Greece vs Switzerland: Golden Visa Programmes Compared
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and CHF 435,000 annual tax base in Switzerland. Here is how the two programmes differ on time in the country, the path to citizenship and processing, side by side.
Restricted
Switzerland
CHF 435,000 annual tax baseminimum
Expenditure-based (lump-sum) taxation — no formal investment programme
Read the Switzerland guide →At a glance
| Greece | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Residence Permit for Investors | Expenditure-based (lump-sum) taxation — no formal investment programme |
| Status | Thresholds raised and tiered by location from September 2024 | No golden visa exists; lump-sum taxation abolished at cantonal level in five cantons |
| Lowest qualifying amount | €250,000 | CHF 435,000 annual tax base |
| Time you must spend there | None | Switzerland must be the genuine centre of your life |
| Route to citizenship | 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam | Ten years of residence, then discretionary |
| 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 | Several months; cantonal decision plus federal approval |
| Main routes |
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Which is cheaper, Greece or Switzerland?
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and CHF 435,000 annual tax base in Switzerland. 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. Switzerland: Switzerland must be the genuine centre of your life. 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. Switzerland: Ten years of residence, then discretionary. 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.
Switzerland: Cantonal politics is the main risk, since five cantons have already abolished the regime by popular vote and nothing stops others from doing the same.
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.