Buying Property in Greece: Taxes, Fees and Costs

Buying a property in Greece involves more than agreeing on a purchase price. Foreign buyers should understand the taxes, professional fees and registration costs involved before deciding on their total budget.

Property Transfer Tax in Greece
As a general rule, the buyer pays property transfer tax before the purchase contract is signed.
The standard property transfer tax is 3% and is calculated on the higher of the property’s objective tax value and the purchase price stated in the contract. A municipal levy of 3% is then applied to the transfer tax itself.
Certain buyers may qualify for a first-home exemption, provided the legal requirements are met.
Where a first-home exemption is granted, the property generally needs to remain under the buyer’s ownership for at least five years. Selling or transferring rights over the property earlier can have tax consequences.

The Purchase Price Is Not the Total Cost
In addition to the property transfer tax, a buyer should budget for several other costs:
• real estate agent fees, based on the agreed percentage;
• notary fees, which depend on the transaction and value;
• lawyer fees, where a lawyer is appointed;
• engineer or technical due-diligence costs, where applicable;
• Land Registry or Hellenic Cadastre registration fees;
• other administrative or document-related costs.
• Real estate agent fees are commercially agreed and should therefore be confirmed before proceeding.

What About the Announced 15% Tax for Non-EU Buyers?
In September 2026, the Greek Prime Minister announced a proposal to increase the property transfer tax from 3% to 15% for buyers from third countries outside the European Union.

What Happens After You Buy?
The property must be correctly reflected in your Greek property tax records, known as E9.
In many digital property transfers, the E9 declaration can now be automatically generated through myPROPERTY. Nevertheless, the final E9 should always be checked carefully.
The E9 information is important because it is used for Greek property taxation, including ENFIA, the annual property tax.

Plan the Total Cost Before Signing
A property may appear affordable based on its purchase price alone, but buyers should calculate the complete acquisition cost before making a financial commitment.
For international buyers in particular, tax, legal, banking and property-registration matters should ideally be reviewed together before signing.
TaxWise Greece supports international clients with the tax and administrative steps involved in purchasing and owning property in Greece.