Invest in Greece

The Greek property market is open to buyers of any nationality, with no restriction other than in designated border regions, where a permit is required. What makes it hard for a foreign buyer is not access. It is distance from the things that actually decide whether a purchase is sound.

What makes buying from abroad difficult

Title to a Greek property can run back decades, through inheritances and informal divisions. The cadastre is not equally mature everywhere. A plot may look buildable and not be; it may fall within a forest map, a watercourse, an archaeological zone or a road-widening reservation that appears nowhere in the listing.

At the same time you need a Greek tax number, a bank account, a tax representative and a power of attorney — each from a different authority, each with its own paperwork, often requiring apostilles and certified translations. Most bad purchases are not the result of a bad price. They are the result of something that was not checked before the deposit.

How we work

BRON S.A. handles the asset side: sourcing and appraisal, technical survey, negotiation, construction or renovation where needed, and then letting and management. We are entered in the Greek register of real-estate agents.

The legal side is handled by Tsegas Law Firm, which occupies the same office and has the same president: title and cadastral due diligence, contracts, powers of attorney, residence by investment, tax number and bank account opening. These are two separate companies, with separate professional responsibility and separate invoicing, at one address.

In practice that means one point of contact instead of five, and a file that does not get lost between offices that do not speak to each other.

Residence by investment

The Greek programme grants a five-year residence permit to non-EU nationals who invest in property, renewable, and covering a spouse and children. It carries no requirement to live in Greece.

The thresholds changed under Article 64 of Law 5100/2024 and are no longer uniform. The investment must be in a single property — smaller ones cannot be added together — and, where the property is built, it must have at least 120 sq.m. of main living space. In the special €250,000 category the conversion works must be complete before the application is filed, and short-term letting is prohibited.

The permit process itself is carried out by the law firm. We find and vet the property that meets the criteria — less straightforward than it sounds, because the 120 sq.m. requirement rules out much of the stock in central Athens.

What a purchase actually costs

On top of the price, budget 6% to 10% in total: transfer tax of 3% plus a municipal surcharge, notary fees, legal fees, registration at the land registry or cadastre, technical survey, and agency commission where applicable.

Two measures currently reduce that cost: the suspension of 24% VAT on newly built property, and the suspension of the 15% capital gains tax on transfer. Both run to the end of 2026. An extension into 2027 has been announced as an intention but not legislated, so if your timing depends on either, confirm the position before committing.

Beyond an apartment

Most foreign buyers arrive looking for a flat. It is worth knowing that Greek land offers more: agricultural plots suitable for solar generation, properties for conversion that fall within the €250,000 category, and commercial space on long leases. How to divide capital between them is a portfolio decision rather than a matter of taste — and it is the conversation we start from.

The above describes the current framework in outline and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Thresholds and rates change; confirm the position for your own circumstances before committing capital.

Figures checked: August 2026