October update: proposal, not a current tax demand
The Greek property-transfer tax proposal has moved beyond the September policy announcement. On 18 October 2026, the Ministry of National Economy and Finance announced a public consultation running until 1 November 2026.
The Ministry describes a proposed increase in the tax on transfers of residential property involving natural persons who are not tax residents of the European Union or the European Economic Area, with proposed application from 1 July 2027. These are proposed arrangements, not a statement that a new tax is already payable. Final legislation, commencement provisions and applicable administrative guidance must be checked before determining a particular transaction’s treatment.
Article 16 of the consultation bill proposes a 15% rate on the taxable value when a natural person purchases a residence and, at the time the tax liability arises, is tax resident in a country outside the EU and EEA. This draft provision is more specific than a general reference to non-EU buyers. It must not be described as enacted law.
Nationality is not the same as tax residence
The description “all non-EU buyers pay 15%” is not an accurate summary of the October announcement. Citizenship, tax residence and residence-permit status are different matters. The Ministry’s October wording concerns natural persons and their tax residence outside the EU and EEA, rather than citizenship alone.
Do not determine the proposed tax treatment from a passport or a Golden Visa application alone. The buyer’s Greek tax adviser and notary should establish the relevant tax-residence position, documentary evidence, property classification and applicable law for the specific deed. This article does not determine whether any particular buyer falls within or outside the eventual measure.
What applies under AADE’s current general guidance
AADE’s published guidance states a general real-estate transfer-tax rate of 3% of the taxable value, plus a municipal and community levy equal to 3% of that main tax. Where that general treatment applies without an exemption or reduction, the arithmetic is 3% plus 0.09%, or 3.09% of taxable value. The municipal levy is not an additional three percentage points on the property value.
For a EUR 250,000 taxable value, this gives EUR 7,500 main tax plus EUR 225 municipal levy, totalling EUR 7,725. This illustration excludes other transaction costs and is not a personal tax quotation. Applicable VAT treatment, exemptions, reductions and the taxable base must be confirmed for the transaction.
How to read the proposed 1 July 2027 date
Article 48(8) proposes application of Article 16 to definitive contracts concluded from 1 July 2027 onward. This is a proposed contract-date rule, not a reservation or deposit deadline, and not a promise that every earlier transaction is protected.
Reservations, deposits and preliminary agreements should not be described as securing the current tax treatment unless the applicable legal provisions expressly support that conclusion. Buyers should not accelerate a deed before title, technical, change-of-use, payment and contractual checks are complete.
What still requires transaction-specific advice
- Any change between the consultation draft and final enacted law, including the treatment of the municipal levy.
- The buyer’s tax residence at the time the tax liability arises and the evidence required to establish it.
- The treatment of legal entities, joint purchasers and other cases not resolved by the Ministry’s summary.
- Property classifications and any exemptions or transitional provisions.
- Interaction with VAT and any final implementing requirements.
Articles 16 and 48(8) do not themselves provide reservation- or deposit-based grandfathering. That limited observation is not a guarantee about all existing or future exemptions. Individual treatment must ultimately be checked against enacted law and applicable guidance.
What this means for Golden Visa budgeting
Do not equate Golden Visa eligibility with tax residence or the eventual transfer-tax classification. Property taxation and immigration eligibility require separate reviews.
For comparison only, 15% of EUR 250,000 is EUR 37,500 in main tax, compared with EUR 7,500 at 3%. That EUR 30,000 difference is a hypothetical main-tax comparison, not an amount currently due and not a complete future tax quotation. It does not establish that the proposed rate applies to the buyer or property.
Ask the appointed lawyer, notary and tax adviser for a written budget distinguishing the purchase consideration, applicable transfer tax or VAT, notarial and registration costs, legal and technical costs, and residence-permit expenses. Any claim about qualifying investment expenditure must be checked separately against the applicable immigration rules.
Santheos’ internal legal and risk-control review does not replace the buyer’s independent professional advice. Any project eligibility remains subject to current legal and technical review and the conditions of the individual application.
For related questions, consult the Santheos Greece Golden Visa Encyclopedia.
Official sources
- October consultation bill: Articles 16 and 48(8).
- Ministry consultation announcement, 18 October 2026.
- Prime Minister’s speech, 6 September 2026.
- AADE: Real Estate Transfer Tax.
This is general information, not individual legal or tax advice. Proposal status and applicable rules should be rechecked at the time of the transaction.
