Complete Property Buying Process in Greece for Foreigners Step by Step

Complete Property Buying Process in Greece for Foreigners Step by Step

Buying property in Greece as a foreigner follows a structured legal process that typically takes two to four months from initial offer to key handover. Every step involves specific professionals, documents, and government interactions. This guide walks through the entire sequence as it works in 2026.

Step 1: Appoint a Lawyer

Greek law does not technically require buyers to hire a lawyer for property purchases. In practice, buying without one is reckless. Your lawyer handles title searches, contract review, tax compliance verification, and represents you at the notary.

Choose a lawyer who is a member of the local Bar Association (Dikigorikos Syllogos) where the property is located. If the property is in Athens, your lawyer should be registered with the Athens Bar. Fees typically run 1 to 2 percent of the purchase price, with a minimum of around EUR 1,500 to EUR 2,500.

If you will not be in Greece for every step, grant your lawyer a power of attorney (pliresiousia) notarized by a Greek consulate in your home country or by a Greek notary. This allows them to act on your behalf for the AFM application, bank account opening, and even the final signing if necessary.

Step 2: Obtain Your AFM

The AFM (Arithmos Forologikou Mitroou) is your Greek tax identification number. You cannot sign a purchase contract, open a bank account, or pay taxes without it.

In person: Visit the local tax office (DOY - Dimosion Oikonomikon Ypiresia) with your passport, proof of home address, and completed Forms M1 and M7. Processing takes one to five business days.

Via representative: Your lawyer can apply on your behalf using your power of attorney. This takes one to two weeks.

Non-EU citizens must also appoint a fiscal representative (forologikos antiprosopos) in Greece. Your lawyer usually serves this role.

Step 3: Open a Greek Bank Account

All property purchase funds must pass through a Greek bank account in your name. This is both a practical requirement and an anti-money laundering obligation.

Major Greek banks that serve foreign property buyers include Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank of Greece, and Piraeus Bank. Bring your passport, AFM, proof of address, and proof of income or wealth (bank statements, tax returns). The bank will conduct AML due diligence, which may take one to three weeks for non-EU citizens.

Transfer your purchase funds to this account before the signing date. International wire transfers typically take two to five business days. Factor in fees from both the sending and receiving banks.

Step 4: Property Search and Due Diligence

Once your legal and financial infrastructure is in place, begin the property search. You can work with a licensed real estate agent (mesitis), search online platforms, or contact developers directly.

When you identify a property, your lawyer conducts due diligence that covers the following:

Title search: A review of the property's ownership history at the local Land Registry (Ypothikofilakeio) or Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio), going back at least 20 years. This confirms the seller is the legitimate owner and that no encumbrances, liens, mortgages, or competing claims exist.

Building permit verification: Your lawyer or a civil engineer checks that the property's current state matches its building permit (oikodimiki adia). Any unauthorized construction is identified.

ENFIA tax clearance: The seller must prove that all annual property taxes (ENFIA) are paid. Unpaid ENFIA transfers with the property.

Urban planning compliance: Verification that the property complies with current zoning and building regulations, including any applicable archaeological protection orders.

Energy performance certificate: Since 2011, all properties sold in Greece must have an Energy Performance Certificate (PEA - Pistopoiitiko Energeiakis Apodosis). The seller is responsible for providing this.

Border zone restrictions: Under Law 1892/1990, property in designated border regions (paramethories periohes), which include parts of the northern mainland, the Dodecanese, the eastern Aegean islands, and Crete, cannot be acquired by a non-EU national until a special committee lifts the prohibition, usually through the local Decentralized Administration. EU and EFTA nationals apply for an exemption on easier terms, but the obligation still exists. Skip the permit and the transfer can be void, and approval takes time, so this check belongs before the deposit rather than after.

Engineer's certificate: An independent civil engineer (michanikos) inspects the property against the building permit and the architectural drawings on file and issues the certificate of legality that Law 4495/2017 requires for the deed. This is where unauthorized construction (afthereta) surfaces. Permit and zoning compliance is confirmed with the local Poleodomia, the urban planning office. The energy certificate requirement itself sits in Law 4122/2013.

Forest map check: For property outside urban cores, the Forest Maps (Dasikoi Chartes) confirm the land is not classified as forest or reforested area. Pending forest map objections are a common source of delay.

Step 5: Preliminary Agreement and Deposit

Once due diligence is satisfactory, you and the seller sign a preliminary agreement (prosymfono). This is a binding contract that sets out the purchase price, property description, timeline for completion, and conditions. A deposit of 10 percent of the purchase price is standard.

The deposit should ideally be held in your lawyer's client account rather than paid directly to the seller.

The preliminary agreement is signed before a notary, making it legally enforceable. If you withdraw without legal cause, you forfeit the deposit. If the seller withdraws, they must return double the deposit.

Not all transactions include a preliminary agreement. In some cases, particularly with developers or when both parties are ready to proceed, the transaction moves directly to the final contract.

Step 6: Final Contract Before the Notary

The final purchase deed (symvolaio agorapilisias) is signed before a Greek notary public (symvolaiografos). The notary is a neutral public official who verifies the legality of the transaction, not an advocate for either party.

Before the signing, the notary collects and verifies the following documents: seller's title deed, ENFIA tax clearance certificate, energy performance certificate, building permit and topographic survey, municipal tax clearance, proof of the seller's tax compliance, buyer's AFM, and proof of funds transfer.

At the signing, the notary reads the deed aloud (in Greek), both parties sign, and the notary retains the original. If you do not speak Greek, a certified interpreter must be present.

Step 7: Pay Transfer Tax

Before the contract is signed (or on the same day, depending on the tax office), you must pay the property transfer tax (Foros Metavivaseos Akiniton, FMA). The rate is 3.09 percent, calculated on the purchase price or the objective tax value (antikeimenikes axies), whichever is higher.

The transfer tax is governed by Law 1587/1950 as amended, and it does not apply to every purchase. A new-build delivered by a developer registered for VAT can instead fall under the 24 percent VAT regime, though VAT on new residential property has been suspended and the suspension repeatedly extended. Confirm with your lawyer which regime applies to your specific property before you budget for it.

Payment is made at the local tax office, and you receive a certificate confirming payment. The notary will not proceed with the signing without this certificate.

Step 8: Register the Property

After signing, the deed must be registered at the local Land Registry (Ypothikofilakeio) or Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio) within the legally mandated timeframe. Your lawyer or the notary handles this registration.

Registration fees are approximately 0.5 percent of the property's value. The registration is what makes your ownership legally effective against third parties. Until registration is complete, you are the owner as between you and the seller, but the purchase is not enforceable against anyone who might claim an interest in the property.

In areas where the Ktimatologio is operational, you must also update the cadastral records. This is a separate filing from the land registry registration.

Step 9: Connect Utilities and Municipal Registration

After registration, transfer the utility accounts (electricity, water, municipal taxes) into your name. This requires your AFM and the registered deed. Contact DEI or your preferred electricity provider, the local water company (EYDAP in Athens, EYATH in Thessaloniki, or the local provider elsewhere), and the municipality for local tax registration.

If you plan to rent the property, you will also need to register it with the tax authorities for rental income purposes and, for short-term rentals, obtain the required property number from the Short-Term Rental Registry.

Step 10: Post-Purchase Obligations

As a property owner in Greece, your ongoing obligations include paying ENFIA (annual property tax, assessed each September), filing a Greek tax return if you earn rental income in Greece (even as a non-resident), maintaining property insurance (not legally required but strongly advisable), and complying with any condominium regulations if the property is in a multi-unit building.

What the Purchase Costs Beyond the Price

Budget 8 to 10 percent above the purchase price. Notary fees are regulated on a sliding scale under Presidential Decree 16/2014 and run 0.65 to 1.0 percent of the property value. Agent commission is commonly 2 percent plus 24 percent VAT, an effective 2.48 percent, paid by the buyer. The engineer's report is a flat fee of EUR 500 to EUR 1,500. Add the 3.09 percent transfer tax, legal fees of 1 to 2 percent, and the registry fee.

If the Golden Visa Is Your Reason for Buying

Greece overhauled its residency-by-investment rules on August 31, 2024, and the thresholds are now zoned. Zone A, covering the whole region of Attica (Athens and Piraeus), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini, requires a minimum property investment of EUR 800,000. Zone B, the rest of the country, requires EUR 400,000. At both tiers the property must be a single dwelling of at least 120 square metres. The EUR 250,000 route survives only for restoring listed buildings or converting commercial buildings into housing. Short-term rental of a Golden Visa property is banned, with revocation and a EUR 50,000 fine for breaching it. Choose the property against these rules before you commit.

Timeline Summary

| Step | Duration |

|------|----------|

| Appoint lawyer, obtain AFM | 1-3 weeks |

| Open bank account | 1-3 weeks |

| Property search and due diligence | 2-8 weeks |

| Preliminary agreement | 1 day |

| Final notary signing | 1 day |

| Pay transfer tax | 1 day |

| Registration | 1-4 weeks |

| Utility transfer | 1-2 weeks |

Total elapsed time from lawyer appointment to registration: approximately 8 to 16 weeks for a straightforward transaction. Complex cases involving border zone permits, inheritance issues, or cadastre discrepancies can take significantly longer.

For country-specific market data, pricing trends, and regional comparisons, Bektu's Greece country guide covers the current landscape for foreign buyers.