Parental Gift of Property in Greece 2026
The parental gift of property (goniki parochi) is one of the most common ways to transfer real estate from parent to child in Greece — and with the €800,000 tax-free threshold that remains in effect for 2026, it continues to be a particularly attractive option. However, the real cost of a parental gift of property is not limited to tax: notary fees, land registry charges, engineer's fees, and hidden bureaucratic pitfalls can significantly change the final bill.
In this guide, you will find everything you need to know before starting the process: from calculating the costs of a parental gift and the required documents, to the pitfalls that block transfers and the audits conducted by the Greek Tax Authority (AADE).
What is a parental gift of property in Greece
A parental gift is the legal transfer of property or a cash amount from a parent to a child during the parent's lifetime, without any financial consideration. It is governed by the Code of Inheritance, Gift and Parental Gift Taxation (Law 2961/2001), which has been consolidated into the new Property Tax Code (Law 5219/2025, Government Gazette A' 130/18 July 2025) — together with the taxation of real estate property and ENFIA — in a single legislative text. The €800,000 tax-free threshold, introduced in October 2021 by Law 4839/2021, remains unchanged under the new framework.
What can be transferred:
- Houses, apartments, and holiday homes
- Commercial properties and offices
- Plots of land and agricultural parcels
- Cash amounts (monetary parental gift)
Why do it now rather than through inheritance:
A parental gift has three main advantages over inheritance. First, the tax-free threshold is much higher: €800,000 versus only €150,000 that applies to inheritances. Second, the child immediately acquires the right to use, sell, or renovate the property without waiting. Third, future family disputes between heirs are avoided — particularly when there are multiple children.
The €800,000 tax-free threshold — What applies in 2026
Since 1 October 2021 and under Law 4839/2021, each parent can transfer assets worth up to €800,000 to each child completely tax-free. This threshold applies autonomously — that is, per parent and per child — and remains unchanged for 2026 under the new Property Tax Code (Law 5219/2025).
In practical terms, this means a child can receive up to €800,000 from their father and another €800,000 from their mother tax-free — for a combined total of €1,600,000. Similarly, parents with two children can transfer up to €1,600,000 to each child tax-free.
Who qualifies (Category A):
Children (biological, adopted, or legally recognised), parents, spouses and partners under a cohabitation agreement, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Parental gift tax — How it is calculated
In the vast majority of cases, no parental gift tax is payable, as the objective values of most Greek properties remain below the €800,000 threshold. When the value exceeds the tax-free threshold, the excess amount is taxed at a flat rate of 10%.
Tax is always calculated on the objective (taxable) value of the property — not on its market value — and only on the portion that exceeds the tax-free threshold.
Tax calculation examples:
Property with objective value of €750,000:
- Tax-free threshold: €800,000 → Tax: €0
Property with objective value of €950,000:
- Excess over threshold: 950,000 − 800,000 = €150,000
- Tax: 150,000 × 10% = €15,000
Property with objective value of €1,200,000:
- Excess over threshold: 1,200,000 − 800,000 = €400,000
- Tax: 400,000 × 10% = €40,000
Notary fees for a parental gift & other costs
Notary fees for a parental gift of property are often the area that surprises clients the most. Even when the tax is zero, the fixed transaction costs for a typical property frequently exceed €2,000.
Notary fee
The notary fee for a parental gift is calculated proportionally on the objective or declared value (whichever is higher) and is freely negotiable:
| Property value | Fee percentage |
|---|---|
| Up to €120,000 | from 0.80% |
| €120,001 – €380,000 | 0.70% |
| €380,001 – €2,000,000 | 0.65% |
| Over €2,000,000 | up to 0.10% |
Land Registry / Mortgage Registry fees
Note: These two fees are not cumulative — you pay one or the other depending on whether your property's area has been included in the National Land Registry (Ktimatologio) or still falls under the local Mortgage Registry (Ypothikofylakeio). As the cadastral mapping is now nearly complete across the country, most areas are covered by the Land Registry. Your engineer or notary can confirm which regime applies to your specific property.
Land Registry: 0.50% of the value, no VAT (for areas already included)
Mortgage Registry: 0.475% of the value, plus 24% VAT (for areas not yet included)
Engineer's fee
Since 2011, an engineer's certificate confirming the property's planning status has been mandatory — today governed by Law 4495/2017, which replaced the earlier Laws 4014/2011 and 4178/2013. In addition, a Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτηρίου / HTK) and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are now required. The fee is negotiable and depends on the size and complexity of the property — it typically ranges from €300 to over €1,000, depending on the scope of services.
Lawyer's fee
Legal representation has been optional since 2014, but is strongly recommended — especially for the recipient. A title due diligence search typically costs €100–300 in addition to the appearance fee:
| Property value | Fee percentage |
|---|---|
| Up to €44,000 | from 1% |
| €44,001 – €1,407,000 | 0.50% |
| Over €1,407,000 | 0.40% |
"Although the law allows transfers without a lawyer, our experience shows that title due diligence saves buyers from future complications. Properties that appear 'clean' often hide old mortgages, disputed boundaries, or pending inheritance claims — and these issues only come to light through proper legal review." — Terra Property
Cost of transferring property from parent to child — Example scenarios
The total cost of transferring property from a parent to a child depends on the objective value, the condition of the property, and the choice of professionals. The table below shows the estimated total cost of a parental gift (excluding tax, which in most cases is €0) for three typical scenarios:
| Expense category | Property €80,000 | Property €150,000 | Property €300,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notary fee (incl. VAT) | ~€794 | ~€1,303 | ~€2,604 |
| Land Registry fees | ~€400 | ~€750 | ~€1,500 |
| Engineer's fee | ~€400 | ~€500 | ~€600 |
| Lawyer's fee | ~€400 | ~€750 | ~€1,500 |
| Estimated total | ~€2,000 | ~€3,300 | ~€6,200 |
| As % of value | ~2.5% | ~2.2% | ~2.1% |
Parental gift with retained usufruct — Cost & calculation
A parental gift with retained usufruct is a particularly common option that can significantly reduce costs. In this arrangement, the child acquires the bare ownership of the property, while the parent retains the right to use, occupy, or rent it out for the rest of their life. Upon the parent's death, the usufruct automatically extinguishes and the child acquires full ownership without any additional procedure or cost.
How retained usufruct affects cost:
The value of the usufruct and the bare ownership is calculated based on the age of the usufructuary: the younger the parent, the higher the value of the usufruct and the lower the taxable value for the child. This means lower notary fees and registration charges — opting for retained usufruct can substantially reduce the total cost of the parental gift.
Monetary parental gift for property purchase — Cash via bank transfer
A monetary parental gift for property purchase is an extremely common arrangement: instead of transferring a property directly, many parents choose to gift cash to their child so they can buy it themselves. This practice is fully legal and is covered by the same €800,000 tax-free threshold — provided that the rules below are strictly followed.
Monetary parental gift via bank transfer — The mandatory procedure
A monetary parental gift must be evidenced by a transfer of funds through financial institutions. If the money is delivered in cash (e.g. from savings held outside the banking system), then the gift is taxed at an autonomous flat rate of 10% — without the €800,000 tax-free threshold. This is one of the most common and most expensive pitfalls.
Accepted methods of transfer:
- Direct transfer of funds between the bank accounts of the parent and the child
- Deposit of a bank cheque into the child's account
- Withdrawal of cash from the parent's account and deposit into the child's account within 3 business days (under AADE Circular E.2077/2022). Important: the withdrawal and deposit must be specifically intended for the parental gift, with the amounts matching exactly. Partial deposits, split amounts, or time gaps longer than 3 days give AADE grounds to dispute the transaction during the subsequent source-of-wealth audit and impose the autonomous 10% tax without exemption.
Submission via myPROPERTY: The parental gift tax declaration must be submitted electronically through myPROPERTY, the digital platform of the Greek Tax Authority (AADE), within six months of the transfer, with the bank confirmation attached (account statement or cheque copy).
Monetary parental gift for first home purchase
Under Law 4714/2020, monetary parental gifts from parents to children for the purchase of a first home — provided the child qualifies for the first home exemption — are not taxed autonomously, but are treated under the same scale as property transfers. In practice, this means the child can benefit twice: from the parental gift tax-free threshold (€800,000) and from the first home exemption. This is a significant opportunity for young families, but requires careful planning with a tax or legal adviser.
Covering presumed-income (tekmiria) for property purchase
When a monetary parental gift is used to cover the presumed income required for a property purchase, there is an additional timing rule: the parental gift declaration must be filed on myPROPERTY either before or at the latest within the same tax year as the property purchase. Otherwise, AADE may refuse to recognise the coverage, and income tax surcharges for unjustified asset acquisition may be imposed.
Parental gift or inheritance — Which is more advantageous?
"Parental gift or inheritance — which is more advantageous?" is one of the most common questions families ask. In most cases, a parental gift is the more efficient choice, due to its much higher tax-free threshold and the immediate transfer during the parent's lifetime.
| Criterion | Parental Gift | Inheritance |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-free threshold | €800,000 per parent/child | €150,000 per heir |
| Rate on excess | Flat 10% | Progressive 1% – 10% |
| Transfer timing | During lifetime, immediate | Upon death |
| Speed | Weeks | Months to years |
| Family disputes | Avoided | Common |
| Notary costs | Higher | Lower |
AADE audits on parental gifts — What they check
AADE audits on parental gifts have intensified significantly in recent years. For 2026, 2,500 targeted audits are scheduled specifically for parental gifts and donations. Importantly, most audits do not take place at the time of the myPROPERTY submission, but rather years later. This means a file that looks "clean" today can still be audited in the future. If the rules are not followed, tax may be imposed retroactively along with fines and surcharges.
Source-of-wealth audit on the parent (post-hoc review): The parent's ability to make the parental gift is not checked at the moment the declaration is submitted on myPROPERTY — it is investigated during a later audit, which can occur years afterwards. AADE cross-checks the parent's total wealth against the declared income of the last five or even ten years, and verifies whether they actually had the financial means to acquire the property or accumulate the cash amount transferred.
If the source of funds or the means of acquisition cannot be substantiated — for example, if the parent reports low income but transfers a high-value property — tax may be imposed for "unjustified increase in wealth", which often exceeds the original parental gift tax. For this reason, it is critical that the parent has a clean tax history before proceeding with a high-value transfer.
Triangular transactions: Money flows involving third parties are strictly scrutinised as potential tax avoidance — particularly when funds appear to "circulate" within the family. A classic example: the parent transfers money to another child or to a spouse, who then transfers it to the ultimate recipient — a path that may aim to bypass thresholds or hide the true source.
AADE uses electronic cross-checks of bank accounts through myPROPERTY and mandatory reporting by financial institutions, and can reconstruct the flow of funds even years later. When a triangular transaction is identified, the consequence is almost always a reassessment of the tax at the autonomous 10% rate plus surcharges, often followed by an income audit.
Joint accounts: When parental gift funds are transferred to a joint account of the child with a third party (e.g. spouse, sibling, or friend), AADE examines who actually used the money. If it can be shown that the funds were used by the third party and not by the child-recipient, the transaction may be reclassified as a gift to the third party — resulting in less favourable tax rates (20% for Category B relatives, 40% for non-relatives), with no tax-free threshold.
For safety, the transfer should be made to an individual account in the child's name, and if that is not feasible, the use of the funds should be clearly documented (e.g. direct payment for the property purchase from that account).
Parental gift of property with unauthorised constructions & hidden pitfalls
Because the transfer takes place between parent and child, many people skip the due diligence stage — they feel that "the property is part of the family anyway" and that special care is not needed. This is one of the most common mistakes. A parental gift is a regular transfer contract — with the same legal requirements and the same consequences if anything goes wrong. Problems that are not identified now do not disappear — they are simply passed on to the child.
Parental gift of property with unauthorised constructions — How to handle it
A parental gift of a property with unauthorised constructions is one of the most frequent causes of transfer blockages in Greece. The engineer who issues the certificate for the contract checks the property's planning status. If there is any deviation from the approved plans — even one dating back to the 1970s — it will need to be regularised before the parental gift can proceed. The cost of regularisation can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros, depending on the size and nature of the unauthorised construction.
Other hidden pitfalls
Tax & social security clearance of the parent: A mandatory prerequisite for any transfer to proceed. If the parent has debts to the tax authority or social security funds, the procedure is blocked.
Child refusing due to ENFIA: Often overlooked — a child receiving a property with a high objective value also takes on the corresponding ENFIA (Single Real Estate Property Tax). It is worth discussing this before starting the procedure.
Shared areas & general assembly: If the planning violation affects a shared area of an apartment building, a decision by the general assembly of owners is required — which can prove particularly difficult.
Land Registry errors: Particularly common in agricultural parcels and older properties. Corrections to the Land Registry can delay a parental gift from weeks to months.
What documents are required for a parental gift
The documents required for a parental gift of property are collected mainly by the parent-donor and reviewed by the notary before the contract is drafted. The complete list of required documents includes:
- Title of ownership with registration certificate
- Building permit and planning drawings
- Engineer's certificate (Law 4495/2017) confirming planning status
- Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτηρίου / HTK)
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for buildings over 50 sqm
- ENFIA certificate for the last five years
- Municipality certificate confirming no outstanding property duty (TAP)
- Tax clearance certificate for the parent
- Social security clearance certificate for the parent (if applicable)
- Tax office certificate confirming declared income for the last two years
- Real Estate Identification Number (ATAK)
- Copies of ID cards and tax numbers (AFM) for both parent and child
- Lease agreement if the property is currently rented out
Tip: Because a parental gift takes place within the family, many people assume that document review is "a formality" and rush through it. This is one of the most common and most expensive mistakes. A parental gift is a regular transfer contract — with the same legal requirements and the same consequences in case of omissions. Every document must be reviewed with the same care that would be applied to a transaction with strangers, so that any existing issues with the property are not inherited by the child — from unauthorised constructions and unpaid ENFIA to errors in the Land Registry records.
Electronic submission of the parental gift declaration via myPROPERTY
The electronic submission of the parental gift declaration is made exclusively through myPROPERTY, the digital platform of AADE. Since 2022, all parental gift and donation tax declarations are submitted digitally — paper submissions at tax offices (DOY) are no longer accepted.
The myPROPERTY submission process:
The notary drafts the parental gift tax declaration on the myPROPERTY platform before signing the contract. The parent-donor and the child-recipient then accept the declaration electronically using their TAXISnet credentials. Once accepted, AADE issues a payment reference (if any tax is due) and the declaration is finalised.
Step-by-step parental gift process
Step 1 — Property inspection by an engineer: The first and most critical step. The engineer checks the planning status and issues the certificate, the Building Identity (HTK), and the EPC.
Step 2 — Legal title due diligence by a lawyer: Review of the ownership history at the Mortgage Registry or Land Registry for any encumbrances, mortgages, or claims.
Step 3 — Collection of documents: Tax clearance, ENFIA, TAP, etc.
Step 4 — Electronic submission of the declaration on myPROPERTY: The notary files the parental gift tax declaration, which the parent and child then accept.
Step 5 — Drafting & signing of the contract: Signed before a notary by all parties.
Step 6 — Registration at the Land Registry / Mortgage Registry: The final step — registration completes the transfer.