.
Parents and Parents-in-Law: A Gift of Gratitude
This is where the Greek program truly excels. You can include both your parents and your spouse’s parents in the application.
- No Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for including parents.
- No Dependency Requirement: Crucially, you do not need to prove that your parents are financially dependent on you. This removes a significant hurdle present in many other countries’ visa programs.
Tangible Benefits for Your Family’s Life in Greece
Securing residency is just the beginning. The Golden Visa unlocks a range of life-changing benefits for your entire family.
- Access to World-Class Education:Your children can attend high-quality Greek public schools for free or enroll in one of the many prestigious international schools offering British, American, or IB curricula. This provides a pathway to top universities across Europe and the world.
- Comprehensive Healthcare: All family members will have access to Greece’s robust public healthcare system (ESY) and are eligible for the excellent private healthcare network, ensuring peace of mind.
- A Safe and Enriching Lifestyle:Greece boasts one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, a family-centric culture, and an unparalleled quality of life, offering a safe and healthy environment for children to grow up and for parents to enjoy their retirement.
- Unrestricted Schengen Travel:The entire family will enjoy visa-free travel throughout the 26 countries of the Schengen Area, making family vacations, business trips, or visiting children studying in other EU countries seamless and spontaneous.
The Application Process for a Family
The process is designed to be unified and efficient. While each family member will receive their own individual residence permit card, the application is submitted as a single file.
- Documentation: In addition to the main applicant’s documents, you will need to provide official, apostilled, and translated certificates to prove family relationships (e.g., marriage certificate for your spouse, birth certificates for your children, your birth certificate to include your parents, and your spouse’s birth certificate to include their parents).
- Individual Requirements: Each adult applicant must have a clean criminal record. Every family member, including children, must be covered by a valid private health insurance policy for Greece.
- Biometrics Appointment: All family members included in the application must attend a biometric data collection appointment in Greece. This is typically the only time the entire family needs to be physically present during the process.
A Legacy of Opportunity
The Greece Golden Visa program is far more than a transaction. It is a powerful estate planning and legacy tool that allows you to provide the invaluable gifts of security, opportunity, and global mobility to the people you care about most. By welcoming three generations under a single investment, Greece recognizes that a family’s future is interconnected, offering a holistic solution that secures a brighter tomorrow for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Does the investment amount increase if I include more family members?
No. The minimum investment amount (€250,000, €400,000, or €800,000) remains the same whether you are applying alone or with your entire extended family. The only additional costs are the minor government fees (€150 per adult dependent) and the annual health insurance premiums for each person.
- What happens if my child gets married before they turn 21?
The program covers unmarried children. If your child marries, they are no longer considered a dependent and would not be eligible for inclusion or renewal under your permit.
- Do my parents or parents-in-law have to live with me in Greece?
No. There is no requirement for your parents to reside with you. They will receive their own residence permits and can choose to live in Greece or simply use it for visa-free travel and visits.
- Can I add a family member later, for example, if I get married after obtaining my Golden Visa?
Yes. You can add a new spouse or a newborn child to your Golden Visa through a family reunification process after your initial application has been approved.
