Tsaks Consulting Greece

Legal, Accounting and Company formation for expats in Greece.

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GREECE-GOLDEN-VISA-GREECE-STARTUP

About the Greek Golden Visa Start Up Option

There has been an addition to the Golden Visa Program in Greece that now makes Greece a particularly attractive investment destination for foreign investors outside the EU. The Greek Government has introduced investing in a startup as an avenue for securing the Golden Visa and gaining Greek residency.

The Greek Government has a strong focus on making Greece a supportive country for investment, economic innovation and reducing and reversing the brain drain. The Golden Visa was originally focused on attracting investment in Greek property; however, now there is a focus on investment in startups, making the investment options far more wide-reaching and also providing Greek startups with an additional source of potential funding. This, coupled with different tax break initiatives on offer, makes Greece an increasingly attractive option for residency and investment.

Key dates, conditions and requirements – designed to make investing in Greece attractive

  • The startup option was introduced through legislation in December 2024, following its announcement as part of the Greek 2025 Budgetary Plan.
  • The minimum investment amount is €250,000.
  • There needs to be a minimum of two new jobs created within the first year of the investment. It’s important to know that wages in Greece are relatively low compared to other countries. Therefore, this is certainly something that may be achievable depending on the business. The increased workforce needs to be maintained for a minimum of five years.
  • The startup must be listed in the National Register of Startups (otherwise known as Elevate Greece). Elevate Greece is a Greek Government initiative that supports and maintains a register of eligible startups.
  • There is a limit of 33% in terms of capital ownership or voting rights. This is designed to protect the integrity of the program and limit control of the startups by individual investors.

The reasons why investing in a startup in Greece for the Golden Visa makes sense

  • A wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Greece has a robust startup sector with a track record of success. Through the startup option, you can gain exposure to different industries, and some investors may prefer this alternative to investing €250,000 in the real estate market. However, startup investments involve significant risks and require careful due diligence.
  • A positive impact on the Greek economy. There is a direct impact on job growth and economic growth in Greece – which is diversified and has substantial downstream economic and social benefits to the country.
  • The €250,000 entry barrier compared to investing in the Golden Visa, which has higher thresholds for properties in more popular locations, makes it attractive.

Helping overseas investors invest in Greek Startups and develop a pathway to Citizenship

Our independent partners are citizenship and migration professionals and are across these changes and ready to assist clients from overseas considering this Golden Visa option, which provides a pathway to Greek residency. Greek citizenship may be possible through a separate naturalisation process, subject to the applicable residence and eligibility requirements. In addition, our independent tax and finance partners also have the experience to assist with due diligence on investments in Greece. Our partners provide independent financial due diligence on potential investment opportunities in the startup sector and can assist you when you conduct due diligence on different startups.

Talk to us today about how our independent partners can assist with your Golden Visa application, particularly with a focus on this startup avenue (although, of course, our independent lawyer partners are experienced in the property purchase avenue as well).

Client testimonials

When you speak to one of the Tsaks Consulting partner advisors, they provide you with all the different Golden Visa options and other Greek residency options. They are also very independent and don’t work exclusively with any startup or any real estate agency. This is critical, as integrity is critical. The team can point you in the right direction to understand the different startups in Greece which you may consider investing in and what they do. This is great, especially if you go down the startup investment option and want to consider different businesses to invest in. The Tsaks Consulting team is helpful, as are all their partners. Their prices are fair and reasonable, and they provide you with the right advice and all options. They are one of the best advisors in Greece for Golden Visa and startup investment options and understand the legal, regulatory and financial landscape. They are excellent.

Zhang Zanghzi | Global Investor | China and Greece

The team at Tsaks Consulting have been excellent. Their partner lawyer provided us with the initial advice on Golden Visa options and suitable strategies to get residency and also invest in Greece. Then the team at Tsaks Consulting educated us on Elevate Greece and the different investment options in startups available. They assisted us in the initial analysis of some investments, including the regulatory and financial analysis of the startups we were looking to invest in. The good part is they have no association with any of the startups, and therefore they have complete integrity and help advise us in our best interests only. Overall, we were very happy with the support provided by the team, and they are highly professional.

P Pezeshki | Private Wealth | Iran and Greece

Important Clarification

Tsaks Consulting Greece is a business consultancy, not a law firm, accounting practice or regulated investment adviser. We provide business consultancy, administrative assistance and coordination services, working with independent lawyers, accountants, immigration specialists and appropriately authorised financial professionals.

Legal advice, regulated investment advice, financial due diligence and immigration representation are provided by independent qualified professionals. Startup investments carry financial risks, and Golden Visa eligibility, residence permit renewals and any future citizenship application are subject to the applicable legal requirements. The information provided is general in nature and does not constitute personalised legal, financial, investment or tax advice.