A sober check of the schemes people mention: the 250,000 EUR restoration golden visa, Anakainizo, the 10,000 EUR relocation grant, village tax cuts and the so-called 1-euro houses.
People who read about Italy's 1-euro villages often ask whether Greece has something similar for an abandoned stone house. The short answer is: not in the same form. Greece has several real programs, but each has conditions that usually exclude the typical foreign buyer. Below is what we found as of October 2026, what is really open, and what is not. Always confirm the current terms with a Greek lawyer or the official portal, because these rules change.
1. Golden visa for restoring a listed building: real, with conditions
The golden visa has a lower investment threshold of EUR 250,000 for a single property in a listed or preserved building that the investor buys in order to restore it fully. The legal basis is Law 5100/2024. Law firms report these conditions:
- The property cannot be transferred before the restoration is completed.
- The restoration has to be finished by about the fifth year of residence if you want to renew the visa.
- Properties bought under the new golden visa cannot be let short term.
- The minimum area (120 m²) is quoted differently by different sources.
This is real, but it applies to listed or preserved buildings, not to any old village house, and it is a residence programme, not a subsidy. See our golden visa guide. We could not confirm some penalty figures quoted by advisers, so do not rely on them without the official text.
2. Anakainizo (Renovate): a subsidy for Greek households, not for foreign investors
Anakainizo is the Greek renovation programme linked to Spiti Mou 2. According to press reports it targets older homes (building permit from 1990 or earlier, up to 120 m², or 150 m² for large families), pays a share of the cost with a cap of about EUR 300 per m² (around EUR 36,000 per home), and requires the owner to either rent the home out or live in it for five years. Income limits follow Spiti Mou 2. It also bars homes registered for short-term letting. Sources disagree on dates and on the percentage covered, and the eligibility-certificate window in summer 2026 has already passed. We found no statement that a non-resident foreign buyer can use it, so we treat it as not available to you. If you are a Greek tax resident, check anakainisi.gov.gr.
3. EUR 10,000 relocation grant: real, extended to Ioannina
Under Law 5322/2026 the state pays a flat EUR 10,000 per household, in two instalments of EUR 5,000: the first when the application is approved and the second after a year of permanent residence. The programme began in Evros and, announced in September 2026, has been extended to seven of the eight municipalities of Ioannina (the region of Zagori) and to Souli and Filiates in Thesprotia, among other areas. Press reports say the platform opened on 14 October 2026 and stays open until the end of 2028 or until 1,000 households are accepted. Reports mention these conditions:
- You must move permanently and show that you lived elsewhere for the previous five years.
- No job contract is required.
- People from Epirus and some other remote regions are excluded.
- EU residents are mentioned; we found nothing on non-EU nationals or on age limits.
Treat it as relevant mainly to EU citizens who really plan to live in the village. Early take-up in the Evros pilot was reported as weak. Read the Joint Ministerial Decision before you plan around it.
4. Property tax cut for small villages: partly real
Press reports say the ENFIA property tax on the main home is cut by 50% in 2026 in settlements of up to 1,500 residents, for homes worth up to EUR 400,000, and that a full exemption is planned from 2027. It covers the main home of Greek tax residents, not holiday homes or land. We did not find the enacted text for 2027, so treat that step as a plan.
5. 1-euro houses: not a Greek national scheme
We found no Greek equivalent of Italy's 1-euro programme. The closest case is Antikythera, a tiny island, where a 2018 announcement offered houses and a monthly stipend to families with several children who commit to staying. Reports give different terms, and one guide said in early 2024 that the homes were not yet complete. Its current status is unknown, so do not plan around it. Offers that promise a house for 1 euro in Greece should be checked very carefully.
What this means in practice
- Realistic for a foreign buyer: the golden visa restoration route, if you want residence and the building qualifies; ordinary buying costs and a long renovation budget.
- Possibly relevant if you are an EU citizen who moves for real: the relocation grant, and the tax cut for a main home in a small village.
- Not for you as a non-resident investor: Anakainizo.
- Mostly myth: a Greek 1-euro house.
If you are looking at a specific area, see abandoned stone houses in Greece for prices and checks, and Zagori and Epirus for the one region where several of these measures meet.