Selling property in Greece step-by-step guide
✦ Key Takeaways
- Selling property in Greece involves 7 stages, from valuation to registration — the order matters as much as the steps themselves.
- The Electronic Building Identity (HTK) and the Energy Performance Certificate (PEA) take the longest to issue; without them, no contract can be signed.
- A preliminary sale agreement is legally valid only if executed as a notarial deed — a private agreement does not constitute a valid preliminary contract for the transfer of property.
- The purchase price must be paid exclusively through the banking system; cash payment renders the transaction automatically void (Law 5073/2023).
- The 15% capital gains tax remains suspended until 31.12.2026.
- Three or more similar property sales within two years may be classified as business activity — but the assessment depends on the overall circumstances, not just the number.
- Debts to the tax office or EFKA do not prevent a sale; they do, however, affect the net amount you receive.
- A lease does not terminate upon sale — the buyer automatically steps into the landlord's rights and obligations.
- The notary's fee is always paid by the buyer; the notary is usually chosen by the buyer, though the choice can also be made jointly.
Selling a property in Greece looks straightforward until the process actually begins: documents that take weeks to issue, costs you had not budgeted for, and tax details that can delay — or freeze — the transfer entirely. In this guide you will find the sale process step by step, the documents the seller must provide, the real costs involved, and the special cases — from tax debts to selling an inherited or leased property — so you know exactly what to expect before you commit.
Selling property step by step: the process
The sale of a property in Greece follows a specific sequence, and the order matters: the more steps you complete in advance, the lower the risk of the transfer stalling once a buyer appears.
- Property valuation — a realistic price based on comparable data from the area, not sentimental value.
- Technical and legal due diligence — checking titles, encumbrances, and planning status. Any unauthorized constructions must be regularized before the transfer.
- Gathering the documents — the most time-consuming stage (see next section).
- Marketing and negotiation — directly or through an estate agent with a written brokerage agreement.
- Preliminary agreement (prosymfono) — optional but common. To be legally valid it must be executed as a notarial deed (Articles 166, 369, 1033 of the Greek Civil Code); a simple private agreement does not constitute a legally valid preliminary sale contract. It is usually accompanied by a deposit (arravonas), which in practice does not "lock in" the sale but acts as a financial deterrent against withdrawal: if the buyer withdraws, they forfeit the deposit; if the seller withdraws, they return double. The purchase price — including any advance payment — must be paid exclusively through the banking system; cash payment is prohibited (Law 5073/2023) and renders the transaction automatically void.
- Transfer tax declaration and signing — the transfer tax declaration is drafted by the notary through the myProperty platform of the Greek tax authority (AADE), sent digitally to buyer and seller for acceptance, the tax is paid by the buyer, and after signing, the contract is uploaded to the platform.
- Registration — the contract is registered at the competent Land Registry (Ktimatologio). Only then is the transfer legally complete.
💡 Tip: Start the Electronic Building Identity and Energy Performance Certificate before you even list the property. These are the two documents with the longest lead times — and without them, no contract can be signed.
Documents for selling property: what the seller needs
The documentation burden falls almost entirely on the seller. The essentials:
| Document | Issued by | Indicative time* |
|---|---|---|
| Title deed & registration certificate | Notary / Land Registry | 1–2 weeks |
| Electronic Building Identity (HTK) | Engineer | 1–4 weeks |
| Energy Performance Certificate (PEA) | Energy inspector | 2–5 days |
| Engineer's certificate of no unauthorized constructions | Engineer | 1–2 weeks |
| ENFIA certificate (5-year) | AADE / myAADE | Immediate |
| Tax clearance certificate | AADE | Immediate to a few days |
| Social security clearance (where required) | e-EFKA | Immediate to a few days |
The Electronic Building Identity is mandatory for every inter vivos transfer, without exception — without it and the completeness certificate it produces, the notary cannot draft the contract. It also frequently reveals discrepancies in square meters between the building permit, the E9 tax form, and municipal records — discrepancies that must be corrected before signing. Likewise, any unauthorized constructions must have been regularized before the engineer's certificate can be issued. For a full breakdown of each document, see our guide to property transfer documents in Greece.
The tax clearance certificate is required from every seller, without exception, in every property transfer for consideration.
The e-EFKA social security clearance, by contrast, is not required from all sellers indiscriminately — it applies when the seller is or has been liable for social security contributions (e.g. a freelancer, self-employed professional, or business owner). An employee or pensioner with no business activity typically does not need it. If you have debts to the tax office or EFKA, see the special cases section below.
Our view: Most sales don't stall over price — they stall over paperwork. A property with a complete file from day one negotiates from a position of strength and reaches the contract without last-minute concessions. Preparing the file isn't bureaucratic busywork; it's a negotiating tool.
Costs and taxes when selling property
What the seller pays
Contrary to common belief, most transfer costs are borne by the buyer — including the notary's fee, which is always paid by the buyer. The specific notary is usually chosen by the buyer, although in some cases — such as when the seller is a development company — the choice may be made jointly. The seller's main costs are:
| Cost | Indicative amount* |
|---|---|
| Engineer's fees (HTK + PEA + certificate) | €400–800 |
| Estate agent's fee | 2% + VAT on the price |
| Lawyer's fee (optional) | 0.5–1% |
| Land Registry certificates/copies | €20–60 |
| Cost of regularizing unauthorized constructions (if any) | Case by case |
Is income from a property sale taxed?
For 2026, the answer is — in principle — no. The sale price does not constitute taxable income, as it is treated as the liquidation of an asset. The 15% capital gains tax under Article 41 of the Greek Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013), which would apply to the difference between acquisition and sale price, remains suspended until 31.12.2026 under Law 5162/2024.
There is, however, an important caveat: the law provides that, under specific conditions, carrying out three or more similar property sales within a two-year period may lead to the activity being classified as a business (Article 21 par. 3 of the Income Tax Code, as amended by Law 5024/2023), with the profit then taxed as business income. The assessment is not purely numerical, though: even a single sale can be classified as a business transaction if the tax authority deems it was carried out for profit. Conversely, properties acquired through inheritance or gift/parental grant from relatives up to the second degree, or held for more than 5 years, are not counted at all. The application of the provision depends on the overall circumstances of each case.
What the buyer pays
The property transfer tax (3.09% on the taxable value), the notary's fee, registration costs, and any legal fees on their side are borne by the buyer — covered in detail in our guide to the total costs for buyers. For the seller, this has real negotiating significance: don't absorb into your price costs that aren't yours to bear.
Special cases when selling
Selling a property with a mortgage or pre-notation
A property with a registered encumbrance can be sold — but the encumbrance must be cleared. In practice, part of the purchase price goes to the bank to repay the loan and lift the pre-notation, usually on the same day as the contract, coordinated between the notary and the bank.
Selling with debts to the tax office or EFKA
If the seller has settled or assessed debts to the tax office or EFKA, they may request — at their own discretion — that the clearance certificate be issued with a withholding condition: an amount up to the level of the debt is withheld at the contract and paid directly to the competent authority by the notary. The alternative is to fully settle the debts and provide equivalent security. Even if the sale price is not sufficient to cover the debt in full, the sale is not automatically ruled out — there are ways to handle such cases, but they require an individualized approach before entering negotiations. The sale is not prohibited; the net amount you receive, however, may be lower — and you need to know that before you sit down at the table.
Selling an inherited property
The precondition is a completed acceptance of inheritance with registration, and settlement of the inheritance tax. Without these, the property cannot be transferred — and the acceptance process can take months, so start it before looking for a buyer.
Selling an undivided share
Each co-owner may freely sell their share — the consent of the others is required only for selling the whole. In practice, however, an undivided share sells with more difficulty and at a lower price; co-owners agreeing on a joint sale almost always achieve a better result.
Selling with usufruct and bare ownership
Where ownership is split, transferring full ownership requires both the bare owner and the usufructuary to sign the same contract. Alternatively, each may transfer only their own right — with a corresponding impact on value.
Selling a leased property
A lease does not terminate upon sale: under Article 614 of the Greek Civil Code, the buyer automatically steps into the landlord's rights and obligations from registration, provided the lease is evidenced by a document of certain date — the tenancy continues on the same terms. If no such document exists, the new owner has an easier right of termination. For investors, in fact, a leased property with a reliable tenant can be an advantage — see our guide to leased income properties.
After the sale: tax return and source-of-funds rules
The seller's obligations don't end at the contract. Where applicable, the sale price is declared in codes 781–782 of the E1 tax return (category "Sale of Real Estate", Table 6) — not to be taxed, since it generates neither income tax nor solidarity levy, but to be documented: the amount can be used to cover deemed living expenses (tekmiria) or future expenditure under Greece's source-of-funds rules. Failing to declare it where required can lead to unwarranted additional taxation if the tax authority identifies the amount without a declared origin.
Nor does the transfer end at registration. In practical terms, the seller handles the handover of keys, the change of name on electricity and water accounts, and notifying the building manager of the change of ownership and any outstanding common charges.
Conclusion
Selling a property in Greece is not a single act but a chain of steps: the sale process begins long before the first buyer appears, from a realistic valuation to gathering documents that often take longer than anyone expects. The documents and the seller's costs are where most surprises occur — which is why it pays to have the full picture from the start, rather than a "we'll deal with it when we get there" approach.
The tax landscape for 2027 has not yet been finalized — the capital gains tax suspension formally expires at the end of 2026. Whatever happens, though, one thing remains constant: a seller with a properly prepared file sells at the price and on the timeline of their choosing — not the one their pending issues impose.