A Path Toward European Citizenship from €250,000: Own a Heritage Hotel in the Heart of Athens, Exclusively with IMM Group
With an investment of €250,000 in Athena Arts House — a heritage hotel in central Athens — investors can consider owning real estate that comes with a Greece Golden Visa residence permit for three generations of the family. It is also a first step toward European citizenship, once the investor and the family meet Greece's naturalization requirements.
Updated October 2026What is the €250,000 Greece Golden Visa?
The Greece Golden Visa is a 5-year residence permit for non-EU citizens who invest in real estate in Greece. The permit is renewable every 5 years for as long as you keep the property.
The standard threshold in Athens and the wider Attica region (the capital region) is €800,000. The law keeps a €250,000 threshold for two categories of property: listed heritage buildings that require restoration, and properties converted from commercial to residential use. This threshold applies regardless of location or floor area.
The Golden Visa gives you the right to live, study and do business in Greece, and to travel within the Schengen Area. Greek citizenship is separate: the investor and family must meet their own requirements on length of residence, language and integration.
How have Europe's real estate investment routes changed?
| Country | Key change | Effective from |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Abolished its investor residence route entirely, including the real estate option | April 3, 2025 |
| Portugal | Removed the real estate purchase option from its residency-by-investment program | October 7, 2023 |
| Greece | Raised the standard threshold in Attica (including Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos and Santorini to €800,000; kept €250,000 for listed heritage buildings and change-of-use conversions | 2024 |
From residence permit to EU citizenship: what are the steps?
Eligibility assessment
We review your source of funds, your background and your family's residence goals.
Deposit and purchase contract
Pay a 10% deposit, sign the purchase agreement before a notary and register it with the land registry.
Pay the full €250,000
Transfer the funds from your personal account to the seller's account in Greece, before the application is filed.
File the residence application
File with the Greek migration authorities, receive the White Paper (the official acknowledgment slip) and provide biometrics.
Receive the 5-year permit
The whole family receives residence permits and can travel in the Schengen Area under the 90/180-day rule.
Renew every 5 years
Keep the property; a listed building must have its restoration completed before the first renewal.
Apply for Greek citizenship
After at least 7 continuous years of lawful residence, Greek at level B1 (intermediate, on the Common European Framework of Reference) and a pass in the integration exam.
Athena Arts House: a heritage hotel dating from 1912 on Omonia Square
A heritage hotel building that opened in 1912 on Omonia Square, to be restored into a 60-suite boutique hotel in the heart of Athens.
Location and connections
- 2-minute walk to Omonia metro station
- About 10 minutes to the Acropolis complex and the old town of Plaka
- About 6 minutes to the National Archaeological Museum
- A direct metro line from Omonia to the port of Piraeus
Amenities and facilities
- 60 suites, averaging 48.8 m²
- A lounge and a rooftop bar with views of the Acropolis
- A restaurant serving Mediterranean and international cuisine
- Spa, wellness area and 24/7 support
What makes Athena Arts House different?
A €250,000 threshold in the heart of Athens
Property in Attica normally falls under a threshold of €800,000; for a listed building the threshold stays at €250,000.
A listed building with documented status
Listed for preservation under a 1983 Presidential Decree, reconfirmed by the City of Athens on August 6, 2026.
A title deed in your own name
Each investor receives a defined share of the co-ownership, notarized and registered with the land registry.
An operating asset that generates rent
Your share is leased back for hotel operation; for the first 5 years the rent is fixed by contract.
One application for three generations
Your spouse, children under 21 and parents on both sides can all receive residence permits.
The Q4 2026 incentive package: €71,564 — what does it include?
For files signed between October 15, 2026 and December 31, 2026, the developer is offering IMM Group clients two forms of value: a rent payment received up front, and a package of transaction and legal fees paid on your behalf.
Rent for the first 5 years, paid in one lump sum
Equivalent to 4% a year over 5 years, calculated on the purchase price of €250,000. This amount is expected to be transferred to the investor's account 30 days after payment is completed in full.
Transaction and legal fees for a family of four
| Real estate transaction fees | €13,070 |
| Legal fees | €5,580 |
| Golden Visa application fees | €2,914 |
Applies to files signed between October 15, 2026 and December 31, 2026, under the developer's policy.
When does each part of the package reach the investor?
Sign the purchase agreement
Choose the option of receiving the first 5 years of rent up front.
Pay the full €250,000
Transaction and legal fees are paid by the developer.
About 30 days later
Receive €50,000 in rent for the first 5 years.
After the first 5 years of rent
Returns are shared according to the hotel's actual operating results.
€250,000 opens the door to European real estate ownership and a long-term residence route in Greece for the whole family. It also opens the prospect of EU citizenship, once you meet the requirements on length of residence, genuine integration and naturalization.
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