Health insurance is sometimes treated as a document that can be added after the property transaction. For the residence application, timing matters: the applicant must hold and submit valid insurance evidence on the date the initial or renewal application is filed.
Circular 1/2026 gives a direct administrative warning. If the required insurance is missing, the authority may request a supplementary document within a specific period, but that process should not be treated as a planned extension for buying coverage later.
The governing documents
Joint Ministerial Decision 133692/2024 was published in Government Gazette B 2724 on 10 May 2024. Article 1 applies to third-country nationals applying for an initial or renewed residence permit where private insurance is permitted.
It allows either:
- a policy concluded abroad that expressly covers the applicant while in Greece; or
- a policy concluded in Greece.
The Decision sets minimum categories and limits:
- permanent total or partial disability caused by accident: at least EUR 15,000 annually, with insured participation no higher than 20%;
- medical and pharmaceutical expenses caused by illness or accident: at least EUR 1,500 annually, with insured participation no higher than 20%; and
- broad hospital treatment: at least EUR 10,000 annually, with insured participation no higher than 20%.
It also states that policies containing exclusions and/or special additional agreements will not be accepted. Because insurance wording can be technical, applicants should have the actual policy schedule and terms checked, not rely only on a broker's summary.
What Circular 1/2026 adds
Clarification 19 of Circular 1/2026, issued on 21 April 2026, confirms that the applicant or representative must submit active insurance with the initial or renewal application.
For foreign insurance, the evidence must expressly show coverage in Greece, either by naming Greece or by stating worldwide coverage. If valid insurance evidence is not submitted, the authority is instructed to request a supplementary document with an exclusive deadline of 30 calendar days.
The Circular explains why the period is short: the condition should already have been satisfied when the application was filed. If the applicant does not provide the document within the period, the application is rejected. The Circular distinguishes between insurance that existed in time but was omitted from the filing and insurance that was not issued before filing.
A pre-filing insurance reconciliation
At least several days before submission, create one row for every applicant:
| Applicant | Policy number | Valid from/to | Greece covered | Limits checked | Exclusions checked | File-ready copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main investor | ||||||
| Spouse/partner | ||||||
| Child 1 | ||||||
| Parent 1 |
Do not assume that a family policy automatically names and covers every applicant. Confirm spelling, passport number where shown, territorial scope and the exact start date for each person.
Six questions for the insurer or broker
- Does the certificate expressly state coverage in Greece or worldwide?
- Is the policy active on the exact planned filing date?
- Are the three minimum coverage categories and amounts visible in the policy or a binding certificate?
- Is the insured person's participation within the permitted ceiling?
- Does the policy include exclusions or special additional agreements that could prevent acceptance?
- Can the insurer issue a signed certificate and full policy wording suitable for official translation if requested?
Hypothetical filing problem
A family plans to file on 15 September. The policy certificate begins on 20 September, even though it was purchased earlier. The document is not active on the filing date. The safer response is to correct the insurance timing before submission rather than assume that the 30-day supplementary-document process will cure the gap.
This is a hypothetical document-control example, not an account of an actual application decision.
Keep property and personal files separate
The property may satisfy the relevant acquisition and conversion requirements while the personal residence file remains incomplete. Conversely, a complete insurance file does not establish property eligibility. A controlled submission should therefore track at least four separate streams:
- property and title evidence;
- engineering/change-of-use evidence;
- payment and notarial evidence; and
- applicant and family evidence, including insurance.
For Santheos projects, the company's internal legal and risk-control team checks the project-side documents. Applicant-side insurance must be confirmed for each person with the filing lawyer or authorised representative.
Related Santheos reading
- The Pre-Filing Reconciliation Check
- Family Members and EUR 250,000 Conversion Projects
- Greece Golden Visa Circular 1/2026: 23 Official Clarifications Explained
Official sources
- Joint Ministerial Decision 133692/2024, Government Gazette B 2724/10.05.2024, Articles 1-2, insurance timing, territory, minimum coverage and policy conditions: official Ministry-hosted Gazette PDF.
- Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Circular 1 – Application of Article 100 of Law 5038/2023, reference 72019, 21 April 2026, Clarification 19: official circular listing and Diavgeia record.
Continue your research
- Engineer Report for a Greece Golden Visa Conversion Project: What It Must Confirm
- EUR 250,000 Commercial Conversion Projects in Athens: How to Choose the Right Location
- EUR 250,000 Conversion Golden Visa Greece: Payment Trail and All-In Budget
Prepared by: Santheos Research & Project Team. Last reviewed: September 2026. General information only, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Eligibility is subject to final legal review. Review the Greece Golden Visa Encyclopedia, the official Mitos entry, or contact Santheos for a property-specific discussion.
