Buy property in Greece: houses and villas for sale, off-plan and resale

Off-plan

Off-plan property in Greece

Off-plan or under-construction homes in Greece are typically bought under a notarized preliminary contract (prosymfono) that sets the price, payment plan and timetable. Bank guarantees, performance bonds or escrow for deposits are not required by statute, so they need to be negotiated into the contract.

• A deposit of around 10% is common at the preliminary contract.
• The 24% VAT on new buildings is suspended until 31 December 2026 under Law 5246/2025, so qualifying new homes pay transfer tax of about 3.09% instead.
• The VAT suspension is optional for the developer, who can charge 24% VAT to recover input VAT, so confirm the tax treatment for each project in writing.
• If a developer becomes insolvent without a bank guarantee in place, the buyer may rank as an unsecured creditor.
• A golden visa property must be a single property and, if built, have at least 120 square meters of main living area, which affects which new units qualify.

Secondary market

Resale property in Greece

A resale purchase starts with a Greek tax number (AFM) and a Greek bank account. An independent lawyer then carries out title searches and checks for debts, mortgages and planning compliance, the deed is executed before a notary, and ownership passes on registration at the Land Registry or Hellenic Cadastre.

• Greece is moving property records from local land registries to the Hellenic Cadastre, so due diligence should cover the cadastre or registry extract.
• Ask for the cadastral diagram where available and any boundary or topographic documents.
• Your lawyer should check planning and zoning compliance as well as debts and mortgages on the title.
• A power of attorney can be used if you cannot attend the signing.
• In border areas such as Rhodes and Santorini, non-EU buyers need state approval before the purchase.

Buying costs in Greece

Transfer tax

3% plus a municipal surcharge, commonly presented as 3.09% of the taxable value, on resale and on new builds sold under the VAT suspension.

VAT on new builds

24% VAT is suspended until 31 December 2026 under Law 5246/2025, but a developer may opt to charge it.

Notary

Reported at 1-2% plus VAT.

Lawyer

Reported at about 1% plus VAT.

Land Registry

Reported at about 0.5%.

Annual taxes

ENFIA, the national annual property tax, plus a municipal duty (TAP).

A common rule of thumb is to budget roughly 10% of the price for all purchase costs; the announced 15% transfer tax for non-EU buyers is not included because it is not yet law.

Residency through property in Greece

Greece still offers a golden visa through real estate. Under Law 5100/2024, for transactions from 1 September 2024, the minimum is EUR 800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki area, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants, and EUR 400,000 elsewhere. The investment must be in a single property, and built property must have at least 120 square meters of main living area. A reduced EUR 250,000 threshold applies only to conversions of non-residential buildings to homes or restoration of listed buildings, completed before the application.

Golden visa properties may not be let short term (under 60 days, for example on Airbnb); a breach can lead to a EUR 50,000 fine and revocation of the permit, while long-term letting is allowed. The investor permit is valid for five years and renewable while the investment is kept, with no minimum stay requirement.