Red tape hampers Golden Visas

The huge backlog of applications for residence permits for non-European Union citizens investing at least 250,000 euros in Greek properties has forced the state to decentralize the Decentralized Authorities' competences.

Therefore law firms and estate agents are contacting Decentralized Authorities - the regional state agencies that are one level above the Regional Authorities - across Greece in an attempt to find the earliest available dates to submit Golden Visa applications and have interviews conducted with their clients.

"A few weeks ago we had to travel with the buyer of a Vouliagmeni property to Patra [more than 200 km away], where we finally managed to submit the documents and receive the residence permit," Alexandros Risvas, head of the Risvas & Associates law firm which specializes in residence permits, told Kathimerini.

The reason for that phenomenon...