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Greece Cuts Golden Visa Backlog, Set for Record Year · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Greece has reduced its golden visa backlog for the first time in a year in April 2025, bringing pending applications down to 52,399 from 52,821.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: The backlog reduction was evident across most application categories.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Initial and renewal applications for main applicants decreased, as did renewal applications for family members.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Only initial applications for family members increased slightly.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: The decrease represents a modest but notable shift for a program that has consistently seen application volume outpace processing capacity.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: The slight drop indicates that recent administrative reforms may be helping authorities close the gap between application inflows and processing capacity.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: The improvement coincides with the government's decision to decentralize processing from central offices in Athens to regional ones across Greece.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Processing times have decreased substantially under this new framework, as authorities now complete some applications within three months, according to Katerina Saranti of MIBS Group, compared to the 18-month averages recorded in 2024.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: April's application volume totaled 564 main applicants, marking the lowest monthly intake for 2025, and a decline from March's 863 applications.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Approvals similarly decreased to 521 in April from 691 in March.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Despite this monthly reduction, Greece received 3,506 applications during the first four months of 2025, maintaining the trajectory toward another record year following 2024's 9,407 applications.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: If current demand levels persist, Greece could end the year with over 10,000 applications.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: The processing data reveal meaningful efficiency improvements.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Greece has processed 11% of January 2025 applications, 5% of February submissions, and approved 23 March submissions.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: This improvement is evident in 2024 applications.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Authorities achieved higher completion rates for applications submitted during summer 2024 compared to spring submissions, potentially reflecting the impact of the decentralization process.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: This processing velocity indicates that certain applications move through the system in under 90 days, a substantial improvement from previous timelines that reached 18 months at one point.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: The government approved an average of 618 applications monthly in 2025.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Among pending initial applications, over 12,000 involve main applicants and 28,000 concerned family members.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Only 215 applications from 2022 and earlier remain pending, as some date to 2018 and 2019.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: These older cases likely involve documentation or investment compliance issues rather than standard processing delays.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: The data indicate that authorities have left 1% of 2020 applications unprocessed, 3% from both 2021 and 2022, and have processed approximately two-thirds of 2023 applications.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Chinese nationals continue to represent the largest applicant group, holding nearly 50% of active golden visas.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Turkish applicants comprise 12% of active holders, and Lebanese investors hold 6%.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Between March and April 2025, Turkish holders experienced 9% growth, the largest margin, while Israeli visa holders increased 6%.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Regional distribution shows continued concentration in Attica, which holds approximately 13,000 pending applications.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Central and eastern Macedonia and Thrace follow, holding 1,137 pending cases.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Effort to address processing delays while accommodating continued demand growth.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Early indicators suggest these reforms are producing measurable improvements in processing velocity, though sustained implementation will determine whether efficiency gains can match application volume increases.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Amada Bas on IMIDaily.com.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Subscribe for free to the IMI newsletter for breaking news and updates from the investment migration industry, and upgrade your membership to IMI Pro to get access to our exclusive professional community, citizenship catalog, investment migration company Rolodex, private briefings, and more members only content.