Greece vs Hungary: Golden Visa Programmes Compared
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and €250,000 in Hungary. Here is how the two programmes differ on time in the country, the path to citizenship and processing, side by side.
At a glance
| Greece | Hungary | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Residence Permit for Investors | Guest Investor Residence Programme |
| Status | Thresholds raised and tiered by location from September 2024 | Property purchase route abolished by decree in December 2024, before it ever opened |
| Lowest qualifying amount | €250,000 | €250,000 |
| Time you must spend there | None | No minimum stay |
| Route to citizenship | 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam | Generally 8 years of actual residence, plus exams |
| Typical processing | Several months for complete new files; a backlog of about 29,000 files was reported in July 2026, down from over 52,000 in early 2025 | 21-day statutory decision deadline on a complete file |
| Main routes |
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Which is cheaper, Greece or Hungary?
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and €250,000 in Hungary. The cheapest route is not always the practical one: some low-entry routes are donations or contributions you never get back, while others are investments that can lose value independently of the permit. Add government fees, legal costs and, where relevant, family members before comparing totals.
How much time do you have to spend in each?
Greece: None. Hungary: No minimum stay. A permit that asks for little time in the country is convenient, but a path to citizenship usually depends on genuinely living there.
Which leads to citizenship?
Greece: 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam. Hungary: Generally 8 years of actual residence, plus exams. Naturalisation rules are set separately from the investment programme and can change while you are part of the way through.
The biggest caveat for each
Greece: The permit requires no presence at all, but citizenship does — so an investor who never relocates gains residence rights and nothing more, however long the permit is held.
Hungary: One of the three announced routes was cancelled by decree days before it opened, so the remaining two could be changed or withdrawn with equally little warning.
More programme comparisons
Information reflects our own independent research as understood in September 2026. These rules change often and differ by nationality. Plain Investor does not sell or advise on any programme. This is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice; check the official government source and a licensed immigration lawyer before committing money.