The Greece startup golden visa (often described as a startup-focused residence-by-investment route) links residency to investing €250,000 into a Greek startup listed in the National Startup Registry (Elevate Greece).
For high-net-worth investors, the appeal is clear: it’s a capital deployment strategy into Greece’s innovation economy, with residency as the mobility layer—subject to strict ownership, job-creation, and holding rules.
What it is (in business terms)
Core requirement
- Minimum €250,000 investment into shares/equity of a qualifying Greek startup registered on Elevate Greece.
Qualifying investment forms
- Share acquisition via capital increase, or
- Acquisition of company bonds during issuance of a bond loan (where applicable).
Permit duration (operational reality)
- Initial 1-year permit, renewable in 2-year periods as long as conditions are maintained.
This is commonly explained as a “five-year pathway” when renewals are successfully maintained.
The non-negotiables (what drives approval and renewal)
1) Ownership cap
- Investor may not exceed 33% of the company’s shares or voting rights.
2) Job creation KPI
- The startup must create at least 2 new jobs within the first year and maintain employment levels for 5 years.
Failing the job KPI can jeopardize renewal.
3) Holding requirement
- The investor must generally retain the shares for at least 5 years (with reinvestment options under conditions if a sale occurs).
4) “Eligible startup” is defined by the registry
Elevate Greece confirms the National Startup Registry is the official record of Greek startups and functions as the platform investors reference for eligibility.
Why HNWIs are watching this route
- Capital + mobility alignment: deploy €250,000 into growth assets while securing residency optionality.
- Policy narrative shift: Greece is signaling “productive investment” (jobs and innovation), not purely passive inflows.
- Portfolio logic: pairs well with a broader mobility stack (EU residency + non-EU operating base), rather than relying on a single jurisdiction.
How Globalia (partner of Globevisa Group) helps you secure Greece startup golden visa
Globalia supports high-net-worth investors with an execution model focused on approval probability + renewal durability:
- Investor fit assessment: confirm your profile fits the startup route’s constraints (ownership cap, non-operator posture, documentation posture).
- Startup screening support: evaluate Elevate Greece-listed targets for governance, cap table stability, and hiring feasibility.
- Compliance packaging: source-of-wealth narrative, bank-ready funds trail, and renewal-proof documentation.
- End-to-end case management: timeline, filings, and renewal planning aligned to job-creation and holding requirements.