Foreign-buyer guide
Buying property in Greece, without surprises.
Greece is open to foreign buyers from any country, but the process is paperwork-heavy and bilingual at best. This guide is what we wish we'd been told as foreign buyers ourselves.
Buyer journey, end to end
Six steps from "interested" to "owner"
01
Open a Greek tax number (ΑΦΜ)
Required to sign any contract — done in person or via power of attorney to your lawyer.
02
Find a verified property
Use Lagoniko to filter for Verified, Mandate-Checked listings only — these are the safest set.
03
Lawyer + engineer due diligence
Title search, encumbrance check, building permit verification, energy certificate review.
04
Sign the preliminary agreement
Notary-witnessed reservation contract with deposit (typically 10 %).
05
Final notary signing
Balance paid, deeds signed, registered with the Land Registry.
06
Tax registration + utility transfer
Property tax (ENFIA) registration, utility transfers, optional Golden Visa application.
Documents you will need
- Passport / national ID
- Greek tax number (ΑΦΜ)
- Proof of funds (bank statement)
- Power of attorney to lawyer (if buying remotely)
- Marriage / family status documents (where applicable)
Typical fees
- Property transfer tax3.09 % of price
- Notary fees0.8 – 1.2 % of price
- Lawyer fees~1 % of price
- Engineer fees€500 – €1,500
- Land Registry registration~0.5 % of price
- Annual property tax (ENFIA)Variable, by area + size