Who Does the Greece Golden Visa Cover? Spouse, Children, Parents

The Greece Golden Visa has one of Europe's broadest family-inclusion structures thanks to the "three-generation rule" that can cover three generations with a single investment. However, this broad scope has its own limits, categories of people it excludes, and some overlooked risks. In this article we explain, with current 2026 information, who is included, who absolutely cannot be included, and the least-known but most critical risks related to family-member status.

Who Is Included and Excluded: A Clear Table

Spouse or Registered Partner

The applicant's officially married spouse, or a registered cohabitation partner recognized in Greece or by a Greek Consular Authority, can be included in the application. Following Greece's marriage equality law, this scope now also includes same-sex spouses. However, partners who are not officially married or who lack a recognized cohabitation agreement are not treated as "family members" and cannot be included in the application in any way; this is one of the program's strictest limits.

Children: Three Different Tiers

• Under 21: The applicant's and spouse's unmarried children can be included directly with no additional requirement.
• Aged 21-24: The child can renew the residence permit for three more years (until age 24) provided they were included before turning 21, are unmarried and remain a full-time student.
• Over 24: Leaves the dependent category; must apply for an independent residence permit in their own name or start a new Golden Visa process as the main applicant themselves.

The spouse's (not the applicant's) children under 21 can also be included, but in that case the applicant must have legal custody over those children.

Parents: The Program's Most Generous Aspect

The parents of both the applicant and the spouse can be included in the application with no upper age limit and without providing proof of financial dependency. Most European investment-residency programs either exclude parents entirely, or accept only the main applicant's parents, or require proof of financial dependency; Greece applies none of these three restrictions. This is a feature that makes the program especially attractive for multi-generational families.

Those Who Absolutely Cannot Be Included

The program's "three-generation" limit is clear: grandparents (i.e. the parents' parents), siblings, cousins and other extended family members cannot be included in the application in any way. This means Greece is more limited on this point compared with some other countries' Golden Visa programs (e.g. some programs may accept siblings or grandparents under certain conditions); but it still remains rare in breadth across Europe with its three-generation structure.

Little-Known Risks

1. Divorce Risk

The spouse's residence permit is a status renewable as long as the marriage continues. If the marriage ends (divorce), the spouse's residence permit status can be lost. This is an important risk that investors doing long-term family planning should consider.

2. The Right to Work Is Not Automatic

Family members under the Golden Visa do not automatically have the right to work in Greece. For a family member to work in salaried employment in Greece, a separate work-permit process is required; this is an application independent of the residence permit.

3. The 183-Day Tax Residency Trap

If any family member spends 183 days or more in Greece within a calendar year, that person is considered a Greek tax resident and becomes taxable on their entire worldwide income. This assessment is made separately for each family member independent of the main applicant. For family members who work or earn income abroad this can create a double-taxation risk; although Greece has double-taxation treaties with most countries, consulting a tax expert before a long stay is recommended.

Required Documents

• Marriage certificate or registered cohabitation agreement (for the spouse) — officially issued, translated into Greek and apostilled if needed.
• Birth certificates (for children).
• For children aged 21-24: a current student certificate and proof of financial dependency.
• A civil registry record or official documents proving the parent-child relationship (for parents).
• If the spouse's children are included: a court decision or official document proving legal custody.

Strategic Planning Tip

Some families with a single child consider the strategy of positioning the young child as the main applicant and including the parents as dependents; this structure can be advantageous in certain cases for long-term family planning, especially for families wanting to ease the child's later transition to an independent status. However, such a structure requires careful legal planning and should be assessed together with an experienced lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I include my unmarried partner in the Golden Visa application?
No, partners who are not officially married or who do not have a cohabitation agreement recognized in Greece or by a Greek Consular Authority are not treated as "family members" and cannot be included in the application in any way. This is one of the program's strictest and least flexible limits. The only way around this is to formalize a marriage or a recognized registered cohabitation agreement in Greece or your country of origin. This requirement applies equally to same-sex couples under Greece's marriage equality law.

2. Can I include my grandparents in the program?
No, the Greece Golden Visa's "three-generation" structure covers only the applicant, spouse, children and both sides' parents; the parents' parents (grandparents) fall outside this scope. This can be seen as a limitation compared with some other countries' Golden Visa programs, but Greece's three-generation structure still offers a breadth rare across Europe. If you want to bring your grandparents to Greece, they will need to seek a separate residence permit route in their own name.

3. What happens to my spouse's residence permit if I divorce?
The spouse's residence permit is a status renewable as long as the marriage continues. If the marriage ends (divorce), the spouse's Golden Visa residence permit status can be lost; in that case, if the spouse wants to keep living in Greece, they must find an independent residence permit route in their own name. This risk is an important point for investors doing long-term family planning who include their spouse. Consulting a lawyer about the current practice and possible exceptions is recommended.

4. Can my family members work in Greece?
No, family members under the Golden Visa do not automatically have the right to work in Greece. For a family member to work in salaried employment in Greece, they must go through a separate work-permit process independent of the residence permit. This should be considered in advance especially in families where the spouse or adult children plan to find work in Greece; the work-permit process can be subject to different criteria and documents than the standard residence permit application.

5. What happens if my family member stays in Greece more than 183 days?
If any family member spends 183 days or more in Greece within a calendar year, that person is considered a Greek tax resident and becomes taxable in Greece on their entire worldwide income. This assessment is made separately for each family member independent of the main applicant; that is, one family member's tax residency status does not automatically affect the others. For family members earning income abroad this can create a double-taxation risk; although Greece has double-taxation treaties with most countries, consulting a tax expert before a long stay is recommended.

Note: The scope and requirement information in this article is based on general regulations and can change with current practice. Contact us to determine the most suitable application strategy for your family structure and to prepare the required documents.