Yes. U.S. citizens can buy and own a house, apartment or land in Greece freehold, in their own name, with no residency requirement and usually without travelling. You need a Greek tax number (AFM), a Greek lawyer and a notary’s deed; only border areas such as Santorini need a permit first. Transfer tax is 3.09% today, and a 15% rate for non-EU buyers, announced for about 1 July 2027, is not yet law.
Sources: Greek transfer tax, 3% plus a 3% municipal levy · Ministry of Finance, TIF 2026 measures, September 2026 · Bank of Greece data in the same document · Law 5100/2024
Yes. Greece puts no general limit on foreign ownership, so an American can hold a home, a villa or land freehold in their own name, exactly as a Greek owner does, and can let it, sell it or leave it to heirs. Owning property does not require residency, and it does not grant it either: without a visa, U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area, and the Golden Visa is the route to stay longer.
Issued by the tax authority (AADE). Americans can apply online through myAADE with a video-call identity check, or through a lawyer holding a power of attorney (AADE, February 2026).
Checks the title, permits, debts and the engineer’s certificate on unauthorised building work, and can sign for you by power of attorney.
The deed is signed before a Greek notary and registered with the Cadastre, which now covers 99% of the country (ered.gr, May 2026).
Normally used to fund the purchase and pay the taxes. It can be opened remotely with the right documents, and it is the slowest paperwork, so start it early.
Santorini, Skyros, the Dodecanese and border regions such as Evros need prior approval from a regional committee for non-EU buyers, and a deal without it is void (Law 1892/1990). Attica, Crete, the Peloponnese, Mykonos and Paros need none.
Buying with a non-U.S. passport? Our guide to buying property in Greece as a foreigner covers every nationality.
Prepare the purchase around the property and your documents. If you plan to buy remotely, ask your Greek lawyer to define the power of attorney and confirm what the bank and notary will accept. Agree the due-diligence steps and an achievable timetable before committing to a completion date.
Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: power of attorneyAt a Greek consulate, or before a U.S. notary with an apostille, since Greece applies the Hague Apostille Convention. Your lawyer has it translated and filed.
Online through myAADE with a video-call identity check, or through your lawyer under the power of attorney.
With comparables from our network and a written offer that states who pays which costs.
Title and Cadastre record, building permits, debts and encumbrances, the energy certificate and the engineer’s certificate on unauthorised building work (Law 4495/2017, Art. 83).
Funds usually arrive by international wire from a U.S. bank. Keep the transfer records: you need them for the deed and for your U.S. reporting.
In person or through your lawyer. The transfer tax is paid before signing.
The title becomes legally yours. Utilities, the annual ENFIA property tax and any rental set-up follow.
Plan on 8–10% above the price including an agent’s commission, or about 5–7% without it. U.S. citizens pay the same rates as Greek buyers today, with one difference: the first-home transfer tax exemption is not open to them.
| Cost | Rate | On €500,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax | Rate3.09% (3% plus a 3% municipal levy) | On €500,000€15,450 |
| Notary | RateAbout 0.8–1.2% | On €500,000€4,000–€6,000 |
| Lawyer | RateAbout 1–2% | On €500,000€5,000–€10,000 |
| Cadastre registration | RateAbout 0.5% | On €500,000About €2,500 |
| Agent’s commission | Rate2–3% plus 24% VAT | On €500,000€12,400–€18,600 |
| Total | RateAbout 8–10% | On €500,000€39,350–€52,550 |
Transfer tax is charged on the higher of the price and the property’s objective tax value. New builds carry 24% VAT instead unless the developer suspends it, which the law allows to 31 December 2026 (Law 5246/2025). Fees are indicative: your notary and lawyer confirm them. To see what a budget earns after costs, use the Greek property ROI calculator.
AADE: real-estate transfer taxIn September 2026 the government announced a 15% transfer tax, 15.45% with the levy, on homes bought by individuals from outside the EU, expected from about 1 July 2027. It is not yet law and the transitional rules are undefined, so a preliminary contract signed now does not lock in today’s rate.
| Buyer | Today | As announced from about 1 July 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. citizen buying a home in their own name | Today3.09% | As announced from about 1 July 202715.45% |
| Greek-American who holds Greek citizenship | Today3.09% | As announced from about 1 July 20273.09% (our reading of the exempt list) |
| U.S. citizen with Greek long-term resident status | Today3.09% | As announced from about 1 July 20273.09% (exempt category) |
| Purchase through a company | Today3.09% | As announced from about 1 July 2027Outside the announced measure |
| Land or commercial premises | Today3.09% | As announced from about 1 July 2027Outside the announced measure |
| Tax on a €500,000 home bought by a U.S. individual | Today€15,450 | As announced from about 1 July 2027€77,250 |
Sources: Ministry of Finance, TIF 2026 measures document; Protothema, 8 September 2026. Every update is logged on our Greek property law tracker.
Greece taxes the property and the income it earns; the United States taxes you on worldwide income and generally credits the Greek tax under the income tax treaty in force since 1953. Real estate you hold directly is not reported as a foreign financial asset, but the Greek bank account usually is.
Paid by every owner, resident or not, and set by the property’s value, size and location.
From tax year 2026: 15% up to €12,000, 25% to €24,000, 35% to €36,000 and 45% above (Law 5246/2025). The rent also goes on your U.S. return.
Greece’s 15% tax on individuals’ property gains is suspended until 31 December 2026 (Income Tax Code, Art. 72), with no extension enacted as of October 2026. The gain is also reportable in the U.S.
Required when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year, which a Greek purchase account usually does.
For U.S. residents above $50,000 at year-end or $75,000 at any time if single, or $100,000 and $150,000 if married filing jointly. Real estate held directly is reportable on neither form (IRS).
General information, not tax advice. A Greek accountant and a U.S. tax adviser confirm your position.
Yes, on the same terms as every non-EU investor. One property of at least 120 m² at the threshold for its area gives a five-year renewable residence permit for you, your spouse, children up to 21 and both spouses’ parents, with no minimum stay. Greece issued 8,879 initial investor permits in 2025, and the United States ranked seventh by nationality at the end of 2025, after China (47.9%), Turkey (15.9%), Lebanon, Iran, the UK and Israel (Ministry of Migration data).
Every island with more than 3,100 residents (Crete included, on the best reading of the rules; confirm per property) and the whole Athens Riviera.
The Peloponnese, most of the mainland and the smaller islands.
Anywhere in Greece, but only to turn a non-residential building into a home or to restore a listed building.
One property, no combining units, no short-term letting (Ministry Circular 1/2026). Seven years of lawful residence can open the path to Greek citizenship, with a language and civics exam (Citizenship Code, Art. 5).
Full requirements, costs and permit data: the Greece Golden Visa guide.
U.S. buyers invested a net €88 million in Greek real estate in 2025, after €131 million in 2024 and €149 million in 2023 (Bank of Greece data, Ministry of Finance, September 2026). For most Americans the choice comes down to three markets: the Athens Riviera for year-round living, the Peloponnese for value and the €400,000 Golden Visa tier, and the islands for a holiday home.
| Year | All countries | From the United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | All countries€2,133m | From the United States€149m |
| 2024 | All countries€2,750m | From the United States€131m |
| 2025 | All countries€2,056m | From the United States€88m |
Indicative prices from about €3,000/m² in Varkiza to €18,000/m² in Vouliagmeni (BUY GREECE® network comparables, July 2026). The Attica guide · Glyfada · Central Athens · Ellinikon
Nafplio, Kalamata, Porto Heli and Monemvasia, all in the €400,000 Golden Visa tier. The Peloponnese guide · Nafplio · Kalamata
Average asking prices of about €7,059/m² on Mykonos, €5,263 on Paros and €2,250 on Crete (Spitogatos, Q2 2026). Santorini needs a border-area permit first. Sea view homes · Explore Crete
Start with how you will use the home, your total purchase budget and the months you plan to spend in Greece. Compare neighbourhoods and individual addresses before comparing price per square metre.
Yes. US citizens can own Greek property freehold without living in Greece or holding a residence permit, and a lawyer with power of attorney can handle the purchase. What changes for Americans is the transfer tax: in September 2026 the government announced a 15% rate for non-EU buyers from 1 July 2027, not yet law, and on our reading of the announcement Greek-Americans who hold Greek citizenship would be exempt.
A purchase can be handled through a representative under a suitable power of attorney. Ask your Greek lawyer and notary to confirm its wording, how it must be signed and which tasks it covers. Confirm the bank’s requirements separately. A remote process does not replace independent legal and technical checks or a viewing that meets your needs.
Yes, both. Mykonos has no foreign-buyer restriction, while Santorini (Thira) is a designated border area, so Americans and other non-EU buyers need prior approval from a regional committee under Law 1892/1990 before buying there. Both islands are in the €800,000 Golden Visa tier. Mykonos averaged €7,059/m² in asking prices in Q2 2026 (Spitogatos), among the highest in Greece.
No. Owning a home does not by itself give a right to live in Greece: without a visa, U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days in any 180 days in the Schengen area. The Golden Visa, from €250,000 to €800,000 depending on the area and the route, gives a five-year renewable permit with no minimum stay.
Not if they hold Greek citizenship, on our reading of the exempt list in the September 2026 announcement, which also exempts EU citizens and long-term residents. An American without Greek citizenship buying a home as an individual would pay 15%, or 15.45% with the levy, from about 1 July 2027. The measure is not yet law, so check the final text before signing.
Yes. Owners pay the annual ENFIA property tax, set by the property's value, size and location, whether or not they live in Greece. Rent earned in Greece is taxed in Greece: from tax year 2026, 15% up to €12,000, 25% to €24,000, 35% to €36,000 and 45% above (Law 5246/2025). The US–Greece income tax treaty has been in force since 1953. A Greek accountant and a US tax adviser confirm your position.
Not the property itself if you hold it directly: real estate is reportable on neither FBAR nor Form 8938, according to the IRS. Your Greek bank account is reportable on FBAR once your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year, and Greek rent and any gain on a sale go on your U.S. return, with the Greek tax generally creditable under the 1953 treaty.
It is possible but uncommon, and most foreign buyers pay cash, some by borrowing against assets at home. If you need Greek financing, get the bank’s terms in writing before you sign a preliminary agreement.
There is no official count of American buyers. Bank of Greece data put net U.S. investment in Greek real estate at €88 million in 2025, €131 million in 2024 and €149 million in 2023, and the United States ranked seventh by nationality among Golden Visa holders at the end of 2025. U.S. enquiries to BUY GREECE® average a €980,000 budget (BUY GREECE® data).
For buyers with a five-year horizon it can be. Prices are still rising, though more slowly: the Bank of Greece index rose 5.5% in the year to Q2 2026, after 9.1% in 2024. Gross long-let yields run 5.1–5.8% on the Athens Riviera, measured on BUY GREECE® network comparables (about 3–4% on area-average asking prices), and 5.5–6.5% on Crete and in the Peloponnese (BUY GREECE® Greek Property Monitor, Q3 2026). Also weigh the 15% transfer tax announced for non-EU buyers from July 2027, which is not yet law.
Buying a home gives you ownership, not the right to live in Greece. As a US citizen you can stay up to 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area without a visa; to stay longer you need a residence permit. The Golden Visa gives a five-year permit for one home of at least 120 m² from €400,000 or €800,000, depending on the area. Other permits have their own conditions, so check with a Greek lawyer.
More answers for U.S. buyers: the buyer FAQ and the guide to buying from the US by power of attorney.
BUY GREECE® is a U.S. property technology real estate company that markets Greek real estate investments to American and international buyers, with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Glyfada, Athens. BUY GREECE® is a registered trademark in the United States and the European Union.
Title, permits, the energy certificate and pricing are checked on the Greek side before a property reaches your short list, and your lawyer stays independent of the seller.
Power of attorney, AFM, banking and notary coordination, explained in English during U.S. business hours.
Nothing on this page is legal, tax or investment advice. Rules are cited as in force on 12 October 2026, and announced measures are marked as not yet law. Confirm current rules with your lawyer and tax adviser before committing capital.