Greece requires an AMA registration number for every short-let listing, with real property and safety standards behind it. What to check before you buy for Airbnb income.
From May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 requires booking platforms — Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com — to report monthly, per-listing activity data to national authorities across all 27 EU member states, Greece included. On top of that EU-wide layer, Greece runs its own national registration system that was already in place before the regulation, and buying a property on the assumption of free-and-easy short-let income is a real way to misjudge the numbers. Here is the practical picture.
The AMA registration number
Greece's tax authority, AADE (the Independent Authority for Public Revenue), administers the short-term rental framework. Every property must carry an AMA (Αριθμός Μητρώου Ακινήτου — property registration number), obtained through AADE's online portal, before it can legally appear on any booking platform. The AMA is the identifier that ties a specific property to its registered owner, and platforms are expected to display and verify it.
What a property needs to qualify
Registration isn't just paperwork — the property itself has to meet real standards:
- a valid building permit confirming the unit is approved for residential use
- clear ownership documentation, or an authorised lease agreement if you're not the owner
- natural lighting covering at least 10% of the floor area
- ventilation openings covering at least 5% of the floor area
- a minimum ceiling height of 2.5 metres
- working air conditioning, except for properties above 600 metres altitude
A property that fails these — a converted basement studio, a low-ceilinged attic conversion — may simply not be registrable for short-term letting, whatever the listing photos promise.
Safety and compliance standards
Registered properties must also maintain:
- fire extinguishers, one 6kg unit per 100 square metres
- smoke detectors in bedrooms and kitchens
- RCD circuit breakers installed by a licensed electrician
- civil liability insurance from a Bank of Greece-authorised provider
- current pest control certification
- a first aid kit and visible emergency contact information
The Climate Resilience Fee and rental income tax
Hosts collect and remit a Climate Resilience Fee on every night booked, ranging from €0.50 to €15 depending on the season and property category — this replaced the earlier overnight stay tax and applies on top of whatever the platform itself charges guests. Rental income is then taxed progressively, from 15% up to 45% depending on total annual earnings, so a realistic yield calculation needs to run the actual marginal rate, not just the headline gross figure.
The Athens exception
Central Athens runs a separate, tighter rule: new short-term rental registrations in the city's 1st–3rd municipal districts are currently suspended through 31 December 2026, with registrations made before the freeze grandfathered in. There has been discussion of extending similar restrictions to other high-pressure markets (Santorini, Thessaloniki and Chania have all been mentioned), so confirm the current status for the specific city before assuming short-let income is available there.
Penalties for non-compliance
Unregistered or non-compliant listings face escalating fines: €5,000 for a first violation, €10,000 for a second, and €20,000 for further violations within a 12-month period. AADE can revoke an AMA number for serious or repeated breaches, which triggers automatic delisting from booking platforms.
FAQ
Do I need an AMA number to list on Airbnb in Greece? Yes — every short-term rental property needs one, obtained through AADE before the listing goes live. Can any apartment be registered? No — it has to meet specific standards for light, ventilation, ceiling height and safety equipment; not every unit qualifies. Can I register a new short-let in central Athens right now? New registrations in the 1st–3rd municipal districts are currently suspended through the end of 2026 — check the live status before relying on this income in that specific area. What happens if I operate without registering? Escalating fines starting at €5,000, up to AMA revocation and platform delisting for repeated breaches.
How we help
We check whether a specific property can realistically be registered for short-term letting — including whether it sits inside a restricted zone like central Athens — before you buy on the assumption of that income. Informational only, not legal or tax advice; rules and zone restrictions change, confirm the current status for your specific property before relying on it.