Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Greece Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Greece Property Pack
Yes, foreigners can buy property in Greece, but there are important exceptions for certain border areas that non-EU buyers need to understand.
Greece is broadly open to foreign ownership, making it one of Europe's most accessible real estate markets for international buyers.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest regulations, taxes, and practical steps for buying property in Greece.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Greece.
Insights
- Greece's transfer tax sits at just 3.09% of taxable value, making it one of the lowest acquisition costs in Southern Europe for foreign property buyers in 2026.
- Non-EU buyers targeting properties in border regions like Evros or certain Aegean islands near Turkey must obtain prior authorization from the Greek Ministry of Defense before completing a purchase.
- The Greek Cadastre system is still being rolled out nationwide in 2026, meaning some older properties remain registered in legacy land registries, which can complicate title verification for foreign buyers.
- Golden Visa thresholds in Greece now range from 250,000 euros for commercial-to-residential conversions up to 800,000 euros in prime areas like Athens, Thessaloniki, and islands with over 3,100 residents.
- Foreign buyers must obtain a Greek tax identification number (AFM) before purchasing, and non-EU residents typically need to appoint a local tax representative in Greece.
- ENFIA, Greece's annual property tax, is assessed based on what you own on January 1 each year, so timing your purchase strategically can affect your first-year tax bill.
- All-in closing costs for foreign buyers in Greece typically range from 7% to 10% of the property price, including transfer tax, notary fees, registration, and legal costs.
- Capital gains tax on property sales in Greece remains suspended until December 31, 2026, creating a favorable window for investors pursuing short-to-medium-term strategies.
Can a foreigner legally own land in Greece right now?
Can foreigners own land in Greece in 2026?
As of early 2026, Greece is broadly open to foreign individuals buying residential property, including land, with the key exception being designated border and frontier areas where non-EU buyers may need prior government authorization.
There is no blanket nationwide ban on foreign ownership in Greece; instead, the restriction is location-based, meaning transactions in specific border areas are prohibited for non-EU and non-EFTA nationals unless they obtain authorization from the Greek Ministry of Defense.
For foreigners who cannot buy directly in restricted zones, the closest alternatives are purchasing outside those areas, acquiring a condominium unit in unrestricted locations, or exploring long-term lease arrangements that provide control without full ownership.
Greece does apply nationality-based restrictions: EU and EFTA citizens generally face no special ownership barriers, while third-country nationals (non-EU and non-EFTA) face additional scrutiny and authorization requirements in border regions near Turkey and certain eastern Aegean islands.
Can I own a house but not the land in Greece in 2026?
As of early 2026, Greece does not commonly use a system where you own a building separately from the land beneath it; when you buy a house, your ownership rights typically attach to the land as well because buildings and land are legally interconnected under Greek property law.
If you purchase an apartment or condominium in Greece, you receive a deed showing ownership of your unit plus a proportional share of the common parts and land, which is the closest practical equivalent to owning a structure without holding a standalone land plot.
Long-term lease arrangements or surface rights can theoretically separate building control from land ownership, but these are niche structures in Greece, and any lease-based arrangement would need explicit renewal and transfer clauses to maintain your control when the term ends.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Greece. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
Do rules differ by region or city for land ownership in Greece right now?
Yes, foreign land ownership rules in Greece vary significantly by location, with the main distinction being between standard areas where purchases are straightforward and designated border or frontier zones where non-EU buyers face additional restrictions.
Regions that typically trigger stricter rules for non-EU foreign buyers include Evros near the Turkish border, parts of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the Dodecanese islands such as Rhodes, and certain North Aegean islands close to Turkey like Lesvos and Kastellorizo.
These regional differences exist primarily for national security reasons under Law 1892/1990, which restricts property transactions by third-country nationals in areas near Greece's borders with non-EU countries.
We cover a lot of different regions and cities in our pack about the property market in Greece.
Can I buy land in Greece through marriage to a local in 2026?
As of early 2026, marriage to a Greek citizen does not automatically grant a foreigner the right to bypass border-area restrictions; the deciding factor remains whether you as a non-EU national will be the legal owner of property in a restricted zone.
Foreign spouses should ensure their ownership interest is properly documented, and if both partners will be on the title, the non-EU spouse's portion may still require authorization in border areas, so consulting a Greek property lawyer before purchase is essential.
If the marriage ends in divorce in Greece, property division follows Greek family law, but the foreign spouse's ability to retain ownership in a restricted border area could become complicated if their authorization was tied to the marriage circumstances.
There is a lot of mistakes you can make, we cover 99% of them in our list of risks and pitfalls people face when buying property in Greece.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Greece. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What eligibility and status do I need to buy land in Greece?
Do I need residency to buy land in Greece in 2026?
As of early 2026, Greece does not require foreigners to have residency status in order to purchase residential property, meaning you can buy as a tourist or non-resident as long as you meet the standard legal requirements.
While no specific visa is required to complete the transaction, you will need a Greek tax identification number (AFM), which is mandatory for all property-related legal and tax filings in Greece.
Yes, it is legally possible to buy property in Greece remotely without being physically present by granting a Power of Attorney to a lawyer or representative, though you will need to handle identity verification and potentially banking arrangements in advance.
Please note that we give you all the details you need about the different pathways to get residency and citizenship in Greece here.
Do I need a local tax number to buy lands in Greece?
Yes, obtaining a Greek tax identification number (AFM) is mandatory before you can legally purchase property in Greece, as the AFM is required for all property contracts, tax filings, and registration procedures.
The process to obtain an AFM as a foreigner typically takes a few days to a few weeks depending on your verification method; you can start the application electronically through the Gov.gr portal and complete identity verification as required by AADE, Greece's tax authority.
While not legally required in every case, opening a local Greek bank account is very common in practice because it simplifies payment logistics, ongoing property expenses, and demonstrates a clean money trail for source-of-funds compliance.
Is there a minimum investment to buy land in Greece as of 2026?
As of early 2026, there is no minimum investment required for foreigners to purchase residential property in Greece for personal use; you can buy a property at any price point as long as you meet the standard legal requirements.
However, if your goal is to obtain a residence permit through property investment via Greece's Golden Visa program, the minimum thresholds vary by location: 250,000 euros (approximately 260,000 USD) for commercial-to-residential conversions, 400,000 euros (approximately 415,000 USD) in most standard areas, and 800,000 euros (approximately 830,000 USD) in high-demand zones like Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini.
Are there restricted zones foreigners can't buy in Greece?
Yes, Greece has designated border and frontier areas where non-EU and non-EFTA nationals face restrictions and may need prior government authorization before purchasing property.
The restricted zones typically include border regions near Turkey such as Evros and parts of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, military-sensitive areas, and certain islands in the eastern Aegean near Turkey including parts of the Dodecanese and North Aegean islands.
To verify whether a specific plot falls within a restricted zone, you should engage a Greek property lawyer who can check with the competent authorities and confirm whether authorization from the Ministry of Defense is required for your nationality and intended purchase location.
Can foreigners buy agricultural, coastal or border land in Greece right now?
Foreigners can generally purchase agricultural, coastal, and border land in Greece, but each category comes with specific challenges and restrictions that vary based on buyer nationality and property location.
Agricultural land outside border zones is generally purchasable by foreigners, but due diligence is more complex because you must verify zoning, forest map classifications, buildability rights, and legal access; many foreign buyers are surprised to discover their "farmland" cannot legally be developed.
Coastal land purchases are possible but subject to additional scrutiny including setback rules from the shoreline, Natura 2000 environmental protections, and heritage site restrictions that can limit what you can build or modify.
Border land presents the biggest hurdle for non-EU and non-EFTA buyers, who must obtain prior authorization from the Ministry of Defense under Law 1892/1990 before completing any purchase in designated frontier areas.
Get fresh and reliable information about the market in Greece
Don't base significant investment decisions on outdated data. Get updated and accurate information with our guide.
What are the safest legal structures to control land in Greece?
Is a long-term lease equivalent to ownership in Greece right now?
A long-term lease in Greece can provide economically similar control to ownership, but legally it is not equivalent because ownership grants you a registered property right (in rem) while a lease is primarily a contract right that may have weaker enforceability against third parties.
The maximum lease length in Greece depends on the specific lease type and structure; there is no single universal maximum term, and renewal rights must be explicitly included in the contract, so you should not assume automatic extension without reviewing the exact legal instrument with a lawyer.
Foreigners can sell, transfer, or bequeath their lease rights in Greece only if the contract explicitly grants these rights; without proper drafting and potential annotation in the registry, your "ownership-like" lease may be difficult to transfer or inherit.
Can I buy land in Greece via a local company?
Yes, foreigners can purchase land in Greece through a locally registered company, and there are no specific ownership percentage requirements for foreign shareholders, though this approach adds complexity in terms of accounting, tax administration, and beneficial ownership disclosure.
The key consideration is that border-area restrictions under Law 1892/1990 can still apply to legal entities depending on the citizenship of shareholders and the company's place of business, so using a company structure does not automatically bypass the authorization requirements that affect individual non-EU buyers.
What "grey-area" ownership setups get foreigners in trouble in Greece?
Grey-area ownership arrangements are relatively common among foreign buyers in Greece who try to work around restrictions or simplify purchases, but these setups frequently lead to serious legal and financial problems when relationships break down or authorities investigate.
The most common problematic structures include nominee or "straw man" arrangements where title is held in a local friend's name with a side agreement, fake or weak Powers of Attorney that are overbroad or improperly notarized, and purchases of land that turns out to be non-buildable due to forest classifications or lack of legal access.
If Greek authorities discover an illegal ownership structure, foreigners can face contract nullification, loss of their investment, and potential legal penalties; even if not discovered, nominee arrangements leave you with no enforceable ownership rights if the relationship with your local partner deteriorates.
By the way, you can avoid most of these bad surprises if you go through our pack covering the property buying process in Greece.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Greece versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How does the land purchase process work in Greece, step-by-step?
What are the exact steps to buy land in Greece right now?
The typical step-by-step process for a foreigner buying land in Greece in 2026 includes: obtaining your AFM tax number, engaging a lawyer and notary, conducting thorough due diligence on title and encumbrances via the Cadastre, checking for border-area restrictions if applicable, signing a preliminary agreement with deposit, paying transfer taxes through AADE systems, signing the final notarial deed, and registering the deed with the Land Registry or Cadastre office.
For a property in an unrestricted area with a clean file, the entire process typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from initial engagement to final registration; however, if you need border-area authorization as a non-EU buyer, you should plan for 3 to 6 months or longer due to committee approval timelines.
The key documents you will sign include the notarial purchase deed, tax declarations associated with the transfer that are typically prepared by the notary and filed through AADE's myPROPERTY platform, and a Power of Attorney if you are purchasing remotely without being physically present in Greece.
What scams are common when it comes to buying land in Greece right now?
What scams target foreign land buyers in Greece right now?
Scams targeting foreign property buyers in Greece are not extremely prevalent compared to some markets, but they do occur, and most foreign buyer losses come from paperwork asymmetry and due diligence failures rather than outright criminal fraud.
The most common issues include sellers presenting properties with "clean titles" that lack official Cadastre verification, selling non-buildable plots as "future build" opportunities when forest or coastal protections make development impossible, and high-pressure deposit demands before the buyer has completed proper due diligence.
The top warning signs that a land deal may be problematic include pressure to pay deposits before you have received official Cadastre extracts, reluctance from the seller to provide engineer or surveyor verification, and significant discrepancies between physical fences or markers and the official registered boundaries.
Foreigners who fall victim to property fraud in Greece can pursue legal recourse through the Greek courts, but cases can be lengthy and expensive, making prevention through proper due diligence far more effective than trying to recover losses after the fact.
We cover all these things in length in our pack about the property market in Greece.
How do I verify the seller is legit in Greece right now?
The best method to verify a seller's legitimacy in Greece is to have your lawyer or notary obtain the official cadastral sheet or registration certificate directly from the Hellenic Cadastre, which confirms who legally owns the property and their right to sell.
To confirm the land title is clean and free of disputes, your lawyer should review the complete ownership chain and check for any annotations, claims, or ongoing litigation recorded in the Cadastre or Land Registry system.
Checking for existing liens, mortgages, or debts attached to the property is done through the same Cadastre and Land Registry records, where any encumbrances should be annotated; your notary will not proceed with the deed if unresolved issues appear.
The notary is the most essential professional for verifying seller legitimacy in Greece because they are legally required to confirm the seller's identity, ownership rights, and the absence of encumbrances before executing the purchase deed.
How do I confirm land boundaries in Greece right now?
The standard procedure for confirming land boundaries before purchase in Greece is to obtain the official cadastral diagram and excerpt from the Hellenic Cadastre and then commission an on-the-ground measurement by a licensed engineer or surveyor to verify that physical reality matches the registered records.
The official documents to review include the cadastral sheet showing ownership details, the cadastral diagram showing the plot boundaries and dimensions, and any historical land registry records if the property has not yet been fully incorporated into the modern Cadastre system.
Hiring a licensed surveyor or topographical engineer is highly recommended for land purchases in Greece, especially for plots with irregular boundaries, rural properties, or any situation where fences and markers appear to differ from official records.
Common boundary-related problems that foreign buyers encounter in Greece include discovering that physical fences do not match registered boundaries, finding that access roads cross neighboring properties without proper easements, and learning that the actual buildable area is smaller than expected due to setback requirements or overlapping claims.
Buying real estate in Greece can be risky
An increasing number of foreign investors are showing interest. However, 90% of them will make mistakes. Avoid the pitfalls with our comprehensive guide.
What will it cost me, all-in, to buy and hold land in Greece?
What purchase taxes and fees apply in Greece as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the total purchase taxes and fees for land transactions in Greece typically range from 7% to 10% of the property value, with the exact amount depending on property type, complexity, and whether you use an agent.
The typical closing cost breakdown includes the transfer tax at 3.09% (3% plus a 3% municipal levy on the tax), notary fees around 0.8% to 1.2%, Land Registry or Cadastre registration fees around 0.4% to 0.7%, lawyer fees around 0.5% to 1.0%, and agent commission commonly around 2% plus VAT if applicable.
The main individual components are: transfer tax at about 3.09% of taxable value (roughly 3,090 euros per 100,000 euros or approximately 3,200 USD), notary fees typically 800 to 1,200 euros per 100,000 euros of value, and registration fees of 400 to 700 euros per 100,000 euros.
These taxes and fees are generally the same for foreign buyers and Greek citizens, with no additional surcharges or special rates applied based on nationality.
What hidden fees surprise foreigners in Greece most often?
Hidden or unexpected fees that surprise foreign buyers in Greece typically add an extra 1% to 3% beyond the standard closing costs, bringing total surprises to roughly 1,000 to 3,000 euros per 100,000 euros of property value (approximately 1,050 to 3,150 USD).
The top specific hidden fees include: the "objective value" calculation for transfer tax that may differ from your purchase price, engineer or surveyor costs for land plots (often 500 to 1,500 euros), translation and apostille fees for documents (200 to 500 euros), and the annual ENFIA property tax that kicks in immediately based on your January 1 ownership.
These hidden fees typically appear at different stages: the objective value issue emerges during tax calculation before closing, engineer costs arise during due diligence, document costs accumulate throughout the process, and ENFIA surprises buyers in their first year of ownership.
To protect yourself from unexpected fees, request a comprehensive cost estimate from your lawyer at the start, specifically ask about objective value versus purchase price implications, budget for post-purchase holding costs like ENFIA, and factor in all document preparation expenses upfront.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Greece compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Greece, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| AADE - Real Estate Transfer Tax | Greece's official tax authority explaining exact tax rules and calculations. | We used it to state the legal transfer tax rate and municipal levy. We built our all-in cost estimates from these official tax components. |
| AADE - Unified Property Tax (ENFIA) | Primary official reference for Greece's annual property tax. | We used it to explain what ENFIA is and when it's assessed. We flagged this as an ongoing holding cost foreigners often forget. |
| Gov.gr - AFM Tax ID Service | Greece's official digital services portal for tax number issuance. | We used it to confirm AFM can be requested electronically. We supported the remote buying preparation workflow with this source. |
| Gov.gr - Hellenic Cadastre | Official gateway to Cadastre services and land registration functions. | We used it to name the registration authority and available verification services. We built the title verification checklist from this source. |
| Greek Ministry of Migration - Golden Visa | Competent ministry publishing the investor residence permit framework. | We used it to anchor Golden Visa thresholds to official program information. We separated ownership rules from residency-by-investment rules. |
| European Land Registry Association (ELRA) | Recognized European land registry network summarizing legal constraints. | We used it to corroborate that Greece is open to foreign buyers with border-area exceptions. We triangulated the restricted zones section with this source. |
| Taxlaw.gr | Specialist legal reference that directly cites Greek law articles. | We used it to explain the EU versus non-EU buyer distinction. We kept the permitted versus restricted distinction precise with this source. |
| Sioufas Law | Law firm briefing focused narrowly on border restrictions and procedures. | We used it to explain the authorization requirement for non-EU buyers. We described the permission process in plain language based on this source. |
| Bank of Greece | Greece's central bank providing official real estate market indicators. | We used it as the baseline for market conditions as of early 2026. We sanity-checked cost expectations against current market data. |
| AADE myPROPERTY Platform | Official AADE platform used in real property transactions. | We used it to explain who files what and why notaries are central. We made the step-by-step process concrete and modern with this source. |
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