New Global Residence Program Index: This Country Wins for the Second Consecutive Year

Recently, the internationally renowned firm Henley & Partners released the "2026 Global Residence Program Index," with Greece once again ranking first in the world, successfully securing the top spot for two consecutive years.

This ranking does not focus on a single advantage but rather conducts a comprehensive assessment across multiple dimensions, including national attractiveness, quality of life, tax environment, investment thresholds, processing efficiency, and visa convenience. Greece's ability to rank first for two years in a row demonstrates that what appeals to applicants is not just one highlight, but its overall value as a strategic asset. For this reason, more and more families have turned their attention to Greece when planning their European residency in recent years.

Greece is a Schengen member state, and official EU information indicates that there are currently 29 countries in the Schengen Area. This means that after obtaining a Greek Golden Visa, a family's future travel, short-term stays, business exchanges, and living arrangements in Europe will become much more convenient. Popular countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland are all included within this living radius.

Another attraction of Greek residency lies in the additional possibilities it provides for children's education.

In Greece, children can enter the local public education system or choose the international school route. For families wishing to bridge into international curriculum systems, paths such as IB and A-Level are more conducive to future applications to European and American universities; for families hoping to pursue higher education in mainland China, they can plan for the Joint Entrance Exam for Overseas Chinese Students, allowing them to easily enter top-tier universities in mainland China with more advantageous admission score requirements.

For many Chinese families, residency planning is never a decision for one person, but a long-term arrangement for the entire family.

The advantage of the Greek Golden Visa in terms of family coverage has always been highly regarded. Once the main applicant is approved, they can generally bring their spouse, children, and parents to apply together, achieving simultaneous planning for three generations.

This is also one of the reasons why it is particularly appealing to Chinese families. Many people consider overseas residency not just to have an extra option for themselves, but for their children's future educational paths, their parents' future retirement arrangements, and the possibility for the entire family to have more lifestyle choices. In a sense, the Greek Golden Visa is not "an individual's status," but "a backup plan for a family."

In addition to the advantages of family configuration, the flexibility of the Greek Golden Visa is also noteworthy. The residency requirements are lenient and do not affect the applicant's ability to continue working, living, and developing their career in their home country. This means that applicants do not need to change their current life trajectory for the sake of residency, nor are they forced to live overseas for long periods to renew their visas.

At the same time, Greece boasts a pleasant Mediterranean climate, abundant island resources, a comfortable pace of life, and relatively friendly living costs, making it an ideal destination for vacation, retirement, and long-term living in the hearts of many.

For families with educational planning needs, Greece can also provide a richer international living and learning environment;

For those who value asset allocation, real estate projects also possess certain rental and operational value;

For families hoping to expand their European living radius, Greek residency itself also means more convenience in travel and arrangements.

Therefore, the truly attractive aspect of the Greek Golden Visa is that it is not a single "immigration program," but a comprehensive configuration that balances residency, lifestyle, family, and the future.

Currently, the Greek Golden Visa implements a "three-track parallel" policy, among which the investment channel starting from 250,000 euros is highly sought after. Investors can complete their Greek residency configuration through "commercial-to-residential" projects that meet policy requirements.

However, high-quality "commercial-to-residential" properties currently on the market that truly meet policy requirements and can be transferred relatively quickly are relatively limited. For interested families, planning early, screening projects early, and advancing the process early are often more conducive to calmly completing residency layout and asset allocation.

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