Serving expat and cross-border buyers in Greece

More and more buyers of Greek property do not fit the simple picture of a local resident or an EU citizen on a holiday. They are expats who live in one country, hold a passport from another and keep their savings in a third. This briefing sets out what an agency has to establish about such a buyer, in what order, and where the common mistakes are.

Start with two facts, not one: citizenship and residence

Record both from the first conversation. They answer different questions. Citizenship (EU or EEA versus third country) decides whether a permit is needed for property in Greek border zones, which buyers are caught by the tax change now being discussed (see our briefing on 2026 changes) and which residence-by-investment route could apply. Tax and legal residence decides which country's rules govern the buyer's money, taxes and reporting at home. A Russian-speaking buyer living in Poland, a Polish citizen living in the United Arab Emirates and a dual citizen living in Germany are three different files even if they ask for the same apartment.

Ask early whether the buyer holds long-term resident status in an EU country, a second passport, or any link to Greece. Several exemptions in the current and proposed rules depend on exactly these facts.

Basic identity and tax documents

For a natural person, plan to collect and verify the following, with certified copies and a translation where the document is not in Greek or English.

• A valid passport or, for EU citizens, a national ID card.
• Proof of residential address in the country of residence, such as a recent utility bill or a bank statement, and the country of tax residence.
• The Greek tax registration number (AFM). It is needed for legal transactions in Greece. Reports say a non-resident can obtain one without living in Greece: in person at the tax office that serves foreign residents in Athens, remotely through the tax authority's videoconference service for eligible cases, or through a Greek representative (usually a lawyer or accountant) holding a legalised power of attorney. Foreign public documents used for this usually need an apostille and a certified Greek translation.
• For a company buyer, the corporate documents and the full chain of beneficial owners, with identification of each natural person behind it.

Source of funds and source of wealth

Greek real-estate brokers are listed among the obliged entities under the national anti-money-laundering law (Law 4557/2018 as amended), which means identifying and verifying customers and beneficial owners and applying risk-based due diligence. Banks and notaries run their own checks as well, so an agent who has not collected the same facts will meet them at the notary's door.

Ask, in plain words and in writing, where the money for the purchase comes from and how the buyer built it: salary, sale of another property, business income, inheritance, loan. Request the matching evidence, for example payslips or tax returns, a sale contract, a company accounts extract, a probate document or a loan agreement. Keep the paper trail with the file. Treat these as ordinary professional steps, not as an accusation.

Be alert to situations that raise the level of care: a payer who is not the buyer, funds arriving from a country unconnected to the buyer, a buyer who cannot explain the amount, pressure to close fast, or reluctance to provide documents. Under the rules, a higher-risk file calls for more questions, not fewer. If a file cannot be completed properly, the correct step is to stop and, where the law requires it, report to the competent authority through your compliance channel.

Sanctions screening

Screen the buyer, the payer and any beneficial owner against the EU consolidated financial sanctions list before accepting instructions, and repeat the check before the deed, because lists change. Where you have other obligations, such as dealing in other currencies or with groups that follow other regimes, apply those lists too. A listed person's funds and economic resources are frozen, and real estate may not be sold to or on behalf of a listed party. Ownership or control by a listed person can bring an entity into scope, so look through companies.

Buyers with Russian or Belarusian citizenship, or ties to those countries, will often face extra questions from banks. EU rules limit the deposits that EU banks may accept from Russian and Belarusian nationals and residents above EUR 100,000, and exemptions exist. Read the European Commission's FAQ on these provisions and ask the buyer to confirm in advance with their bank how it treats their status. Do not advise any buyer on how to avoid a check, split a payment or route money through a third party. That is both unlawful and a risk to your licence.

Border zones and other permissions

Greece has no general ban on non-EU buyers, but a non-EU or non-EEA person who wants to buy in designated border zones, which reports describe as including many eastern Aegean islands and several mainland border regions, needs a permit that involves the Ministry of Defence. Reports describe the procedure as slow, taking months, and as requiring an apostilled document set that includes a criminal-record certificate. EU citizens need no extra permit. Check the exact list of areas and the current procedure with your lawyer before you promise a timetable to a third-country buyer.

A short working checklist

• Citizenship, tax residence and any long-term resident status, in writing.
• Passport or ID, address proof, AFM or a plan to obtain it.
• Source of funds and wealth with documents, and the identity of the payer.
• Sanctions screening of every party, with the date.
• Whether the location is a border zone and the buyer needs a permit.
• Power of attorney needs: who will sign in Greece, and with which powers.
• A lawyer who checks title, encumbrances and planning status before any money moves.

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.