Non-EU buyers may need a permit in designated border areas, cadastral registration remains incomplete in some popular regions, building irregularities can prevent the deed from being signed, and only the 3.09% transfer tax is fixed by law. This guide places those costs and checks in the order a buyer should address them.
Everything here was verified against Greek primary sources on August 14, 2026. Dollar figures are rounded at about US$1.15 per euro, the ECB reference rate in August 2026.
How does a Greek purchase actually work?
A Greek purchase normally moves through the tax number, bank account, independent checks, transfer-tax payment, notarial deed and cadastral registration in that order.
First you obtain an AFM, the Greek tax number. Greece’s tax authority issues it digitally, with identity confirmed at a tax office or by video call. No travel is required if you appoint a representative.
Then a Greek bank account. Greece’s anti-money-laundering framework makes banks, agents, notaries, and lawyers all “obliged entities,” and your purchase money needs a clean, traceable path through the banking system.
Three professionals have different roles. The notary is an impartial public officer who drafts the deed and calculates transaction taxes. The lawyer appointed by the buyer checks title, liens, boundaries and the issues described below. The engineer certifies the building’s legal status, without which the deed cannot be signed.
Then the transfer-tax declaration and payment, the notarial deed, and registration at the Hellenic Cadastre.
No official source publishes a standard end-to-end timeline. Any estimate needs to account for the specific permit, cadastral and document position of the property.
Which seven costs and checks should be resolved before closing?
1. Non-EU buyers may need a border-area permit before they can purchase.
Under Law 1892/1990, non-EU nationals need prior authorization from a regional committee before acquiring property in designated border areas. These include the Dodecanese and other Eastern Aegean and border communities, according to guidance from Greek notaries. The rule applies to named administrative areas rather than necessarily to a whole island, so it must be checked for the specific parcel.
The best practitioner account we could verify describes a committee review of the buyer’s passport, record and funds. It commonly takes months and, although ordinary holiday-home applications are often granted, approval cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Before anything becomes non-refundable, the buyer’s lawyer should confirm whether the parcel lies within a designated area. If it does, the contract should be conditional on the permit. EU citizens do not need this permit.
2. Cadastral registration remains incomplete in some regions popular with foreign buyers.
Greece is still completing its parcel-based national registry, and this isn’t folklore. The Hellenic Cadastre’s own announcements, dated as recently as August 2026, show cadastral posting still in progress in regional units including Chania, Heraklion, and Rethymno on Crete, Lesvos, Limnos, the Cyclades, and Chalkidiki.
Where the transition is complete, a notarized digital transfer file, in use since January 2024, retrieves title, building, energy and tax certificates electronically. Elsewhere, verification relies more heavily on older paper-based registry practice, and correction periods during cadastral posting can reveal discrepancies in older properties.
Ask early whether the regional unit has completed cadastral registration and what the current stage means for the expected checks and closing process.
3. Undeclared building work can prevent the deed from being signed.
Since 2021, property transfers run through the Electronic Building Identity, administered through the Technical Chamber of Greece’s systems: a registered engineer certifies the building’s status, including that no undeclared unauthorized construction exists, and the notary cannot execute the deed without it.
Greece spent decades accumulating informally extended and modified buildings, and a whole legal machinery (Laws 4178/2013 and 4495/2017) exists for declaring and regularizing them by category.
An enclosed pergola or another undeclared addition may therefore block closing or create a later liability. The engineer’s certificate, rather than the seller’s assurance, establishes the legal position. Buyers of older property should budget for an independent engineer’s review and resolve irregularities before signing.
4. A new build may be subject either to the 3.09% transfer tax or to VAT, depending on the developer’s election.
Greece has suspended VAT on newly built homes, currently through December 31, 2026 under Law 5246/2025. While suspended, the sale carries the ordinary 3.09% transfer tax instead of VAT.
The developer may choose whether to use the suspension and may instead charge VAT to recover tax paid during construction. Similar-looking units can therefore be taxed differently. Confirm in writing which treatment applies to the individual unit.
Greece also has no general statutory escrow protecting pre-completion payments. An off-plan contract must therefore state how payments are held, released and refunded.
5. Purchase funds must follow a traceable banking path, and an early deposit may provide limited protection.
The deed, tax filing and bank-compliance process all depend on traceable funds, making the AFM, bank-account and funds sequence important in practice.
On deposits: a Greek preliminary agreement is typically a private document that transfers no interest in the property. If the deal collapses, your recourse is ordinary contract-law remedies. Specialist firms report deposits of up to 10% being requested early with minimal documentation and advise buyers against accepting that risk.
Pay the deposit only after the border-area, cadastral and building checks, and make the preliminary agreement state what happens to the money if the purchase cannot proceed.
6. The 3.09% transfer tax is fixed by law; the other buyer-side costs must be quoted and itemized.
The transfer tax is the fixed part: 3% plus a municipal surcharge, an effective 3.09% of taxable value, buyer-paid, due in full within three working days of the assessment.
The remaining charges are set by the market rather than fixed by law. A notary may cost roughly 0.65% to 1%, or about €2,000 to 3,000 (US$2,300 to 3,500) on a €300,000 tax value. A buyer’s lawyer commonly charges 0.5% to 1.5% plus VAT. Agent commission is often around 2% to 3% plus VAT and is commonly paid by the buyer, with registration costs added separately.
On a €300,000 purchase, about US$345,000, the transfer tax alone is €9,270 (about US$10,700). Buyer-side guides place the full cost with an agent at roughly 8% to 10% above the price. Only the 3.09% is statutory, so treat the wider figure as a planning range and obtain written quotes before committing.
7. Annual tax and filing obligations begin after completion and can affect a later sale.
The annual property tax, known as ENFIA, is charged to whoever owns the property on January 1. Your E9 form, which declares the property to the tax authority, must be filed by March 31 of the year after purchase, although it may be filled automatically when the transfer uses the digital system. Payment can be spread across as many as ten monthly installments.
An ENFIA certificate proving that the tax is settled must be produced to the notary before a later transfer. Unpaid ENFIA can therefore block a future closing.
Municipalities also levy a property charge collected through the electricity bill. Its form is changing, so ask your accountant to confirm the charge currently applying to the property. Rental income has separate non-resident tax rules that should also be reviewed before the home is let.
How do the checks differ for an Athens apartment, island resale and new build?
| Athens apartment | Island resale | New build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border-area check | Not applicable | Decisive if non-EU; confirm the parcel, condition the contract | Same rule as resale by location |
| Cadastre | Generally complete; digital closing likely | Verify regional posting status first | The land’s status governs, new building or not |
| Building legality | Standard identity + engineer check | Heightened: older stock, undeclared additions | Confirm documentation is issue-ready, not pending |
| Transaction tax | 3.09% | 3.09% | 3.09% or VAT, per the developer’s election; confirm per unit |
| Sharpest risk | Fees and building condition | Cadastral completeness and permit timeline | No statutory escrow; the contract is the protection |
Greek banks do lend to non-residents, with bank-reported terms currently around 65% to 80% loan-to-value depending on the lender and the borrower’s residence. These are commercial terms rather than legal rules and can change. If financing is required, obtain approval from a specific lender before the preliminary agreement and keep the deposit refundable until the loan is approved.
Where Greece’s prices and rents actually stand is its own report, Greece property market 2026. And if your purchase doubles as a residency plan, the Golden Visa’s current rules and queues are covered separately, Greece Golden Visa.
When is a Greek purchase ready to proceed?
A Greek purchase is ready to proceed when the location permit, cadastral record, building legality, tax treatment, payment path and full cost have been checked before the deposit becomes non-refundable. Greece’s notarial, registry and engineering systems provide a clear framework when those steps are completed in the right order.
When you’re choosing where in Greece rather than how to buy, our Greece destination guide covers the regions and developments from builders that have passed our review. DSH is an education and referral platform. Buyers should still appoint their own lawyer and engineer and work with the transaction’s notary.
Disclaimer
Dream Second Home is not a law firm or tax adviser, and this article is not legal or tax advice. It is an educational summary of the cited sources as they stood on August 14, 2026. Fee ranges outside the 3.09% transfer tax are market-reported rather than statutory. Confirm the transaction-specific figures with your Greek lawyer, notary, and tax adviser before committing.
