Residence Permit Lawyer
We guide you through every step of your legal residence in Greece, from the first residence permit and its renewal to challenging a rejection decision.
Our firm specialises in matters relating to residence permits of all types and categories and the Golden Visa programme (permanent residence permit for investors). We handle cases of employment visa applications from the stage of the preparation of the folder by the employer until the final issuance of the employee's residence permit. We handle applications for the issuance – renewal of residence permits, appeals against rejection decisions, applications for annulment of decisions of the Administration and for interim judicial protection, and appeals against the administrative detention of detainees.
To discuss your residence permit case with a lawyer, contact us.
In depth: residence permits, Golden Visa, rejection decisions
Residence Permits
- Employment visa invitation: preparing the file, drafting and issuing the documents required for the approval of employment of a worker from abroad and for the grant of the entry visa by the competent consulate
- Grant: initial application and supporting-document file, depending on the permit category (employment, financially independent persons, studies, family reunification, etc.)
- Renewal: timely filing of the renewal application before expiry, with updated supporting documents
- Category change: moving to a different permit category when the holder's circumstances change (e.g. from student to employment)
- Special categories: permits for humanitarian reasons, parents of minor Greek citizens, and other special cases provided for by the Immigration Code
Golden Visa
- Requirements: investment in real estate, with no minimum-stay requirement in Greece — covers the spouse and minor children too
- Investment: minimum amounts differ by region and are adjusted by law — currently, €800,000 in high-demand areas (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands with a population over 3,100) and €400,000 in all other areas, with a reduced threshold of €250,000 for converting a commercial property to residential use or restoring a listed building. Exact amounts are confirmed before purchase.
- Procedure: from the legal review of the property and signing the contract, to filing the application and issuing the investor residence permit
Rejection decisions
- Remedial application: a request to the same administrative authority that issued the rejection decision, asking it to revoke or amend that decision
- Annulment application: legal action before the competent administrative court seeking the annulment of the Administration's rejection decision
- Interim judicial protection: an application for suspension of enforcement and, where needed, a request for an interim order, to prevent an immediate adverse consequence pending the final decision
See our other practice areas too
We also handle cases concerning Greek citizenship, real estate, criminal law and family law.