According to To Vima, the transfer tax for third-country nationals without long-term residency will rise fivefold from 1 July 2027, and golden visa applications fell 44% in the first half of 2026.
According to To Vima, Greece plans to raise the property transfer tax from 3% (3.09% with the municipal surcharge) to 15% (15.45% with the surcharge) from 1 July 2027. The higher rate applies to third-country nationals, that is non-EU and non-EEA citizens, who do not hold long-term Greek residency, regardless of the property's value or whether it is a first home.
Exemptions remain for Greek citizens, members of the diaspora, EU and EEA citizens, recognised refugees and third-country nationals with long-term residency. They are exempt on a first home worth up to €200,000 for a single buyer or €250,000 for a married buyer, plus €25,000 per child. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis is quoted as saying the increase is meant to act as a strong brake on large-scale purchases by investors from outside the EU, and the article names Turkey, China and Israel as major sources of demand.
To Vima adds that third-country nationals invested €1.2 billion in Greek real estate in 2025, about €800 million of it in residential property. Golden visa applications fell 44% year on year in the first half of 2026, from 4,553 to 2,551, after the minimum investment was raised to €800,000 in high-demand areas.