What changed for foreign buyers in Greece in 2026

For agencies, the useful question about the Greek rules is who is affected by each measure, and when. Several of the changes depend on whether a buyer is an EU or EEA citizen, a third-country citizen, or a long-term resident. This briefing summarises what is in force, what is announced and what is still moving, as reported by law firms and news outlets.

Residence by investment: higher entry points

Greece remains one of the few EU countries that still offer residence linked to a property purchase, but at a much higher entry. Reports on the revised scheme describe two main price tiers: EUR 800,000 for the most in-demand areas, which they list as Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and a number of larger islands, and EUR 400,000 elsewhere. A narrow set of routes at a lower figure remains for specific cases. The same reports say the investment must be a single property of at least 120 square metres, that several small units no longer add up, and that short-term letting of a property bought under the programme is prohibited, with a fine of EUR 50,000 and the risk of losing the permit.

Spain closed its property-based residence programme in April 2025 and Portugal has no real-estate route, so Greece draws attention that other markets no longer receive. Agents should confirm any figures with an immigration lawyer and avoid promising approval, timing or a particular outcome. Buyers who are EU citizens do not need a visa and the programme is irrelevant to them.

The announced 15 percent transfer tax for third-country buyers

In 2026 the government announced that the property transfer tax would rise from 3 percent, or 3.09 percent with the municipal surcharge, to 15 percent, about 15.45 percent in practice, for a defined group of buyers. As of the latest reports in September 2026 this is announced and politically detailed but is not yet law. The start date has been reported as 1 July 2027, after earlier reports pointing to 1 January 2027. Transitional rules for deals begun before the date and completed after it were reported as undefined.

As described in the reports, the measure targets natural persons who are citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA and who buy residential property. The reported exemptions include EU and EEA citizens, dual Greek or EU/EEA nationals, certain diaspora Greeks, recognised refugees and long-term residents, and purchases of commercial property, land and purchases through legal entities are reported as outside it. Treat this list as provisional until the text of the law is published.

For an agency this means three conversations.

• With an EU or EEA buyer: no change is reported for them.
• With a third-country buyer who lives in the EU: ask whether they have long-term resident status. It may be decisive, and they should check it with a lawyer.
• With a third-country buyer abroad: explain that the rule is announced and not yet in force, that the date may move, and that no one can tell today how a deal signed early will be treated. Do not rush buyers by using the proposal as a sales argument and do not promise they can avoid it.

Short-term rentals: new registrations frozen in the centre

For investors who plan to let, the rules have tightened. Reports say new short-term rental registration numbers remain suspended through the end of 2027 in the first, second and third municipal districts of Athens and the first district of Thessaloniki, and that restrictions are being introduced in other high-pressure areas, with Santorini, Chania, Paros and Halkidiki named in reports early in 2026. Rules differ by municipality and keep changing. Before an investor buys for short-term letting, check the current local status in writing and do not rely on the previous owner's record.

Compliance is moving too

Real-estate professionals are already obliged entities under the Greek anti-money-laundering framework. From 10 July 2027 the EU's single anti-money-laundering regulation is reported to apply directly to the sector across the Union, with customer due diligence on transactions above a threshold. If your files are thin today, 2027 is the deadline to be ready. See our briefing on serving expat buyers for the basics.

What to update in your own materials

• Replace any statement that Greece "has no extra taxes for foreigners" with a neutral line that rules for non-EU buyers are changing and must be checked at signing.
• Mark each brochure with the date it was last checked.
• Add a short "status of the buyer" question to the first enquiry form: citizenship, country of tax residence, long-term resident status.
• Keep a list of the properties in border zones and of those subject to short-let freezes.

Working with D.H. Realting

D.H. Realting is a trilingual (Russian, English, Polish) overseas-property platform. We introduce buyers, including expats living in Poland, the EU and elsewhere, to properties abroad, and we support the process on the buyer's side. Agencies and developers in Greece that handle the deal locally and would like to be introduced to such buyers can contact us through our partners page.

This briefing is informational only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules change and apply case by case, so confirm every point with a qualified local lawyer before acting. Last checked on 11 October 2026.