AMA registration, the 60-day rule, the Athens restrictions and what they mean for property investors — explained in plain English by BUY GREECE, the brokerage with teams in Chicago and Glyfada, Athens.
Every short-term rental in Greece must display an AMA registration number (Property Registration Number) issued through the tax authority (AADE) — this applies to every listing on Airbnb, Booking.com and similar platforms. The key legal distinction is the 60-day rule: a stay of 60 days or longer is treated as a long-term lease under Greek civil law, falls outside the short-term rental regime, and does not require an AMA number. Since January 1, 2025, new short-term rental registrations have been suspended in the three central districts of Athens, a restriction extended into 2026. Properties bought under the current Golden Visa thresholds cannot be used for short-term letting at all.
The honest comparison for a €300,000 coastal apartment — gross, per year, before tax. Licensed seasonal letting out-earns a long lease, but management and licensing take their share.
The takeaway: licensed seasonal letting typically clears ≈10–40% more than a long lease even after management — where it remains permitted. In frozen zones and for Golden Visa properties, the long lease is the strategy. Run your own numbers on the ROI page.
Worked example: a Glyfada apartment let for short stays by an individual owner is allowed — register for an AMA number, display it on every listing, and declare the income. Pick your own case above for an instant read.
An instant orientation, not legal advice — rules current to July 2026. Confirm your exact case with our team.
Yes. Every property listed for short-term rental on Airbnb, Booking.com or any platform needs its own AMA number from the AADE registry, displayed on the listing. Operating without one risks fines up to €20,000.
A stay of 60 days or longer is legally a long-term lease, not a short-term rental — it falls under standard Greek lease law, needs no AMA registration, and sits outside the short-term tax regime. This is why monthly-stay bookings of 60+ days are treated differently from holiday lets.
Not city-wide. New short-term rental registrations are suspended in the three central municipal districts of Athens since January 1, 2025, and the restriction has been extended into 2026. Existing registered properties continue to operate, and the rest of Attica — including the Riviera — is unaffected.
No. Properties acquired under the current Golden Visa thresholds (Law 5100/2024) are barred from short-term letting — long-term rental is permitted. See our Golden Visa guide for the full rules.
Fines reach €20,000 for operating without registration or below the minimum standards, with higher penalties for repeat violations. Rules evolve quickly — our legal team confirms the current status for every property before clients buy. Ask us about a specific property.