Greece has announced a rise in property transfer tax from 3% to 15% for third-country buyers
The measure was announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair in September 2026, stated to apply to third-country nationals buying Greek property from 1 January 2027. It has not completed its passage into law. This page sets out what is known, what is not, and what it means if you are considering the property route.
What was announced
Rate: transfer tax on Greek property bought by third-country (non-EU) nationals rises from the current 3% to 15%.
Timing: stated to apply from 1 January 2027.
Stated rationale: to ease the pressure that large-scale foreign residential purchases place on local buyers.
What has not been settled — which matters just as much
No implementing detail was published with the announcement. Until legislation appears, none of the following can be answered with confidence: whether the Golden Visa property route gets an exemption or transitional treatment; how transactions already under a preliminary contract but not yet completed will be handled; how "third-country national" will be defined at the edges, for instance for someone already holding an EU status or a Greek permit; and whether the effective date is tested at signature or at completion.
We will not give you a confident-sounding answer on any of those. Anything presented as settled detail before the legislation is published is a guess.
What it means for Golden Visa applicants
Everyone using the Golden Visa property route is by definition a third-country national, so unless the legislation carves out an exemption the route falls within the new rate. On the announced basis, an €800,000 Athens purchase moves from roughly €24,000 of transfer tax to €120,000; a €400,000 purchase from roughly €12,000 to €60,000.
The fund route involves no property transfer tax and is unaffected by the measure.
What to do if you are mid-decision
Do not rush a six-figure purchase to beat a date that is not yet law. Buying the wrong property in a hurry can cost more than the tax difference it was meant to avoid.
The sensible step is to put the tax change into your total cost and then ask again whether that particular property is still worth buying. If residence was the only reason you were buying, this is precisely the moment to re-run the comparison against the fund route.
What would the property route actually tie up?
- Property price
- €800,000
- Property transfer tax
- €24,000
- Municipal surcharge on transfer tax
- €720
- Notary
- €9,600
- Conveyancing legal fee
- €8,000
- Land registry / cadastre
- €4,000
- Estate agency fee
- €16,000
- ENFIA property tax (indicative)€3,200
- Upkeep, building charges, insurance€6,400
- Asset form
- Real property
- Management
- Owner-borne
- Liquidity
- Sale process, months
- Golden Visa eligible
- Yes
- Subscription
- €350,000
- Fund subscription fee (varies by fund)
- €3,500
- Fund management fee (varies by fund)€3,500
- Asset form
- Fund units
- Management
- No property to manage
- Transfer tax
- Not applicable
- Golden Visa eligible
- Yes
Both routes lead to the same 5-year renewable permit. The difference is not the outcome — it is how much capital leaves your hands, and whether you have to look after it afterwards.
Frequently asked
- Is the 15% rate in force?
- No. As at the last update of this page it is an announced government plan that has not completed its passage into law. The final scope, transitional provisions and effective date are subject to legislation.
- If I complete during 2026, do I still pay 3%?
- On the announced basis the new rate applies from 1 January 2027, so transactions completed before then fall under the current 3%. Whether the test is the date of signature or of completion, and whether any transitional relief applies, awaits the legislation.
- Might the Golden Visa be exempted?
- No exemption was mentioned in the announcement. Whether the property route receives a carve-out or transitional treatment cannot be determined until the text is published.
- Does this affect the fund route?
- No. Transfer tax applies to real-property transactions. A fund subscription does not attract it.
Put the tax change into your total cost
Use the calculator above to compare the routes, or take a two-minute assessment and get a preliminary read on your own position.