Greek Property Glossary: 40 terms explained

The AFM is the Greek tax registration number. The tax authority (AADE) says a buyer must have or obtain one before buying property. No deed, Greek bank account or E9 declaration can be completed without it. A buyer abroad can apply electronically and confirm their identity by video call (myAADElive) or at a tax office, or ask a representative holding a power of attorney to apply.

The AMA is the number AADE gives a property entered in its Short-Term Stay Property Registry, which every home let for stays of under 60 days must join. The law requires the number to appear visibly on every listing. In central Athens and central Thessaloniki new registrations are frozen, and a property transferred during the owner’s lifetime is deleted from the registry and cannot be re-registered while the freeze lasts.

Antiparochi is the traditional Greek way of building apartment blocks. A landowner gives a builder shares in the plot, and in return receives some of the finished flats instead of cash. The builder sells the remaining flats, often before they are built. A buyer of such a flat checks the agreement between landowner and builder, which flats belong to whom, and that the builder actually holds the shares being sold.

The building coefficient is the number that, multiplied by the area of a plot, gives the total floor area that may be built on it, as defined in the New Building Regulation. A coefficient of 0.8 on a 500 m² plot, for example, allows 400 m². It works alongside coverage, the share of the plot that buildings may occupy. Together they show how much unused building potential, if any, a plot still has.

A building permit authorises construction or major alteration of a building. Under Law 4495/2017, permits are issued electronically and the permit number is posted online once issued. Work carried out without the required permit, or in breach of it, counts as unauthorised. For an off-plan purchase, an engineer checks that the permit is valid and covers the exact unit, floor, size and use in the contract.

Capital gains tax on property is an income tax on the seller’s gain when a property is sold, set by Article 41 of the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013). The gain is reduced by coefficients that depend on how long the property was held. The tax has been suspended for years. Article 90 of Law 5162/2024 extended the suspension until 31 December 2026. Sales after that date depend on whether it is extended again.

Communal charges are the shared running costs of an apartment building, such as cleaning, lighting of common areas, lift maintenance and, in some buildings, central heating. They are divided among the flats according to the shares set in the condominium regulation and are usually collected monthly by the building manager. A buyer asks for recent statements and confirmation that the seller has no unpaid charges.

The condominium regulation is the founding document of an apartment building under horizontal ownership. It records each unit’s share of the land in thousandths, how common charges are split, which parking spaces and storage rooms belong to which flat, and any limits on how units may be used. It is registered and binds every later owner, so a buyer reads it before signing, together with the deed that created the flat.

The arravonas is the deposit, or earnest money, a buyer pays when terms are agreed, usually under a preliminary agreement. It counts towards the price. The agreement should say what happens to the deposit if the buyer or the seller pulls out, or if a condition, such as a clean title search, is not met. For off-plan purchases, Greek law does not require a bank guarantee or escrow to protect it.

The E9 is the real estate statement each owner files with AADE, listing their Greek properties. Foreign residents must file it, like Greek residents, when they acquire a property or when it changes. Filing is electronic only, through myAADE, and late filing can bring fines. AADE pages give different deadlines: 31 March of the following year on the non-resident page, 31 May in the buyer’s guide. ENFIA is calculated from the E9 data.

The energy performance certificate (Pistopoiitiko Energeiakis Apodosis) rates a building’s energy class. Under Law 4122/2013 it is mandatory when a new building is completed, after a major renovation, and when a property is sold or let to a new tenant. It is issued by a registered energy inspector and handed to the buyer or tenant. The energy class must appear in every commercial advert and listing for the property.

ENFIA is the annual tax on property held in Greece. It is charged on the properties you own on 1 January of each year, whatever changes later in the year, and is calculated from the E9 declarations on file. AADE notifies owners through myAADE. The tax can be paid in up to 10 equal monthly instalments of at least €10, the last due by the final working day of February of the following year.

The ENFIA certificate shows the property tax position of the property being sold. AADE says owners transferring real estate must present it, and the notary attaches it to the deed. It is issued online through myAADE using the owner’s credentials, or through the tax office for a deceased owner. A buyer’s lawyer also compares the seller’s E9 entries with the cadastral record to spot differences in area or use.

Under Article 83 of Law 4495/2017, every deed transferring a property must attach the owner’s solemn declaration and an engineer’s certificate. The engineer certifies either that there are no buildings on the land, or that there are no unauthorised works or uses, or that any that exist fall within the legal exceptions. The certificate is valid for two months from signature. A buyer’s own technical inspection is separate from it.

Under Law 5092/2024, the foreshore (aigialos) is the strip of land reached by the highest usual waves of the sea. The seashore (paralia) is the adjoining strip inland, up to 50 metres from the foreshore line. Both are public common-use land, protected and managed by the State. For a seafront property, the officially drawn foreshore line decides whether part of a plot is public land and where building is possible.

Forest maps record which land is forest or woodland, which the State protects and where building is restricted. The Hellenic Cadastre publishes them, and owners can file objections that are examined by committees. Law 4685/2020 set the rules for revising and updating the maps. A buyer of a rural plot, or a home on one, checks whether any part of the land is shown as forest before relying on its use or building rights.

The Golden Visa is a five-year, renewable Greek residence permit for non-EU citizens who buy property. Under Law 5100/2024 the minimum is €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands of over 3,100 residents, and €400,000 elsewhere, in one property of at least 120 m² of main areas. Two €250,000 routes cover conversions to homes and listed buildings. The property cannot be let short term.

The Hellenic Cadastre is the state register of land and property rights. It describes itself as a unified, continuously updated system recording the legal and technical details of each property, including its shape, position and size, under the guarantee of the State. After signing, the deed is registered with the Cadastre, which records the buyer as owner. Deeds can be lodged online. The Cadastre is gradually absorbing the older land registries.

Horizontal ownership is the standard form of flat ownership in a Greek apartment building. Each owner holds a separate flat or floor outright, plus a co-ownership share in the land and the common parts, such as the stairs, roof and lift. The share is usually expressed in thousandths. It is set up by a notarial deed, often together with the building’s regulation, which records each unit and its share.

In Greece an estate passes to the heirs on death, but for real estate the act of acceptance of the inheritance, usually a notarial deed, or a certificate of succession must be registered with the land registry or Cadastre. Until that happens, heirs cannot show registered title and so cannot sell. Many older homes are inherited and held by several relatives, all of whom must sign a sale. A reformed inheritance law, Law 5303/2026, applies from 16 September 2026, with transitional rules.

The KAEK is the code the Hellenic Cadastre gives each registered property. It identifies the property in cadastral extracts and certificates, and it is used to describe the property precisely in a power of attorney or a deed. During due diligence a lawyer checks that the boundaries, plot area and permitted use recorded under the KAEK match what the seller describes and what the engineer finds on site.

Land registries are the older local offices where property deeds, mortgages and other rights were recorded before the Hellenic Cadastre. The Cadastre is absorbing them into its cadastral offices and branches. Where the cadastral survey is not yet complete for an area, a deed may still be registered at the local land registry. A lawyer’s title search often goes back through land registry archives to trace the chain of ownership.

The MHTE is the Ministry of Tourism’s registry of tourism businesses. A licensed tourist accommodation, such as a hotel or a business letting rooms, receives an MHTE number on its special operating licence. Properties holding that licence are exempt from AADE’s short-term rental registry and display their licence number instead of an AMA. The licence relates to the tourism business and its premises, so a buyer checks how it would pass on a sale.

A mortgage is a charge registered over a property to secure a debt. A prenotation of mortgage is a preliminary registration ordered by a court that secures a claim and can later be converted into a full mortgage. Banks often secure home loans this way. Both stay on the property when it is sold, so a title search lists them, and the parties agree how each will be lifted before the deed is signed.

The notarial deed is the final contract of sale, signed by buyer and seller, or their attorneys, before a notary. Required documents are attached to it, including the owner’s declaration and engineer’s certificate, the seller’s tax clearance and ENFIA certificate, the energy performance certificate and proof that transfer tax has been paid. The deed then has to be registered with the Hellenic Cadastre or land registry, which records the buyer as the new owner.

A Greek notary is a public official who drafts the deed of sale, checks the documents both sides must provide and calculates the taxes and fees due. Every property purchase is completed before a notary. The notary’s fee follows an official scale set by Joint Ministerial Decision 111376/2011, charged in bands on the value in the deed, plus VAT. A notary also drafts and certifies other acts, such as a preliminary agreement or a power of attorney.

The objective value is an official value given to a property by the tax system, calculated from predetermined factors set by the Ministry of Finance, starting from the zone price of the area. Transfer tax is charged on the higher of the agreed price and the objective value. A buyer who pays less than the objective value still pays tax on the objective value. Other charges, such as some fees, can follow the higher figure too.

Out-of-plan land lies outside an approved town plan and outside the limits of a recognised settlement. The building regulations call such a parcel a gipedo, as opposed to an oikopedo inside a plan. Different, generally stricter, rules decide whether and how much can be built on it, based on factors such as plot size and road frontage. Much rural and island land, including many plots sold for villas, is out-of-plan.

A parental gift is a transfer of property from a parent to a child during the parent’s lifetime, made by notarial deed. It is a distinct category in Greek law and is taxed more favourably than an ordinary gift. Parents often keep the usufruct and give the bare ownership. In the frozen short-term rental zones of Athens and Thessaloniki, a gift counts as a transfer, so the property loses its short-term rental registration.

A power of attorney lets a named person, usually a Greek lawyer, act in your name: obtain your tax number, open accounts, sign the deed and register it. It is signed in person, either at a Greek consulate or before a notary in your own country. A document signed before a foreign notary needs an Apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention and an official Greek translation. A specific power of attorney naming the property is common for a one-off purchase.

A preliminary agreement commits buyer and seller to sign the final deed later. It sets the price, the deposit, the deadline and any conditions, such as a mortgage approval or the outcome of title checks, and what happens if either side withdraws. Because the final sale needs a notarial deed, a binding preliminary agreement must also be signed before a notary. It is usually signed once due diligence is complete.

A tax clearance certificate confirms a person’s position with the tax authority. A seller needs one to transfer property, and the notary attaches it to the deed. It is issued digitally through myAADE. Where the seller has overdue tax debts, AADE can issue it for the transfer with part of the sale proceeds withheld to settle them. The digital certificate carries a QR code and identifies the property.

A topographic plan is a survey drawing prepared by a licensed engineer or surveyor. It shows a plot’s boundaries, area, neighbouring properties, roads and existing buildings, usually with official coordinates. It is needed for building permits and is commonly attached to deeds for land. Comparing it with the cadastral record and the title deeds shows whether the plot’s real size and boundaries match what is being sold.

Land inside an approved town plan (entos schediou) sits within an officially approved street layout, with its own planning rules for building lines, public spaces and permitted uses. The building regulations call such a parcel an oikopedo. Inside a plan, the building coefficient and coverage set for the zone decide how much can be built. Most city flats and houses stand on land inside a town plan.

Transfer tax is paid by the buyer of a resale property. AADE sets it at 3% of the property value, charged on the higher of price and objective value. A municipal surcharge of 3% on the tax brings the total to 3.09%. Buyer and seller file a joint return, now electronically on myPROPERTY, and the tax is paid before the deed is signed. A 15% rate for some non-EU buyers has been announced but is not yet law.

Law 4495/2017 defines unauthorised works as any construction or installation made without the required building permit or in breach of planning rules, such as an enclosed balcony or an extra room. Article 82 makes the transfer of a property with such works prohibited and void, unless an exception applies. The main exception is legalisation: the owner declares the works electronically and pays a fee and special fine, which brings them into the scheme.

Usufruct is the right to use a property and keep its income, for example to live in it or collect rent, without owning it. The owner of the property then holds bare ownership: title without use. Usufruct is personal and ends at the latest on the death of the person holding it, when full ownership returns to the bare owner. It is common in family transfers, so a buyer checks that the seller holds full ownership.

A new building sold by a developer is normally subject to VAT instead of transfer tax. Under Article 12 of Law 5246/2025, the developer can apply to suspend VAT on unsold properties until 31 December 2026, and transfer tax is then charged instead. A further extension has been announced but not legislated. A buyer of a new build asks in writing whether VAT applies to the unit and whether the price includes it.

Vertical ownership divides one plot into separate buildings, or separate parts of a building from ground to roof, each owned by a different person, while the land itself stays in shared ownership. It is common for houses and maisonettes in small complexes and for plots shared within families. A buyer checks the deed that created it, the share of the plot that goes with the unit and what the owners may build.

The zone price is the base value per square metre set for each pricing zone in the objective value system. It is the starting point for a property’s objective value, which is then adjusted by coefficients for the individual property. The government publishes the zones on an official online map, Zones of objective values of real estate. Zone prices are tax values, not market prices, and can differ widely from asking prices.