Property tax in Greece hits at four stages: a 3.09% transfer tax when you buy, an annual holding tax called ENFIA while you own, progressive income tax if you rent the place out, and inheritance or gift tax when you pass it on. Capital gains on sales are currently suspended. Foreign owners face the same rules as Greek residents, with a few extra compliance steps.
ENFIA: The Annual Holding Tax
Anyone who owns Greek real estate on January 1 of a given year owes the Unified Real Estate Property Tax, known by its Greek acronym ENFIA. It was established under Law 4223/2013 and applies to full ownership, bare ownership, usufruct, and surface rights.1Gov.gr. Uniform Real Estate Property Tax (ENFIA) The tax has two parts: a primary levy on each property and a supplementary levy on your total portfolio.
How the Primary Levy Is Calculated
ENFIA is not based on market value. Greece uses an “objective value” system where the government sets a standardized price per square meter for every zone in the country. The base rate runs from roughly €2 to €13 per square meter and is then adjusted for the property’s age, floor, and use.
Older buildings actually pay less: properties 26 years or older carry a factor of 1.00, while buildings under four years old get a 1.25 multiplier. Floor coefficients run from 0.98 for basements up to 1.06 for the sixth floor and above. Auxiliary spaces like storage rooms are taxed at a fraction of the main rate. Because these coefficients stack multiplicatively, a newer high-floor apartment in a prime zone accumulates adjustments quickly.
The Supplementary Levy
If your combined Greek property portfolio exceeds €250,000 in objective value, you owe an additional supplementary ENFIA on top of the primary levy. This surcharge is progressive. Legal entities pay 5.5‰ of the property’s value, dropping to 1‰ for property they actively use in their own business.1Gov.gr. Uniform Real Estate Property Tax (ENFIA)
Payment, Late Fees, and Reductions
ENFIA for 2026 can be paid in one lump sum or spread across 12 monthly installments, with the first due March 31, 2026. Late payments accrue interest at 0.73% per month (8.76% annualized), a rate frozen by ministerial decision for at least the next two years. Unpaid ENFIA blocks any future sale or transfer of the property.
Two reductions took effect in 2026. Residents of small villages of 1,500 or fewer (1,700 in the Evros border region) get a 50% cut on their primary residence, provided the full-ownership value is €400,000 or less. This does not extend to the greater Athens area.2PwC. Greece – Individual – Other Taxes Separately, homeowners who insure their residence against earthquake, fire, and flood for at least three months in the calendar year can apply for a reduction of 10% or 20%, depending on taxable value.3Gov.gr. Ask for the Reduction of ENFIA for Your Insured Home
The E9 Declaration That Feeds ENFIA
Your ENFIA bill flows directly from the E9, the property status declaration where every owner reports what they hold. You must update the E9 whenever you buy, sell, or modify property. The deadline for reporting changes is March 31 of the year after the transaction; for inheritances, it runs to the last working day of the month after the disclaimer period ends.4AADE. Unified Tax on the Ownership of Real Estate (E9-ENFIA) Penalty-free amendments for the 2026 tax year can be made through July 31, 2026. An inaccurate E9 means either overpaying (if you forget a demolition) or back taxes (if you omit a property).
Transfer Tax When You Buy
Every property purchase triggers a one-time transfer tax paid by the buyer. The rate is 3% of the property’s value plus a municipal surcharge, bringing the effective total to 3.09%. The taxable amount is the higher of the actual purchase price or the government’s objective value.5Gov.gr. Real Estate Transfer Tax No notary will finalize a deed without proof the tax has been paid.
Primary Residence Exemption
If you’re buying a primary residence and you’re either a permanent resident or willing to commit to settling in Greece within two years, you can qualify for a transfer tax exemption up to these thresholds:
- Unmarried buyers: up to €200,000 for a residence, or €50,000 for a plot of land.
- Married buyers or civil partners: up to €250,000 for a residence, or €100,000 for a plot.
- The threshold rises by €25,000 for each of the first two children, and €30,000 for the third child and beyond.
- Buyers with a disability of at least 67% receive an additional €50,000.
If the property exceeds the applicable threshold, you pay 3.09% only on the excess.6Gov.gr. Exemption From Real Estate Transfer Tax for the Purchase of a Primary Residence
VAT on New Builds
Greece technically imposes 24% VAT on newly constructed properties in place of the 3.09% transfer tax. In practice, this VAT has been repeatedly suspended, and the current suspension runs through December 31, 2026. Developers can decide, project by project, whether to stay in the normal VAT regime or opt into the suspension. When the suspension applies, buyers pay the standard 3.09% transfer tax instead of VAT. When it doesn’t, you owe 24% VAT with no separate transfer tax. Confirm which regime applies before signing.
Other Closing Costs
The 3.09% transfer tax is not your only cost at closing. Budget for notary fees of 0.8% to 1% of property value (plus 24% VAT on the fee itself), lawyer fees on a statutory scale, a title search fee, and Land Registry or Cadastre recording fees. Total transaction costs on a typical residential purchase land somewhere between 7% and 10% of the purchase price.
Tax on Rental Income
Rental income from Greek property is taxed on a dedicated progressive scale that applies to both residents and non-residents. A reform effective January 1, 2026 added a new 25% bracket:
- Up to €12,000: 15%
- €12,001 to €24,000: 25%
- €24,001 to €36,000: 35%
- Above €36,000: 45%
The tax is calculated on gross rental income with limited deductions, so the effective burden feels heavier than in jurisdictions that allow mortgage interest or depreciation write-offs.7PwC. Greece – Individual – Taxes on Personal Income
Short-Term Rentals
Short-term letting through platforms like Airbnb follows extra rules. If you rent out no more than two furnished properties and provide only bed linen (no cleaning or concierge services), the income stays classified as rental income and is taxed under the scale above. Offer any service beyond bed linen, or list three or more properties on short-term platforms, and the income is reclassified as business income and taxed at Greece’s general business rates of 9% to 44% after expenses.
Every short-term rental must be registered in AADE’s Short-Term Rental Registry before any listing goes live, and the registration number has to appear in every advertisement. Skipping registration or omitting the number costs 50% of the property’s gross annual rental income, with a floor of €5,000. A repeat violation within the same year doubles the penalty. Platforms now cross-check registration numbers with the tax authority.
Capital Gains When You Sell
Greece’s income tax code includes a capital gains tax on real estate sales, but the tax has been continuously suspended since January 1, 2015. The latest extension, under Article 90 of Law 5162/2024, keeps it suspended through December 31, 2026.8PwC. Greece – Individual – Income Determination While the suspension holds, individual sellers owe no capital gains tax. There is no guarantee it will be renewed, so anyone planning a sale in late 2026 should watch legislative developments.
Inheritance and Gift Tax
Property passed by inheritance or gift is taxed on the objective value, at rates that depend on the relationship between the parties. Greece sorts heirs into three categories:
- Category A (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents): the first €150,000 is tax-free, rising to €300,000 for spouses of at least five years and for minor children. Above the threshold, rates run from 1% to 10%.
- Category B (siblings, grandparents, in-laws): the first €30,000 is tax-free, with rates from 5% to 20%.
- Category C (unrelated individuals): minimal tax-free thresholds, rates up to 40%.
Heirs must file the return and pay before the property can be transferred into their name. Gift tax uses the same brackets, so gifting a property to a child during your lifetime carries the same tax treatment as leaving it by inheritance.
Municipal Property Tax on Your Electricity Bill
Local municipalities collect a smaller annual levy called the Telos Akinitis Periousias, typically 0.025% to 0.035% of the property’s objective value. It’s embedded in your electricity bills rather than sent as a separate assessment. That creates a trap for vacant properties: if the electricity is disconnected, you still owe the tax and must settle it directly with the municipality. A certificate showing this tax is current is required before any property transfer, and unpaid balances can produce a lien.
A Warning for Corporate Ownership Structures
Entities that own Greek real estate but refuse to disclose their ultimate individual shareholders face an annual tax of 15% on the objective value of their holdings under Law 3091/2002.9Gov.gr. Special Tax on Real Estate Properties Companies that do disclose their shareholders are exempt, provided the shareholders are natural persons with a Greek tax number and the entity is registered in Greece or another EU member state. Non-EU entities can qualify as long as their jurisdiction isn’t classified as non-cooperative under Greek tax law. Those not exempt must file by May 20 each year. On a property worth €500,000, one missed filing generates a €75,000 bill.
Compliance Steps for Foreign Owners
Foreign buyers need a Greek Tax Identification Number (AFM) before they can sign a purchase deed, file a return, or access the government’s online tax portal. Application typically requires a valid passport and, if you’re using a representative, a power of attorney.
Non-residents used to be required to appoint a Greek tax resident as their representative to receive official notifications. Since September 2024, that’s optional. Foreign owners can declare that they will accept all notifications directly at their own contact details.4AADE. Unified Tax on the Ownership of Real Estate (E9-ENFIA) Many still keep a local representative to handle Greek-language correspondence and deadlines.
Almost every Greek tax obligation runs through Taxisnet, the online platform operated by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Once you have your AFM and Taxisnet credentials, you can view ENFIA assessments, file your E9, submit income tax returns for rental income, and generate payment codes for Greek banking apps or international wires. The portal keeps a running history of assessments and payments, useful during audits or when preparing to sell.10Gov.gr. Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR)