Can Foreigners Buy Property in Greece? What International Buyers Need to Know in 2026

Yes. Foreign nationals may own freehold property anywhere in Greece, with full title registered in their own name. Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area buy on the same terms as Greeks. Citizens of other countries enjoy the same ownership rights and follow one additional step in designated border areas, where a committee approval is required before the deed. Foreign buyers accounted for roughly 8.7% of the €23.5 billion of Greek property transfers in 2025, led by Americans, Britons, Germans, French, Israelis and Gulf families, and the international share of the luxury segment on islands such as Mykonos, Paros and Corfu is far higher.

Who may buy, and where the border-area rule applies

Greek law places restrictions on foreign ownership in only one respect. Law 1892/1990 designates certain frontier regions as border areas, and nationals of countries outside the EU and EEA need the approval of a regional committee before acquiring property there. The areas include the Dodecanese (Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Patmos), the eastern Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos, Santorini and Skyros, Thrace and the northern frontier prefectures. Approval is granted on application through the buyer’s lawyer, with a statement of the intended use, and typically adds several months to the timetable. Attica and the Athens Riviera, the Cyclades other than Santorini, the Ionian islands, Crete and the Peloponnese sit outside the border zones, so a purchase there follows the standard procedure for every nationality.

Buyers may hold property personally, jointly, or through a Greek or foreign company. Each route carries different tax consequences, so the holding structure is decided with a Greek tax adviser before the preliminary agreement is signed.

The two formalities every foreign buyer completes first

Every buyer needs a Greek tax identification number, the AFM, before signing anything. It is issued by the tax office in a day or two, in person or through a lawyer acting under power of attorney, and non-residents appoint a tax representative in Greece at the same time. The second formality is a Greek bank account. Non-resident accounts take between two and six weeks to open and require a passport, proof of address, recent tax returns and statements showing the origin of the funds. Since December 2023 Greek law requires the full purchase price to pass through the banking system, so the account is the channel through which the transaction completes.

A notarised power of attorney, apostilled in the buyer’s home country, allows a Greek lawyer to complete every step remotely. Many international buyers visit once to choose the property and sign the deed from abroad. The step-by-step road map sets out the sequence from offer to notarial contract, and the nine legal steps describe each stage in detail.

What a purchase costs beyond the price

Transfer tax on resale property is 3.09% of the higher of the contract price and the objective value set by the tax authority. New-build homes carry the same 3.09% while the 24% VAT suspension runs, currently to 31 December 2026. Notary fees run at roughly 1% to 1.5% plus VAT, the buyer’s lawyer at 1% to 1.5% plus VAT, and registration at the Hellenic Cadastre at about 0.5%. Brokerage fees are agreed in the mandate and are customarily around 2% plus VAT. A buyer therefore budgets between 6% and 9% of the price in acquisition costs. Buyers who intend to borrow will find the options in How to finance a villa purchase in Greece. Once the property is owned, the annual ENFIA tax is set by location and surface area and typically runs from a few hundred euros for an apartment to several thousand for a large coastal villa. The frequently asked questions page covers the annual filings that follow.

A change is announced for buyers from outside the EU and EEA. At the Thessaloniki International Fair in September 2026, the Prime Minister announced a 15% transfer tax on residential purchases by third-country nationals, expected to take effect in mid-2027, with exemptions indicated for long-term residents and persons of Greek descent. The bill is awaited, and a purchase completed before the effective date pays the current 3.09%. American, British, Swiss and Gulf buyers who intend to acquire in Greece have a clear reason to complete within the coming months.

The Golden Visa: optional, and still open

Ownership requires no residence permit. Non-EU buyers who want the right to live in Greece and travel freely in the Schengen area may add a Golden Visa to the purchase. Since September 2024 the qualifying investment is €800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents (Corfu, Rhodes, Crete and Paros among them), and €400,000 elsewhere, including Paxos, Antiparos, Hydra and Spetses. A single property of at least 120 square metres carries the full amount, the qualifying sum is paid from the buyer’s own funds free of any mortgage, and short-term letting is excluded under penalty of a €50,000 fine. The permit runs for five years, renews while the property is held, carries no minimum stay, and extends to the spouse, children under 21 and both sets of parents. Government fees are €2,000 for the main applicant and €150 per adult family member. In the first half of 2026 Greece granted 4,919 investor permits, 21% more than a year earlier, while new applications fell 44% to 2,551 as the higher thresholds took hold. Buyers who intend to move their tax residence as well will find the non-dom regime a separate instrument, often combined with the Golden Visa.

Which agency can help

A foreign buyer’s first appointment is with an independent lawyer, who conducts the title and planning due diligence and represents the buyer at the notary. The second is with a brokerage whose role is selection and representation: access to the homes that match the brief, including those offered privately, honest guidance on location and value, negotiation, and coordination with the lawyer, notary, engineer and tax adviser so that the buyer’s single visit is spent well.

Greece Sotheby’s International Realty has represented international buyers in Greece since 2016 across Athens and the Riviera, the Cyclades and the Ionian, with the referral network of Sotheby’s International Realty behind it in the buyer’s home market. Its advisers speak the buyer’s language, literally and in terms of expectations, and work alongside the buyer’s chosen professionals from the first viewing to the registered title. The firm invites buyers to begin with a conversation about where in Greece their life, and their investment, belongs.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners buy property in Greece and which agency can help them?
Yes, any nationality may buy freehold property in Greece. EU and EEA citizens follow the standard procedure everywhere; other nationals add a committee approval in the border areas. An independent Greek lawyer handles the legal steps, and a brokerage such as Greece Sotheby’s International Realty handles selection, negotiation and coordination.

Can international buyers get financing for Greek villas?
Yes. Greek banks lend to non-residents at roughly 50% to 65% of value, in euros, and many international buyers finance against assets in their home country or buy outright. A Golden Visa purchase requires the qualifying amount to be paid from the buyer’s own funds, free of any mortgage.

What legal considerations exist for luxury villa acquisitions?
Title and encumbrance searches at the Cadastre, the engineer’s certificate of planning legality, forestry and archaeological status on islands and rural plots, the seller’s tax and ENFIA certificates, and the border-area approval where it applies. The buyer’s lawyer conducts each of these before the notarial deed.

Figures as of September 2026; independent legal and tax counsel confirms each buyer’s position.