Greek Property Due Diligence Checklist for Overseas Buyers
A due-diligence checklist for overseas buyers purchasing Greek real estate, covering title, encumbrances, cadastre, permits, engineering checks, rentals, taxes and closing document...
Greek property due diligence is where overseas buyers protect the deal. The aim is not to make the process slow. It is to discover title, planning, tax, use and building issues while the buyer still has leverage.
This checklist was reviewed on 19 May 2026. It is a working guide for buyer conversations with lawyers, notaries, engineers and accountants.
1. Confirm title and seller authority
Your lawyer should confirm who owns the property, whether the seller has authority to sell, and whether the title chain is clean. They should also check for mortgages, claims, seizures, easements, rights of way or other encumbrances.
The Ministry of Migration and Asylum's Golden Visa document list specifically refers to a certificate of encumbrance from the land registry or national cadastre agency. Even outside a Golden Visa purchase, that kind of check is central to risk control.
2. Check cadastre and boundaries
The legal property description, cadastral record, floor area, land boundaries and physical property should match. Mismatches can affect valuation, renovation, resale and registration.
For land, villas and rural homes, pay attention to road access, buildability, forest or coastal restrictions, archaeological zones, shared access and utility rights.
3. Review permits and unauthorised works
An engineer should review building permits, floor plans, planning use, energy certificate, declared areas and any regularisation of unauthorised works. Renovated listings can still have old compliance problems hidden behind new finishes.
If you plan to renovate, add a second layer of review: what can be changed legally, what approvals are needed, how long they may take, and whether the budget includes professional fees and contingencies.
4. Test the rental and use assumptions
Do not assume that a property can be used for short-term rental, student rental, commercial use or Golden Visa purposes. Local rules, building rules, co-owner restrictions, licensing requirements and Golden Visa limitations can all change the business case.
If rental income matters, ask for comparable achieved rents, not only advertised rents. Then stress-test vacancy, management fees, maintenance, cleaning, utilities, tax and seasonality.
5. Inspect practical ownership costs
- Building common expenses and reserve-fund needs.
- Utility connection status and arrears.
- Insurance availability and cost.
- Structural condition, damp, seismic upgrades, roof, plumbing and electrical systems.
- Heating, cooling, energy performance and summer operating costs.
- Access, parking, storage, noise, neighbouring uses and future works nearby.
6. Confirm tax and closing mechanics
The buyer should understand the transfer-tax calculation, payment timing, notary process, registration fees, E9 filing, ENFIA obligations and accountant role before the final deed is signed. AADE's non-resident tax guide states that transfer tax is paid before drawing up the transfer contract.
Stop signs before exchange or completion
- Seller pressure to pay before basic legal checks are complete.
- Missing permits, unclear regularisation or unexplained floor-area differences.
- A rental yield forecast with no evidence of achieved income.
- Golden Visa claims that have not been confirmed in writing by an immigration lawyer.
- Unclear access, boundary or co-ownership arrangements.
Practical next move
Create a due-diligence tracker with one owner for each workstream: lawyer, notary, engineer, accountant, bank, broker and buyer. Do not release the main deposit or move to final signing until each critical item is marked complete or accepted in writing.
Sources reviewed on 19 May 2026
- Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum: Golden Visa document checklist
- Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance: real estate transfer tax
- AADE tax guide for Greeks abroad and non-residents
Due diligence should be divided into four files
A reliable purchase review is easier to manage when the buyer separates legal title, the physical building, tax/administrative records and the intended use of the property. Each file answers different questions, and none replaces the others.
Four due-diligence files
1. Legal title and ownership
Your lawyer should confirm that the seller owns what is being offered for sale and that everybody who must sign is able to do so. The review can include the chain of title, co-ownership, mortgages, seizures or other encumbrances, cadastral or registry entries, easements and rights of access.
This is particularly important for inherited property and rural land, where family ownership or old descriptions can create complexity.
Our \1 explains the legal file in greater depth.
2. The building that physically exists
The engineer's task is not the same as the lawyer's. The engineer should compare the actual property with the available approved plans, permits and declared floor area.
Ask specifically about enclosed balconies, terraces, basements, stores, pools, pergolas, extensions and changes of use. Older properties may have been altered over decades, and a buyer should know the documented status of those changes before completion.
Gov.gr states that authorised engineers use the Electronic Building Identity register and can issue a completeness certificate once the required process, including inspection, is complete.
Read \1 if the property has obvious additions or a complicated history.
3. Physical condition
Legal compliance does not tell you whether the roof leaks or the electrical system is nearing the end of its life.
For apartments, inspect the unit and the wider building. Roof, façade, lift, common heating, drainage and planned shared works can create costs that do not appear inside the apartment.
For houses, look at structure, roof, moisture, drainage, retaining walls, external finishes, utilities and access. In coastal areas, salt and wind can increase maintenance. In mountain areas, winter weather and heating become more important.
For older traditional homes, the \1 adds renovation-specific checks.
4. Boundaries, access and land assumptions
A buyer should understand not only where the fence appears to be, but what the title, cadastral information and survey say.
For rural property, do not assume that a large parcel is automatically buildable or that a track used for years gives you the access rights you expect. If future construction or extension is part of the investment case, get property-specific planning advice before purchase.
5. Taxes and transfer administration
AADE states that the buyer is responsible for real-estate transfer tax and that the general rate is 3% of taxable value, with the statutory municipal levy on the main tax.
Your advisers should also confirm the administrative path for the transfer, how the tax declaration will be filed and what evidence is needed for payment and source of funds.
Use the \1 to build the cash requirement before signing.
6. Rental assumptions
If rental income is part of the reason for buying, verify the current rules before valuing the property on that basis.
AADE requires properties used for short-term accommodation through digital platforms to be entered in the Short-Term Stay Property Registry and to display the Property Register Number. Declarations are required for short-term stays. Since October 2025, Ministry of Tourism rules also introduced minimum operating and safety standards for short-term rental properties.
The \1 covers those requirements.
7. Golden Visa assumptions
A property being legally purchasable does not mean it is automatically suitable for a Golden Visa route.
Enterprise Greece describes current property thresholds of EUR 800,000 in specified high-demand locations, EUR 400,000 in other areas, and qualifying EUR 250,000 routes for certain conversions and historic buildings. It also describes the 120 sq m requirement for the standard residential property routes and the prohibition on short-term rental use for property acquired under the programme.
If residency matters, ask an immigration lawyer to confirm the exact eligibility of the specific property before you rely on it.
8. Costs that appear after the survey
Due diligence should also identify work that may not stop the purchase but should change the price or budget: roof repairs, lift upgrades, window replacement, damp remediation, electrical work, retaining walls, pool repairs, common-area obligations and utility upgrades.
A good report does not simply say "proceed" or "do not proceed." It tells the buyer what is known, what remains uncertain and what should be priced.
Use a red-amber-green decision sheet
For each material issue, classify it as green, amber or red.
Green means the evidence is complete and acceptable. Amber means the issue is understood and can be resolved or priced before completion. Red means the buyer should not proceed until the problem is resolved or the risk is explicitly accepted with professional advice.
This makes a complex purchase easier to discuss when the buyer is overseas.
What should be complete before the deed
Before the notarial deed, aim to have: a written title summary; a technical summary; confirmation of the property description and area; an understood tax and cost budget; verified payment instructions; clarity on rental, renovation or residency assumptions; and a plan for registration and post-completion tax records.
The Viewing to Keys buying-process guide puts those checks into transaction order.
Sources reviewed
Primary references reviewed include AADE property and short-term rental guidance, Gov.gr services for the Electronic Building Identity, Enterprise Greece Golden Visa material and the Hellenic Cadastre. This checklist is designed to help buyers ask better questions; the professional review must be specific to the property.
