Buying a home in Greece means the lowest headline transfer tax of the major Mediterranean markets and some of the most complicated titles. The money side is simple; the legal side is where you spend your effort, which is why a Greek purchase is lawyer-led rather than notary-led in practice.
The short version
Can foreigners buy?
Yes, with permits in some border areas
Transfer tax
3.09% of the assessed value
Typical buying costs
About 8-12% all in
Required first
AFM tax number and a Greek bank account
Annual property tax
ENFIA
Golden visa
Tiered thresholds, up to 800,000 EUR in prime areas
Title checks come first in Greece
Greek land registration has been migrating from the old system to the national cadastre, and gaps remain. Inherited rural and island property often has multiple co-owners, unregistered boundaries or missing succession paperwork. Your lawyer's title search at the local land registry is the single most important step in the transaction.
Also verify building legality. Unauthorised structures and enclosed balconies are widespread; many have been legalised under successive amnesty laws, but only if the paperwork was actually filed.
Border areas and island rules
Parts of Greece are designated border regions, including many islands near the eastern frontier, Crete, Rhodes and areas in the north. Non-EU buyers need approval from a decentralised administration committee to buy there. It is usually granted, but it adds time to the timetable and should be written into the contract.
What buying a home in Greece costs
Transfer tax is 3.09% of the assessed (objective) value. Add notary fees, land registry, lawyer fees and agency commission, and the all-in figure lands around 8-12%. New builds by a developer can attract VAT instead, though suspensions have applied in recent years.
Annually you pay ENFIA, calculated on the objective value of your holdings. Island utility and maintenance costs run higher than mainland equivalents, particularly water on the smaller Cyclades.
Figures are typical ranges rather than quotes. Confirm your own numbers with a local notary, lawyer or tax adviser before you commit.
Residency and the golden visa
Greece still offers residency by property investment, but the thresholds were raised and tiered: the highest tier applies to Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands, a middle tier elsewhere, with a lower entry point for restoring listed or converting commercial buildings. Thresholds are policy-sensitive and have changed more than once, so verify the current figure before you plan around it.
European Listings is a members-only property list. Every Saturday you get 18 homes across Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece, selected by hand from the local portals most foreign buyers never find. No commission, no agents calling you, no listings we would not look at ourselves.
18 hand-picked listings every Saturday
One email, one list. We read the local portals so you do not have to translate nine of them.
Vetted for foreign buyers
Every home is checked for the things that stop overseas purchases: access, planning history, habitability.
Written in plain English
Real prices, honest descriptions of the location, and what the property actually needs.
Contact the agent directly
We do not sit between you and the seller and we take no commission on your purchase.
We have carefully selected the information on this page, but we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate. Please verify any legal, financial, or property specifics independently before making decisions.
