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Home / Compare programmes / Greece Golden Visa vs Cyprus Permanent Residency

Head to head · 2026 Q3 Edition

Greece Golden Visa vs Cyprus Permanent Residency (2026)

Greece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency, compared metric by metric on the Mirabello verified programme dataset, with the source and verification date on every row.

2026 Q3 Edition · updated 2026-07-03 Figures verified against official sources · provenance-tracked · information, not advice Data via our MCP

For applicants weighing published tax positioning, Cyprus Permanent Residency currently has the stronger position on this metric (verified 2026-03-20). For families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route, Greece Golden Visa scores higher on the published citizenship pathway. Both remain operational programmes with distinct published trade-offs, compared row by row below.

Rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice; there is no universal winner.

Discuss these two with Vito Magagnino

Key outcomes

What are the decisive differences?

In practice, Cyprus Permanent Residency tends to be examined first by applicants weighing published tax positioning, while Greece Golden Visa draws families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route. The rows below show where each leads on the published data.

 🇬🇷Greece Golden Visa🇨🇾Cyprus Permanent Residency
Minimum qualifying route€250,000Leads on this metric
src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28
€300,000
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Typical processing3-9 monthsLeads on this metric
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-03-20
4-6 months
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Outcome documentResidence permitResidence permit
Visa-free mobilitySchengen Area, visa-free travel across 27 European countries
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28
EU member state. Visa-free travel within EU
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Family inclusionspouse; unmarried children up to 21 (renewable to 24 if students); parents of both spouses (no upper age limit, no dependency proof)
value on the programme page
spouse; children under 18; unmarried dependent children 18-25 in full-time education. PARENTS/IN-LAWS NOT eligible (unlike Greece).
value on the programme page
Mirabello Index signal70.8 / 100 · rank 18 of 49Leads on this metric70.3 / 100 · rank 20 of 49

Family cost comparison

What does each cost for your family?

The published minimums for both programmes are shown below, each verified against the linked official source. Rules-based and illustrative; a specialist confirms the exact total for your file.

Verified per-fee schedules for these two programmes are not yet in the Mirabello fee master, so the published minimums are shown instead of a computed family total. No figure on this page is estimated or invented.

🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa

Published minimum: €250,000 (Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k))

src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28

Family terms (published): spouse; unmarried children up to 21 (renewable to 24 if students); parents of both spouses (no upper age limit, no dependency proof). verified 2026-06-06

A verified per-fee schedule for this programme is not yet in the Mirabello fee master, so no family total is computed here. Detailed family calculation available on the programme page.

🇨🇾 Cyprus Permanent Residency

Published minimum: €300,000 (Real-estate investment)

src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20

Family terms (published): spouse; children under 18; unmarried dependent children 18-25 in full-time education. PARENTS/IN-LAWS NOT eligible (unlike Greece).. verified 2026-06-06

A verified per-fee schedule for this programme is not yet in the Mirabello fee master, so no family total is computed here. Detailed family calculation available on the programme page.

Every comparable metric

How do Greece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency compare, row by row?

Each row carries its own source and verification date, so any figure can be checked against the official source it came from. Ties carry no marker; a marker reads "leads on this metric", nothing more, because a metric lead is not a recommendation.

Metric🇬🇷Greece Golden Visa🇨🇾Cyprus Permanent Residency
Programme type #Residency by investmentResidency by investment
Outcome document #Residence permitResidence permit
Minimum investment #€250,000
Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k)Leads on this metric
src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28
€300,000
Real-estate investment
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Investment routes #4 published routes
src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28
4 published routes
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Typical processing time #3-9 monthsLeads on this metric
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-03-20
4-6 months
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Visa-free mobility #Schengen Area, visa-free travel across 27 European countries
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28
EU member state. Visa-free travel within EU
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Minimum stay requirement #None
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28
Must visit Cyprus at l
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Family inclusion #spouse; unmarried children up to 21 (renewable to 24 if students); parents of both spouses (no upper age limit, no dependency proof)
value on the programme page
spouse; children under 18; unmarried dependent children 18-25 in full-time education. PARENTS/IN-LAWS NOT eligible (unlike Greece).
value on the programme page
Path to citizenship #7 years of actual residence in Greece (must spend majority of time in Greece, pass language exam, demonstrate integration)
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-03-20
8 years of legal residence in Cyprus. Must be physically present for the majority of those 8 years. Must pass basic Greek language exam (A2 level). Cypriot passport of...
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Government fees #Published schedule on the programme page
src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28
Published schedule on the programme page
src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20
Mirabello Index composite #70.8 / 100 · rank 18 of 49Leads on this metric
from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition
70.3 / 100 · rank 20 of 49
from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition

Read the full Greece Golden Visa guide  ·  Read the full Cyprus Permanent Residency guide

Process, side by side

What does the application process look like?

🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa

  1. Property search and selection (2-8 weeks)
  2. Legal due diligence and purchase agreement (2-4 weeks)
  3. Property acquisition and notarisation (1-2 weeks)
  4. Apply for Greek tax number (AFM) and open bank account
  5. Submit Golden Visa application to migration authority with all documentation
  6. Biometrics appointment at local immigration office
  7. Application review and background checks (8-16 weeks)
  8. Residence permit card issuance
  9. Permit renewal every 5 years (property must be retained)

🇨🇾 Cyprus Permanent Residency

  1. Select and reserve qualifying property or investment (2-4 weeks)
  2. Sign purchase agreement and make deposit / complete investment (1-2 weeks)
  3. Gather documentation: criminal record certificates, proof of income, health insurance, marriage/birth certificates (2-4 weeks)
  4. Submit application to the Civil Registry and Migration Department
  5. Due diligence and background checks by Ministry of Interior (8-16 weeks)
  6. Decision issued (approval or rejection)
  7. Biometrics collection and residence card issuance (2-4 weeks)
  8. Registration address in Cyprus confirmed

Stages and durations are indicative, from published guidance and Mirabello casework; individual files vary.

Risk and change

Has anything changed recently?

2026-07-01Greece Golden Visa · Permit validity and residence cards (Law 5275/2026, in force 6 February 2026)

Permit validity runs from the date of residence-card issuance; digital residence cards introduced. Investment tiers unchanged (EUR 800,000 / EUR 400,000 / EUR 250,000 by zone and route)

source: Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum (official)
Why figures may change. Investment-migration rules and pricing are set by governments and change with notice periods that vary from months to days. Our research desk verifies changes against official sources and records them in the public observatory change log; always verify time-sensitive figures against the linked official source before acting.

Methodology and integrity

How we compare these programmes

Each programme is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions, combined into a weighted composite. Where a dimension has no verified data it is excluded and the remaining weights are re-normalized (see data_completeness). The full weights, dimension definitions and official-source hierarchy are published on the Index methodology page. This comparison is rules-based: it reports where each programme leads on published criteria, and it does not recommend one programme over the other, because there is no universal winner.

Reviewed by Vito Magagnino, Chief Executive Officer, Mirabello Consultancy Last updated 2026-07-03 2026 Q3 Edition Corrections policy: mail@mirabelloconsultancy.com

Generated from the Mirabello verified programme dataset, 2026 Q3 Edition.

Query this data live, for AI agents and developers:Mirabello MCP·REST API·JSON·CSV

Questions

Frequently asked

Which is faster, Greece Golden Visa or Cyprus Permanent Residency?

On published processing times, Greece Golden Visa currently lists the shorter indicative timeline (3-9 months for Greece Golden Visa vs 4-6 months for Cyprus Permanent Residency). Individual files vary with due diligence and documentation; verify against the linked official source.

Which costs less for a family of four, Greece Golden Visa or Cyprus Permanent Residency?

Published minimums are €250,000 for Greece Golden Visa and €300,000 for Cyprus Permanent Residency. Government fees per dependant differ by programme; the itemised family schedules are on the programme pages, and a specialist confirms the full government-side total for your family.

Do Greece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency lead to citizenship or residency?

Greece Golden Visa leads to a residence permit: 7 years of actual residence in Greece (must spend majority of time in Greece, pass language exam, demonstrate integration) Cyprus Permanent Residency leads to a residence permit: 8 years of legal residence in Cyprus. Must be physically present for the majority of those 8 years. Must pass basic Greek language exam (A2 level). Cypriot passport of...

Which offers wider visa-free travel, Greece Golden Visa or Cyprus Permanent Residency?

Greece Golden Visa: Schengen Area, visa-free travel across 27 European countries. Cyprus Permanent Residency: EU member state. Visa-free travel within EU. Travel rights differ in kind between citizenship and residency outcomes; the comparison table above sets out both.

Can these figures change?

Yes. Governments amend investment thresholds, fees and rules; verified changes affecting either programme are recorded in the public Mirabello observatory change log, and every figure on this page carries a verification date. This page is a rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, and there is no universal winner.

Which of the two fits your file?

A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a Mirabello specialist, in your language. We map Greece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency to your budget, family and goals, on the verified figures.

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Mirabello Consultancy provides information and advisory services on investment-migration programmes. Figures on this page are indicative, verified against official sources and provenance-tracked; they are informational only, not an eligibility determination and not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Programme terms change; confirm the detail with a specialist and seek independent advice where appropriate.

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