Leptos Estates has recorded a surge in sales and enquiries for high-end holiday homes in Greece and Cyprus from potential buyers in the UK looking to secure residency status and freedom of travel across the EU. In the past few months, Leptos has made over €3m worth of sales to British-based buyers, with the majority taking advantage of the Greek and Cypriot Golden Visa Programme, which offers the cheapest permanent residency scheme in Europe.

In 2021, the Greek and Cyprus Governments announced important changes to their Residency Programmes, with Cyprus abolishing the Golden Visa initiative and reforming their Permanent Residency initiatives. 

The new Permanent Residence Programme in Cyprus permits foreigners to acquire an Immigration Permit through property investment, starting from €300,000. This allows individuals to enjoy unlimited access to the country and across the EU, which is an aspect that is proving especially popular with UK nationals since Brexit. Cyprus and Greece are also becoming more popular with international investors due to other EU nations, such as Portugal, Spain and Ireland, discontinuing their Golden Visa and Residency programmes.