Fact-checked · Up to date · Official sources
Foreigners can buy property in Greece on the same basic terms as Greeks, with full ownership and no general nationality restriction. To buy property in Greece you need a Greek tax number, legal and technical checks, a notarial deed and registration of the title. Most steps can be done from abroad. Non-EU buyers face one extra rule: a permit for property in designated border areas.
Last verified: October 2026Transfer tax, notary, Cadastre, lawyer and agent fees, worked through on a €400,000 purchase.
Read more →BuyingWho the agent works for in Greece, what the law says on brokerage contracts, and how fees are agreed.
Read more →BuyingHow non-residents get a Greek tax number (AFM) from abroad and open a Greek bank account.
Read more →Yes. Greece has no general ban on foreign ownership, and a foreign buyer gets the same title as a Greek buyer. The main exception is a permit regime for non-EU buyers in border areas.
The rule comes from Law 1892/1990. According to the Lex Mundi foreign investment guide, written by the Athens law firm Zepos & Yannopoulos, buyers from EU and EFTA countries are fully exempt. Buyers from other countries need prior permission from the competent decentralised administration for property in the listed border areas.
Article 24 of the law lists the areas. The guide names these:
| Type | Areas |
|---|---|
| Whole former prefectures | Dodecanese, Evros, Thesprotia, Kastoria, Kilkis, Lesvos, Xanthi, Preveza, Rodopi, Samos, Florina, Chios |
| Islands | Thira (Santorini), Skyros |
| Parts of former prefectures | Drama, Ioannina, Pella, Serres |
| Former communities | Othonoi, Mathraki, Ereikoussa |
The Dodecanese includes Rhodes and Kos. Attica, Thessaloniki, Crete and Corfu are not on the guide’s list, and Santorini is the only Cyclades island named. Your lawyer should confirm the status of any specific property.
A purchase made in breach of the rule is invalid. According to the European Land Registry Association, such a transaction produces no legal effects and cannot be registered. The application goes to a committee of the decentralised administration, and the buyer must state the intended use of the property.
Yes. US citizens can buy property in Greece and hold full title. As non-EU buyers they need the border-area permit where it applies.
The same is true for buyers from the UK, Canada, Australia, Israel, Turkey, the UAE and other non-EU countries. Americans also need to watch the planned transfer tax change, which turns on tax residence, not nationality. We cover it below.
The exemption covers EU and EFTA countries. Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are EFTA members, so their nationals are exempt. The UK is in neither group after Brexit, so British buyers follow the same border-area procedure as Americans, Canadians and Australians.
Nationality and tax residence are different tests. The border-area rule looks at the buyer, while the planned transfer tax change looks at tax residence. A buyer can be caught by one rule and not the other.
The process follows the same order for a house or an apartment. Buying property in Greece as a foreigner adds only the tax number, possibly a power of attorney and, in border areas, the permit.
A Greek tax number is compulsory for anyone who holds property in Greece, according to the law firm Tsiricos. Non-residents can apply online through myAADE or through a representative.
A Greek bank account is not strictly required, but it makes payments and the source of funds easier to document. Our guide explains how to get an AFM and a bank account from abroad.
A lawyer is not legally required. Compulsory lawyer attendance at property contracts was abolished from 1 January 2014 by Law 4093/2012. Most foreign buyers still hire one, because the lawyer runs the title checks.
If you cannot be in Greece for each step, a notarial power of attorney lets your lawyer act for you. See buying property in Greece without flying in.
Under Law 4072/2012, a brokerage contract must be in writing and must state the fee and whether the agent may also act for the seller. Fees are agreed case by case. Read real estate agents in Greece: buyer’s agent vs listing agent before you sign.
Before you pay a deposit, your lawyer and an engineer should check:
Global Law Experts estimates 21 to 45 days for due diligence on a single property. Our cadastre checks guide lists the certificates to order.
The parties may sign a preliminary agreement with a deposit, typically 5% to 10% of the price, according to Tsiricos. The firm notes that a preliminary agreement is not binding unless it is notarised.
The agreement should say what happens to the deposit if either side withdraws or the checks fail.
For a resale, buyer and seller file a joint transfer tax declaration before the deed is signed. According to AADE, the buyer then pays the tax within 3 working days.
The sale is completed by a notarial deed signed in front of a Greek notary. The notary checks the documents, certifies the deed and keeps the original. You can sign in person or through your representative.
The deed must be registered with the Hellenic Cadastre or, where the cadastre is not yet operating, the local land registry. Registration is what protects your ownership against third parties.
Pay the deposit and the price by bank transfer, never in cash. A transfer leaves a record of where the money came from, which the notary, the bank and, later, the tax authority may ask about.
If the money comes from abroad, plan the transfer early. International payments can take several days, and banks may ask for documents on the source of funds before they release a large payment. Agree with the seller’s side whether the balance is paid on the day of signing, and how.
The legal steps are the same when you buy a house or an apartment in Greece. The checks differ, because the risks differ.
| Point | Apartment | Detached house or villa |
|---|---|---|
| Typical setting | City or suburban block | Suburbs, villages, islands, coast |
| Key legal document | Building’s deed of horizontal ownership and regulations | Title to the plot and the building |
| Common issues | Enclosed balconies, use of common areas, building charges | Unpermitted extensions, plot boundaries, access roads |
| Extra checks | Shared costs and the building’s maintenance record | Forestry, coastal zone, archaeological and out-of-plan rules |
If you want to buy an apartment in Greece, ask for the building’s regulations and recent statements of shared costs. These show what you will pay each month and whether major works are planned.
If you plan to buy a house in Greece outside a town plan, the engineer’s checks matter more. Rules on minimum plot size, building rights and access can decide whether the house is legal or whether you can extend it.
Asking prices vary widely by area. According to Spitogatos, average asking prices for homes in Q2 2026 were:
| Area | Asking price (€/m²) |
|---|---|
| South suburbs of Athens | 4,231 |
| Cyclades | 4,063 |
| North suburbs of Athens | 3,519 |
| Chania regional unit (Crete) | 3,102 |
| Kalamaria (Thessaloniki) | 3,175 |
Spitogatos puts the national annual rise in asking prices at 6.1% in Q2 2026, against 9.7% a year earlier. These are asking prices, not sale prices. For more, see Greek house prices.
Foreign demand is spread across Athens, Thessaloniki and the islands. Spitogatos said in its Q2 2026 islands report that international demand for the islands was led by the USA, followed by the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Foreign buyers mostly target the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, then Chania, Corfu and Heraklion.
| Area (Q2 2026) | Asking price (€/m²) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Antiparos | 7,600 | Highest in the Cyclades |
| Mykonos | 7,059 | Prices fell year on year |
| Paros | 5,263 | |
| Aegean islands | 2,941 | Up 5.9% year on year |
| Ionian islands | 2,531 | Up 5.9% year on year |
| Crete | 2,250 | Up 6.9%, the highest rise |
In Attica, the most expensive areas in Q2 2026 were Vouliagmeni at €7,364 per m², Voula at €6,250 and Elliniko at €5,688, according to Spitogatos. Asking prices in Attica rose 5.3% year on year, and in Thessaloniki 7.7%.
Prices well below these levels exist in much of mainland Greece. Kastoria, at €585 per m², was the cheapest regional unit in the Spitogatos data. Remember that several island groups are border areas, which matters for non-EU buyers.
On a resale, the main costs are transfer tax, the notary, registration and any lawyer, engineer and agent fees. Transfer tax and registration are set by law, while professional fees are agreed case by case.
| Cost | Rate or basis |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax (resale) | 3% of taxable value plus 3% surcharge on the tax, about 3.09% |
| Notary | Official sliding scale: 0.80% up to €120,000, 0.70% to €380,000, 0.65% to €2,000,000, plus 24% VAT |
| Cadastre registration | 0.5% of the property’s value, plus small fixed fees |
| Lawyer | Agreed in writing, plus 24% VAT |
| Estate agent or buyer’s agent | Agreed case by case, plus 24% VAT |
| Engineer | Priced per property |
The notary scale is set by Ministerial Decision 111376/2011. The cadastre fee comes from the Cadastre’s decision 2/12-01-2026, published in Government Gazette B’ 64/13-01-2026. Our cost of buying property in Greece guide works through a full €400,000 example.
Sales by developers normally carry 24% VAT instead of transfer tax. The VAT is suspended until 31 December 2026 under Law 5246/2025, according to KPMG, and the buyer pays transfer tax instead.
A draft bill would raise transfer tax for some foreign buyers from 1 July 2027. It is in public consultation to 1 November 2026 and is not law.
The Ministry of National Economy and Finance posted the bill on 18 October 2026. Its summary says the higher rate applies to natural persons who are not tax residents of an EU or EEA state, buying homes. The government announced the rate at 15%. On a home with a taxable value of €400,000, that would mean about €61,800 in tax instead of €12,360.
The test is tax residence, not nationality. An American who is tax resident in Greece would not be caught on the summary’s wording, while a Greek citizen living in the US might be. The final text will settle the details. Read our report on the bill.
The same draft extends two suspensions into 2027: capital gains tax on property sales by individuals, and VAT on new buildings. Both currently run to 31 December 2026.
Timing matters if you are not tax resident in the EU or EEA. On the bill’s timetable, a purchase completed before 1 July 2027 pays today’s 3.09%.
Due diligence, any border-area permit and the deed all take time. If you plan to buy before the change, build those steps into your schedule. The bill does not yet say how preliminary contracts signed before the start date but completed later will be treated.
Buying property does not give you residence on its own. It does so only if the purchase meets the Golden Visa rules under Law 5100/2024.
| Area or type | Minimum investment |
|---|---|
| Attica, Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents | €800,000 |
| Rest of Greece | €400,000 |
| Commercial-to-residential conversion or listed-building restoration, anywhere | €250,000 |
For the €800,000 and €400,000 tiers, the investment must be in a single property of at least 120 m². Golden Visa properties cannot be let on a short-term basis, according to Watson Farley & Williams. Full details are in our Golden Visa guide.
If you buy to let, check the short-term rental rules first. New short-term rental registrations are frozen in districts 1 to 3 of central Athens until 31 December 2026, and an extension has been announced.
Ownership brings annual tax and filing duties, even if you live abroad. Plan for them before you sign.
Yes, foreigners can buy property in Greece and take full title. Buyers from outside the EU and EFTA need a permit for property in designated border areas, such as the Dodecanese, Chios, Lesvos, Samos and Santorini.
Yes, Americans can buy property in Greece on the same terms as other non-EU buyers. They need a Greek tax number and, in border areas, prior approval from the decentralised administration.
No, you do not need to be in Greece. A representative can obtain your tax number and sign the deed under a notarial power of attorney.
A lawyer is not legally required, but most foreign buyers use one. Compulsory lawyer attendance at property contracts ended on 1 January 2014, and the title checks are normally done by a lawyer.
Due diligence alone takes about 21 to 45 days for a single property, according to Global Law Experts. Add time for the tax number, any permit, the deposit agreement and the deed.
Only if the purchase meets the Golden Visa rules: at least €800,000, €400,000 or €250,000 depending on the area and type of property.
It may, if you are not tax resident in the EU or EEA and you complete a home purchase from 1 July 2027. The bill is still a draft, so the rate, start date and any exemptions can change.
Thinking about buying in Greece? Give your brief to an independent buyer’s agency. It can search the market for exactly what you are looking for and advise you through the purchase.
Buyers should confirm how this applies to them with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
