Greece vs US EB-5: Golden Visa Programmes Compared
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and $800,000 in United States. 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 | US EB-5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Residence Permit for Investors | EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program |
| Status | Thresholds raised and tiered by location from September 2024 | Regional centre authorisation runs to 30 September 2027; grandfathering closes 30 September 2026 |
| Lowest qualifying amount | €250,000 | $800,000 |
| Time you must spend there | None | Must maintain US permanent residence |
| Route to citizenship | 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam | Naturalisation possible 5 years after the green card |
| 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 | I-526E commonly 1-2 years, then the visa queue |
| Main routes |
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Which is cheaper, Greece or US EB-5?
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and $800,000 in United States. 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. United States: Must maintain US permanent residence. 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. United States: Naturalisation possible 5 years after the green card. 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.
US EB-5: Amounts face their first inflation adjustment on 1 January 2027 and regional centre authorisation expires on 30 September 2027 unless Congress renews it.
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.