Buying Property in Greece as a Foreigner: Step by Step

Can foreigners buy property in Greece? In most cases they can. Citizens of the European Union buy on the same footing as Greeks, and buyers from the UK, the United States, Australia or anywhere else can buy as well, with an extra permit only in certain border areas. This guide follows the purchase of a home, an apartment or a piece of land from the first viewing to the years of ownership, for buyers who do not read Greek. It explains the local words, the papers that pass between seller, notary and registry, and the points at which a lawyer usually steps in.

1. Get readyAFM, bank account, power of attorney
2. Legal checksTitle, mortgages and planning
3. Preliminary agreementThe deposit and the terms
4. Notary and registrationTax paid, deed signed, cadastre
5. After the purchaseWhat an owner keeps up

Who can buy, and where the limits are

There is no general ban on foreign ownership in Greece. The main exception concerns the border areas (παραμεθόριες περιοχές): a buyer from outside the EU and the EEA needs official permission before a deed for land or a building there can be signed. These areas cover land near the northern borders and a large part of the islands of the eastern Aegean, among them Lesbos, home to Mytilene, and the Dodecanese, where Symi lies. The permission is a separate procedure with its own documents, so it is best raised at the very start.

Other limits come from the land rather than from the buyer. Outside town plans (εκτός σχεδίου) a plot may be too small to build on or may be marked on the forest maps (δασικοί χάρτες), and archaeological zones restrict what can be built or altered.

Getting ready: tax number, bank and representation

1. AFM. Every buyer first obtains an ΑΦΜ, the Greek tax number; it is needed for the transfer tax, the deed and every later bill. See AFM number application.
2. Bank account. The price is normally paid by bank transfer, and the deed records the means of payment, so an account in Greece makes the closing simpler.
3. Representation. A buyer who cannot attend every step can sign a power of attorney (πληρεξούσιο) in front of a Greek consular officer, or in front of a notary in the buyer's own country with an apostille added.
4. Budget. Besides the price, a purchase brings the transfer tax (φόρος μεταβίβασης ακινήτου) or, for some new buildings, VAT; the notary's fee; the registration fee of the cadastre; the lawyer's and the engineer's fees; and any agent's commission. Their levels change, so a written estimate is worth asking for before an offer.

The checks before signing

Greece has no single extract that answers every question about a property, so the checks are put together from several sources. A typical list:

• the chain of title in the cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο) and, in areas where the older system still matters, the mortgage registry (υποθηκοφυλακείο)
• mortgages, seizures and pending lawsuits registered against the property
• the engineer's certificate (βεβαίωση μηχανικού) that the building has no unauthorised additions, or that they were legalised
• the electronic building identity (ηλεκτρονική ταυτότητα κτιρίου), where it applies, and the energy performance certificate
• the seller's certificates that the annual property tax and other taxes are paid, and the municipal certificate for local duties
• for a plot: its boundaries, access, the forest maps and whether it can be built on
• for a flat: the building's regulation and any unpaid shared charges (κοινόχρηστα)

Questions about permits, additions or what may be built go to the lawyers who deal with building permits and planning permission.

Older village houses and family properties deserve extra care. Some were never fully recorded in the cadastre, some are owned in shares by several relatives of the seller, and some have rooms or terraces added over the decades without a permit. A buyer who receives the findings in writing before paying anything can still renegotiate, ask the seller to put matters right, or walk away. With a new building bought from a developer, the questions shift to the building permit, the completion of the works and what the contract says if they are late.

The preliminary agreement and the deposit

When the deed cannot be signed at once, for instance because a certificate or a mortgage release is still awaited, the parties may sign a preliminary agreement (προσύμφωνο) before a notary, and the buyer often pays a deposit (αρραβώνας). What happens to the deposit if either side withdraws, and which conditions must be met before closing, depend on the wording of that agreement. Having it read through contract review before anything is paid avoids most surprises.

Signing at the notary and registering the deed

1. The transfer tax return is filed online and the tax, or the VAT, is paid before the signature.
2. The notary (συμβολαιογράφος), usually chosen by the buyer, gathers the certificates and drafts the purchase deed (συμβόλαιο αγοράς).
3. Buyer and seller, or their representatives, sign before the notary; an interpreter attends when the buyer does not understand Greek.
4. The deed is lodged with the cadastre, and ownership is complete once it is registered.
5. The buyer receives the registration certificate and copies of the deed, which are kept for any later sale, inheritance or permit.

After the purchase: owning a home in Greece

An owner pays the annual property tax ΕΝΦΙΑ and keeps the property declaration Ε9 up to date; both are covered under property tax for foreign owners. Rent from the home is declared in a Greek income tax return, and holiday letting needs its own short-term rental registration. Utility contracts are moved into the new owner's name. Many owners also write a will covering the Greek home, since an estate in Greece is far easier to settle when the heirs know what was intended.

Where a lawyer usually helps

A lawyer is no longer compulsory by law for a Greek purchase, yet the title search, the review of the engineer's findings and the deed itself are exactly the work a buyer's lawyer does; the property purchase page sets out that work. English-speaking lawyers on this site work in Athens, Thessaloniki and on islands such as Corfu. When a boundary, a right of way or a co-owner's claim surfaces during the checks, it becomes a matter for property rights and disputes; every related topic is listed under Property Law.

Questions and answers

Are there restrictions on foreigners buying property in Greece?

Yes, with very few limits. A citizen of an EU country is treated like a Greek buyer, while others need prior permission only in the border areas.

Is a lawyer necessary when a Greek notary handles the sale?

The law does not require one any more. The notary drafts and signs the deed, but does not act for the buyer in checking the title, the building or the contract terms, which is why most foreign buyers hire their own lawyer.

What taxes are paid when buying property in Greece?

At the purchase, either the property transfer tax or, for certain newly built homes, VAT; after it, the annual ΕΝΦΙΑ as owner. Notary, registry, lawyer and engineer fees come on top; their levels change and are best confirmed when the purchase is planned.

Can I buy property in Greece without travelling there?

Yes. A representative appointed by power of attorney can sign every document in the buyer's place. The tax number and the bank account can usually be arranged the same way.

Does buying a house in Greece give residency?

Only through the Golden Visa, whose minimum investment depends on the area and the type of property. Other routes, such as the financially independent person visa, do not depend on owning a home.

How long does buying property in Greece take?

It depends on the paperwork rather than on the signature: a missing engineer's certificate, an unregistered title or a border-area permission can each add time.