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Greeks abroad and their descendants can buy property in Greece without flying in: you get a Greek tax number (AFM) online, sign a power of attorney at a Greek consulate or before a local notary with an apostille, and a representative signs the deed before a Greek notary. On the wording of the law, Greek citizens are outside the border-area permit rule, which turns on nationality. A bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law, would charge 15% transfer tax from 1 July 2027 to home buyers who are tax resident outside the EU and EEA, whatever passport they hold, unless they qualify for the first-home exemption.
Last verified: 28 October 2026Two different tests decide which extra rules apply to a diaspora buyer: nationality for the border-area permit, and tax residence for the proposed 15% transfer tax. A Greek citizen living in New York, Melbourne or Toronto passes the first test but, on the tabled bill’s wording, would be caught by the second unless they qualify for the first-home exemption.
The border-area rule comes from Article 25 of Law 1892/1990, as replaced by Article 114 of Law 3978/2011. It restricts deals in designated border areas by people whose nationality is outside the EU and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Greek citizens hold EU nationality, so the restriction does not reach them on the wording of the law. A descendant who holds only a US, Australian, Canadian or UK passport is a non-EU national and needs prior approval from a committee of the decentralised administration for property in a border area. The list of border areas is in our buying guide.
The proposed transfer tax looks at where you are tax resident, not at your passport. Under Article 4 of the Income Tax Code, as set out in AADE’s guide for Greeks abroad, you are a Greek tax resident if your permanent or main residence, habitual abode or centre of vital interests is in Greece, or if you are in Greece for more than 183 days in any 12-month period.
| Buyer | Border-area permit (in force) | Proposed 15% transfer tax (tabled bill, not yet law) |
|---|---|---|
| Greek citizen, tax resident in the US, Canada, Australia or UK | Not caught on the wording of Article 25 (EU nationality) | Caught on the bill’s wording (tax resident outside the EU/EEA), unless eligible for the first-home exemption |
| Greek citizen, tax resident in Greece or another EU/EEA state | Not caught | Not caught on the bill’s wording |
| Descendant with only a non-EU passport, tax resident outside the EU/EEA | Permit needed in border areas | Caught on the bill’s wording, unless eligible for the first-home exemption |
| Descendant with only a non-EU passport, tax resident in Greece | Permit needed in border areas | Not caught on the bill’s wording |
If you are entitled to Greek citizenship by descent but have not yet been entered in a Greek municipal register, see our guide to Greek citizenship by descent. How the border-area rule treats dual nationals is a legal question. Confirm how this applies to you with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
You need a Greek tax number (AFM) before you can buy. Non-residents apply online through the “TIN & Authentication Key” application on myAADE and verify their identity by video call, at a tax office, or through a representative.
According to AADE’s tax guide for Greeks abroad and non-residents, the application can be opened without prior registration. You then choose a direct myAADElive video call with the first available agent, a scheduled video call, or a visit to a tax office. A legal or tax representative files the application with their own TAXISnet codes.
No. Under Article 8(1) of the current Tax Procedure Code (Law 5104/2024, ΦΕΚ Α’ 58/2024), a taxpayer who is tax resident abroad “may” appoint a Greek tax resident as tax representative for formal obligations. The earlier Code (Law 4987/2022) obliged taxpayers without a postal address in Greece to appoint one.
Our AFM guide covers the full application, timelines and how to open a Greek bank account once you have the number.
A power of attorney lets a person in Greece, usually a lawyer or a relative, sign for you. You sign it in person, either at a Greek consulate or before a notary in your country, followed by an apostille and an official Greek translation.
Greek consulates draw up powers of attorney as consular acts. Each consulate publishes its own rules. The Greek Consulate in London, for example, prepares them for Greek, British and EU nationals, asks for the draft by email as an editable Word file, requires the principal to attend in person with a valid passport or Greek police ID, and charges the equivalent of €60 per two-page sheet, including one official copy. The Greek Consulate in Canada requires an interpreter if the principal does not know Greek, and two unrelated Greek-speaking witnesses if the principal speaks Greek but cannot read or write it.
A document signed before a local notary needs an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention for use in Greece. All the main diaspora countries are parties:
| Country | Apostille Convention in force since |
|---|---|
| United States | 15 October 1981 |
| United Kingdom | 24 January 1965 |
| Australia | 16 March 1995 |
| South Africa | 30 April 1995 |
| Germany | 13 February 1966 |
| Canada | 11 January 2024 |
Source: Hague Conference on Private International Law status table. Greece has been a party since 18 May 1985.
Our guide to a power of attorney for Greek property covers wording, scope, fees and revocation.
The sale is completed by a deed drawn up by a Greek notary. Notaries are unsalaried public officials; many buyers abroad also appoint their own Greek lawyer to act for them.
Article 1 of the Code of Notaries (Law 2830/2000) describes the notary (symvolaiografos) as an unsalaried public official whose duties include drafting and keeping documents that create or prove legal acts. In a sale, the notary checks the documents the law requires, records how the price was paid and keeps the original deed.
Your own lawyer works for you. In a purchase from abroad, the lawyer often holds your power of attorney, runs the title checks, reviews the preliminary agreement and signs the deed in your name. An estate agent who lists the property usually works for the seller; see buyer’s agent vs listing agent.
Before any deposit, the title is checked in the Hellenic Cadastre and a licensed engineer checks the building against its permits. A deed cannot be signed without a licensed engineer’s statement on unauthorised works and, for most buildings, the electronic property identity.
The Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio) records ownership, boundaries, mortgages and claims under each property’s cadastral code (KAEK). It keeps moving areas to full operation; on 26 October 2026 it announced completion in the Magnesia and Sporades regional units. The old land registry is used only in the few areas not yet covered. Owners can view their properties’ cadastral data and order certificates online. See our guide to Cadastre checks before buying.
The Spatial Planning–Urban Planning Code (Law 5306/2026, ΦΕΚ Α’ 88/08.06.2026) bans the transfer of property with unauthorised works or uses, and such a deed is void (Article 367). Exceptions include works that existed before 30 November 1955 and works brought under the legalisation rules.
Our guide to illegal building works explains the legalisation categories and the works that can never be legalised.
Today a buyer pays transfer tax of 3% of the taxable value plus a 3% municipal surcharge on the tax, 3.09% in total. A bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, not yet law, would charge 15% on homes bought by individuals who are tax resident outside the EU and EEA, on final contracts from 1 July 2027.
According to AADE, buyer and seller file a joint declaration through myPROPERTY before the deed is drawn up, and the buyer pays the full tax within 3 working days. Transfer tax is governed by the Property Tax Code (Law 5219/2025, ΦΕΚ Α’ 130/2025).
A first-home exemption can matter if you plan to move back. Article 42 of Law 5219/2025 limits it to buyers who live permanently in Greece or intend to settle there, including Greeks and EU/EEA citizens; AADE’s page for residents abroad puts the settlement window at two years. Under Article 41 the exempt taxable value is €200,000 for a single buyer and €250,000 for a married buyer, plus €25,000 for each of the first two children and €30,000 for each further child. Under Article 40 the buyer, spouse and minor children must not already own a home that meets the family’s housing needs. See moving back to Greece.
The Ministry of National Economy and Finance put the bill to public consultation from 18 October to 1 November 2026 and tabled it in the Hellenic Parliament on 3 November 2026. Article 16 of the tabled bill adds a paragraph 1A to Article 27 of Law 5219/2025. It covers homes bought by natural persons who, when the tax becomes due, are tax residents of a state outside the EU and EEA. Under Article 52(8) of the bill, it applies to final contracts signed from 1 July 2027. On the current wording, a preliminary contract signed earlier but completed after that date would be caught. Parliament can still change the text.
The tabled text does not apply to buyers who qualify for the first-home exemption in Article 42 of Law 5219/2025, described above; it has no other exemption for Greek citizens. A Greek citizen who is tax resident in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK and does not qualify for that exemption would pay the higher rate on its wording; one who is tax resident in Greece would not. On a home with a taxable value of €300,000, the proposed rate means €45,000 before any municipal surcharge, against €9,270 at today’s 3.09%. Read our report on the bill and check status in the regulation tracker.
For notary, Cadastre and other costs, see the cost of buying guide and the buying cost calculator. After the purchase you pay the annual property tax: see Greek property taxes for owners abroad.
The price must be paid only by bank payment instruments, such as a bank transfer, and the notary must record how it was paid. A deed that breaks this rule cannot be registered.
The rule is in Article 50(3)(ζ) of the Property Tax Code (Law 5219/2025), and Article 50(9) bars registration of a deed drawn up in breach of it. AADE circular Ε.2075/2024 confirms that cash is excluded for the price, in whole or in part, including in preliminary contracts and settlement deeds.
Banks set their own documentation requirements for incoming international payments and new accounts. Our AFM and bank account guide lists what Greek banks typically ask for.
Work through these steps in order; the tax number and power of attorney come first because the rest depends on them.
On the tabled bill’s wording, the date of the final contract, not of the preliminary agreement, decides whether the 15% rate applies.
Yes. Greek citizens and US citizens can both buy property in Greece and take full title. You need a Greek tax number (AFM), which non-residents can get online through myAADE, and you can sign through a power of attorney. A US national without Greek or other EU citizenship also needs a permit for property in designated border areas.
No. You can verify your identity for the AFM by myAADElive video call and sign a power of attorney at a Greek consulate or before a local notary with an apostille. Your attorney, usually a Greek lawyer, then signs the deed before the notary in Greece.
On the wording of the bill tabled in Parliament on 3 November 2026, yes, unless you qualify for the first-home exemption in Article 42 of the Property Tax Code: it applies to home buyers who are tax resident outside the EU and EEA, on final contracts from 1 July 2027. It is not yet law, so the text can change. Today’s rate is 3.09%.
The permit rule in Article 25 of Law 1892/1990 applies to people whose nationality is outside the EU and EFTA. A Greek citizen holds EU nationality, so the rule does not reach them on its wording. A descendant who holds only a US passport needs prior approval for property in a border area such as the Dodecanese or Chios.
No. Under Article 8(1) of the Tax Procedure Code (Law 5104/2024), a non-resident may appoint a tax representative but is not obliged to.
Yes. You can sign at a Greek consulate, which drafts the document in Greek, or before a local notary. A notarial document from the UK or Canada needs an apostille and an official Greek translation; Canada has applied the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024.
