Everything you need to know if you want to buy a house in Greece

The Greek property market offers attractive properties nationwide, and an increasing number of international buyers and companies – including many from Germany – are recognising the potential of the Greek real estate market.

Legal fundamentals of buying a house in Greece

Anyone wishing to buy a (holiday) house in Greece should be aware of a number of legal particularities. In recent years, numerous legislative changes affecting real estate law have been made in the course of Greece’s economic development. An experienced, bilingual law firm can clear up the resulting legal uncertainties at an early stage and support the entire process — from compiling the required documents, through the land registry or cadastral search and the drafting of the purchase contract, to completion of the purchase and beyond.

What do you need to buy a house?

As a buyer, you need a Greek tax identification number (AFM), a valid passport or identity card, and confirmation from the competent tax office that the real estate transfer tax has been duly paid.

Clarification: contrary to what is sometimes still assumed, legal representation at the notarial authentication has, since 1 January 2014, been voluntary for all contracting parties rather than mandatory — a formal “representation-fee certificate” is therefore no longer a required document. Given the complexity of the legal position, however, we expressly recommend legal support all the same.

What should you watch out for when buying a house?

The process resembles German law but has important differences:

• Form of contract: the purchase contract must be notarially authenticated and subsequently registered in the mortgage register (Ypothikofylakio) or in the national cadastre (Ktimatologio). The transfer of ownership becomes legally effective only upon this registration; the national cadastre (Ethniko Ktimatologio), which is progressively superseding the traditional mortgage offices (Ypothikofylakeia), had recorded around 99% of the country by mid-2026. In regions where cadastral coverage has already been completed, registration takes place exclusively with the cadastral office; elsewhere, the old system in places still continues to exist in parallel. It should therefore always be checked, before concluding a contract, which system governs the particular plot.
• Viewing: the property should in every case be inspected in person before purchase, to form your own impression of its structural condition.
• Purchase contract: once a decision has been made in favour of a particular property, the purchase contract is drawn up, recording, among other things, the purchase price. Given the complexity of the legal position, a specialist lawyer is recommended for this purpose, who will also carry out the land registry or cadastral search and provide support through to completion of the contract.
• Restrictions on acquisition: Greek law provides for various restrictions on the acquisition of property, for example building-law requirements or permit requirements in certain border areas — see our separate discussion of acquisition restrictions.

Where does KPAG Kosmidis & Partner operate?

We support clients nationwide. Our network of specialist lawyers is available to you in every region, whether for flats in Athens or Thessaloniki, holiday homes on islands such as Crete or Rhodes, or villas and plots on the Peloponnese or in Halkidiki.

What advantages does our firm offer international clients?

KPAG Kosmidis & Partner combines decades of experience with a deep understanding of cross-border matters: multilingual capability and, in many cases, dual qualification, as our lawyers are familiar with both Greek law and the law of clients’ home jurisdictions – many are familiar with the German legal system in particular, and have lived in Germany for years, know the local mentality, and understand precisely what German clients need. Since 1992, we have maintained a nationwide network of cooperating partners across Greece. Beyond real estate law, we also provide comprehensive support in international inheritance law (for example, inheritances in Greece), tax law, and the support of international companies operating locally.

How does the Greek property purchase contract differ from German law?

As in Germany, Greek law distinguishes between the obligatory transaction (the contract of sale under the law of obligations) and the transaction in rem (the agreement transferring ownership). In Greece, however, both parts are generally combined in a single notarial instrument.

Ownership passes to the buyer only upon registration of this instrument with the competent land registry or cadastral office. Greece continues to be in the process of transitioning to the nationwide electronic national cadastre (Ethniko Ktimatologio), which is progressively replacing the traditional mortgage offices (Ypothikofylakeia); by mid-2026, around 99% of the country had been recorded. In regions where the cadastral survey has already been completed, registration takes place exclusively with the cadastral office; elsewhere, the old system in places continues to exist in parallel. It should therefore always be checked, before concluding a contract, which system governs the particular plot.

Is legal representation mandatory when buying property in Greece?

A statutory requirement of legal representation formerly applied to notarial property purchase contracts above a certain transaction value, but this was largely abolished by the reform of Law 4194/2013 and subsequent provisions. Since then, legal representation has, in principle, no longer been mandatory.

In practice, however, engaging a lawyer is strongly recommended and is customary in most transactions — particularly for foreign buyers. The lawyer typically undertakes: the preliminary examination of title (land registry or cadastral search); the review of any encumbrances, liens, or legal disputes; and, where requested, support at the signing of the contract — all in order to ensure the legal certainty and lawfulness of the transaction.

What is a “conditional” (auflösend bedingt) transfer of ownership?

This contractual arrangement, widely used in Greece, is applied in particular where the purchase price is not paid in full immediately — for example, where instalment payment has been agreed. The seller transfers ownership already upon conclusion of the contract, but subject to the resolutive condition that the remaining purchase price be paid on time. If payment in full is not made, ownership automatically reverts to the seller.

To protect the buyer, a notarial declaration of discharge (Exoflisi) is drawn up once payment has been made in full and is noted in the land registry or cadastre. This registration documents the final, unconditional transfer of ownership and permanently removes the resolutive condition.

What role does the preliminary contract (Prosymfono) play?

A preliminary contract (Prosymfono) is often used to reserve a property on a binding basis while technical or legal checks (for example, building regulations, land registry status, permits) are still ongoing. Because the later main contract must be notarially authenticated, the preliminary contract too must, under Article 166 of the Greek Civil Code, be concluded before a notary. It typically includes an agreement on a deposit and obliges both parties to conclude the main contract at a later date.

If a party withdraws from the preliminary contract without justified cause, the following consequences generally apply in practice: if the buyer withdraws, the deposit paid is forfeited in favour of the seller; if the seller withdraws, the seller must repay the deposit received to the buyer at double its value. The precise legal consequence depends on the specific contractual arrangement and should be reviewed by a lawyer in the individual case.

How is a mortgage registered in Greece?

Greek law distinguishes between two security instruments: the mortgage (Ypothiki), which is generally created by notarial instrument, for example to secure a bank loan; and the mortgage priority notice (Prosimiosi Ypothikis), which is granted by court order in interim relief proceedings (asfalistika metra). It is often used by banks to provide quick, provisional security for a loan and can later be converted into a final mortgage.

Both security rights take effect only upon registration in the mortgage register of the competent land registry, or on the cadastral sheet of the national cadastre. Without such registration, no effective security in rem exists.

Does the broker have a right to be present at the notarial authentication?

Where the purchase contract is brought about through the intermediation of a broker, the notary must record this in the deed, together with the details of the broker and the agreed commission. The broker’s entitlement to commission arises, under Article 200f of Law 4072/2012, once the main contract is concluded as a result of the broker’s intermediation; this always requires a written brokerage contract containing the statutorily prescribed minimum information. In practice, the broker frequently attends the authentication appointment to ensure that the intermediation is properly recorded; beyond this, no general statutory right of attendance is expressly provided for.