Buying property in Greece, step by step

The Greek purchase procedure is not complicated, but it is strict about sequence. Each step depends on the one before it, and skipping one is not something you fix later — it sends you back to the start.

Here is how it works in practice.

1. AFM — the Greek tax number

   The AFM (ΑΦΜ, Αριθμός Φορολογικού Μητρώου) is the first document you need. Without it you cannot open a bank account, sign a contract or pay the transfer tax.

   It is issued by the tax office, usually within a day, in person or through a lawyer holding power of attorney — which means you do not need to travel for it. A passport and proof of address are required.

   Advice: get the AFM as soon as you start looking seriously, not once you have found an apartment. A buyer with an AFM and proof of funds negotiates from a stronger position, because the seller can see the deal is able to close.

2. Lawyer and title check

   Your lawyer checks the chain of ownership at the land registry (Κτηματολόγιο) and the mortgage registry: who is the registered owner, are there mortgages, encumbrances, litigation or an unresolved inheritance. Inheritance is a frequent source of problems in Greece — an apartment that shows one owner on paper sometimes has four heirs, and all of them have to sign.

3. Engineer's certificate

   An engineer certifies that the building was constructed in line with its permit, or that any deviations have been legalised. This is the step foreign buyers most often skip, and most often pay for. We cover αυθαίρετα — unauthorised building works — in a separate article.

   Without that certificate the notary cannot execute the transfer. Which is why the engineer comes before the deposit, not after.

4. Preliminary contract and deposit

   The preliminary contract sets the price, the deadline, the conditions and — importantly — the tax treatment. On a new build it must state whether the price is VAT inclusive or plus VAT.

   The deposit is usually 10% of the price. Agree what happens if due diligence uncovers a problem: the standard position is that the deposit is returned in full if the property turns out not to be legally clean.

5. Transfer tax

   3.09% on the contract value or the tax value, whichever is higher. A tax return is filed, the tax is paid, and proof of payment is a condition for the notarial deed. Not the other way round.

6. Notary

   The notary drafts and executes the purchase deed, with both parties present in person or by proxy. The balance of the price is paid at this point, usually by bank cheque or transfer from a Greek account.

   Signing at the notary is not the end. You are not the owner yet.

7. Registration at the Ktimatologio

   You become the owner in the legal sense only on registration at the Ktimatologio. Your lawyer files it, and it takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how busy the local office is.

What can be done without coming to Greece

Almost everything, except viewing the property. With a power of attorney notarised (and apostilled, if executed abroad), a lawyer can obtain your AFM, open a bank account, file the tax return and sign at the notary on your behalf.

Viewing, though, is not something to delegate. Photographs do not show street noise, damp on the ground floor, a sea view that only exists if you lean over the railing, or how far the building really is from the beach. One three-day trip with six to eight viewings arranged in advance is worth more than three months of correspondence.

Restrictions for buyers from outside the EU

Buyers from outside the EU can purchase property in Greece without special permission, with one exception: border zones (μεθοριακές περιοχές) — parts of Greece along land borders and certain islands, where non-EU buyers need approval from the competent commission. Athens and the Athens Riviera do not fall into that category, so the question does not arise there.

Where time is usually lost

• Money. Transfers, proof of source of funds, opening an account — all of it takes time and all of it depends on the AFM. Start it in parallel with the search.
• Inheritance on the seller's side. If the apartment was inherited and probate is not complete, the sale cannot proceed until it is. That is not something you can speed up.
• Energy certificate and tax clearances. The seller obtains these, but often only starts once the buyer asks. Ask immediately after the preliminary contract.