Home / Compare programmes / Greece Golden Visa vs Cyprus Permanent Residency
Head to head · 2026 Q3 EditionGreece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency, compared metric by metric on the Mirabello verified programme dataset, with the source and verification date on every row.
MCP
For applicants weighing published tax positioning, Cyprus Permanent Residency currently has the stronger position on this metric (verified 2026-03-20). For families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route, Greece Golden Visa scores higher on the published citizenship pathway. Both remain operational programmes with distinct published trade-offs, compared row by row below.
Rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice; there is no universal winner.
Discuss these two with Vito MagagninoKey outcomes
In practice, Cyprus Permanent Residency tends to be examined first by applicants weighing published tax positioning, while Greece Golden Visa draws families focused on the residence-to-citizenship route. The rows below show where each leads on the published data.
| 🇬🇷Greece Golden Visa | 🇨🇾Cyprus Permanent Residency | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying route | €250,000Leads on this metric src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | €300,000 src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Typical processing | 3-9 monthsLeads on this metric src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-07-05 | 4-6 months src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Outcome document | Residence permit | Residence permit |
| Visa-free mobility | 184 visa-freeLeads on this metric src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | 174 visa-free src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Family inclusion | spouse; unmarried children up to 21 (renewable to 24 if students); parents of both spouses (no upper age limit, no dependency proof) value on the programme page | spouse; children under 18; unmarried dependent children 18-25 in full-time education. PARENTS/IN-LAWS NOT eligible (unlike Greece). value on the programme page |
| Mirabello Index signal | 76.3 / 100 · rank 21 of 69Leads on this metric | 75.8 / 100 · rank 24 of 69 |
Family cost comparison
Set your family below and both columns recompute the government-side figure from the published fee schedules: the qualifying investment plus every mandatory official fee, itemised line by line. Rules-based and illustrative; a specialist confirms the exact total for your file.
Government-side costs only, recomputed from the published fee schedules embedded below; illustrative, not a quote and not advice. Excludes Mirabello professional fees and transaction costs.
Fee schedule: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-07-09
Fee schedule: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-09
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Real Estate, Zone A (high-demand: Attica, Thessaloniki Municipality, Mykonos, Santorini, islands over 3,100 residents), minimum investment | EUR 800,000 |
| Residence-permit fee (per application) | EUR 2,000 |
| Residence-permit card, Main applicant | EUR 16 |
| Adult family-member fee, Spouse | EUR 150 |
| Residence-permit card, Spouse | EUR 16 |
| Residence-permit card, Child (age 10) | EUR 16 |
| Residence-permit card, Child (age 10) | EUR 16 |
| Government-side total (verified lines) | EUR 802,214 |
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| New Residential Property (first sale from developer), minimum investment | EUR 300,000 |
| Immigration Permit application fee (per application) | EUR 500 |
| Aliens Registration Certificate (ARC), Main applicant | EUR 70 |
| Aliens Registration Certificate (ARC), Spouse | EUR 70 |
| Aliens Registration Certificate (ARC), Child (age 10) | EUR 70 |
| Aliens Registration Certificate (ARC), Child (age 10) | EUR 70 |
| Private medical insurance, Main applicant | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Additional family-member fee, Spouse | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Private medical insurance, Spouse | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Additional family-member fee, Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Private medical insurance, Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Additional family-member fee, Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Private medical insurance, Child (age 10) | awaiting official confirmation; verify against the linked official source |
| Government-side total (verified lines) | EUR 300,780 |
Every comparable metric
Each row carries its own source and verification date, so any figure can be checked against the official source it came from. Ties carry no marker; a marker reads "leads on this metric", nothing more, because a metric lead is not a recommendation.
| Metric | 🇬🇷Greece Golden Visa | 🇨🇾Cyprus Permanent Residency |
|---|---|---|
| Programme type # | Residency by investment | Residency by investment |
| Outcome document # | Residence permit | Residence permit |
| Minimum investment # | €250,000 Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k)Leads on this metric src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | €300,000 Real-estate investment src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Investment routes # | 4 published routes src: et.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | 4 published routes src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Typical processing time # | 3-9 monthsLeads on this metric src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-07-05 | 4-6 months src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Visa-free mobility # | 184 visa-freeLeads on this metric src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | 174 visa-free src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Minimum stay requirement # | None src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | Must visit Cyprus at l src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Family inclusion # | spouse; unmarried children up to 21 (renewable to 24 if students); parents of both spouses (no upper age limit, no dependency proof) value on the programme page | spouse; children under 18; unmarried dependent children 18-25 in full-time education. PARENTS/IN-LAWS NOT eligible (unlike Greece). value on the programme page |
| Path to citizenship # | 7 years of actual residence in Greece (must spend majority of time in Greece, pass language exam, demonstrate integration) src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-03-20 | 8 years of legal residence in Cyprus. Must be physically present for the majority of those 8 years. Must pass basic Greek language exam (A2 level). Cypriot passport of... src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-03-20 |
| Government fees # | Fully itemised in the calculator above src: migration.gov.gr · verified 2026-06-28 | Fully itemised in the calculator above src: mip.gov.cy · verified 2026-07-05 |
| Mirabello Index composite # | 76.3 / 100 · rank 21 of 69Leads on this metric from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition | 75.8 / 100 · rank 24 of 69 from the published Index, 2026 Q3 Edition |
Read the full Greece Golden Visa guide · Read the full Cyprus Permanent Residency guide
Process, side by side
Stages and durations are indicative, from published guidance and Mirabello casework; individual files vary.
Risk and change
Permit validity runs from the date of residence-card issuance; digital residence cards introduced. Investment tiers unchanged (EUR 800,000 / EUR 400,000 / EUR 250,000 by zone and route)
source: Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum (official)Methodology and integrity
Each programme is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions, combined into a weighted composite. Where a dimension has no verified data it is excluded and the remaining weights are re-normalized (see data_completeness). The full weights, dimension definitions and official-source hierarchy are published on the Index methodology page. This comparison is rules-based: it reports where each programme leads on published criteria, and it does not recommend one programme over the other, because there is no universal winner.
Generated from the Mirabello verified programme dataset, 2026 Q3 Edition.
Questions
On published processing times, Greece Golden Visa currently lists the shorter indicative timeline (3-9 months for Greece Golden Visa vs 4-6 months for Cyprus Permanent Residency). Individual files vary with due diligence and documentation; verify against the linked official source.
On the default routes, the illustrative government-side total for a family of four (two adults, two children under 16) is approximately EUR 802,214 for Greece Golden Visa and EUR 300,780 for Cyprus Permanent Residency, computed from the published fee schedules. Illustrative, not a quote; use the calculator above for your exact family shape.
Greece Golden Visa leads to a residence permit: 7 years of actual residence in Greece (must spend majority of time in Greece, pass language exam, demonstrate integration) Cyprus Permanent Residency leads to a residence permit: 8 years of legal residence in Cyprus. Must be physically present for the majority of those 8 years. Must pass basic Greek language exam (A2 level). Cypriot passport of...
Greece Golden Visa reports 184 visa-free destinations and Cyprus Permanent Residency reports 174, per the current dataset. Destination counts move with bilateral agreements; verify against the linked official source before travel planning.
Yes. Governments amend investment thresholds, fees and rules; verified changes affecting either programme are recorded in the public Mirabello observatory change log, and every figure on this page carries a verification date. This page is a rules-based comparison of published criteria, general information only, and there is no universal winner.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a Mirabello specialist, in your language. We map Greece Golden Visa and Cyprus Permanent Residency to your budget, family and goals, on the verified figures.
Book a free consultation WhatsApp usMirabello Consultancy provides information and advisory services on investment-migration programmes. Figures on this page are indicative, verified against official sources and provenance-tracked; they are informational only, not an eligibility determination and not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Programme terms change; confirm the detail with a specialist and seek independent advice where appropriate.