Buying Greek property remotely

What can be done from abroad, and what cannot

Almost the whole purchase can run through your lawyer. The table shows who does each step and where.

The power of attorney

Everything else rests on this document, so get it right once. There are two ways to sign it:

• At a Greek consulate. The consulate prepares or certifies the document in Greek, and it is used in Greece as it stands. Busy consulates can have waits of several weeks for an appointment.
• Before a notary in your country. The document is then apostilled by the competent authority, if your country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, or legalised by the Greek consulate if it is not. It also needs an official Greek translation. A bilingual draft prepared by your Greek lawyer avoids errors in translation.

The powers should be specific enough for every office that will rely on them: the tax authority, the bank, the notary, the Land Registry or Cadastre and the migration authorities. They usually cover obtaining the AFM, opening and operating a bank account, signing the purchase and paying the transfer tax, registering the deed, and filing the residence-permit application. Some banks and notaries ask for a recently issued power of attorney, so ask your lawyer before you sign.

Tax number (AFM) by proxy

A Greek tax identification number, the AFM, is needed for the deed, the bank account and the transfer tax. Your lawyer applies to the Greek tax authority (AADE) with your passport and proof of your address abroad. Non-residents usually also name a representative for Greek tax matters, often the lawyer or an accountant.

Allow one to three weeks for the tax number and the bank account together. Keep the AFM safe: if you let the property you will use it every year, because rent from Greek property is declared and taxed in Greece.

A Greek bank account

The price has to reach an account at a bank in Greece, and the transfer tax, fees and running costs such as building charges and utilities are paid in Greece too. A Greek account in your name makes all of this simpler and gives the notary a clean record of the money. Most banks will open one through a lawyer holding a power of attorney, but each bank sets its own rules, and some ask for a video call or an in-person visit. Expect detailed questions about the source of your funds.

Paying from abroad: the rules that decide eligibility

For a Golden Visa purchase the payment rules are part of eligibility, not just good practice. Under article 100 of the Migration Code:

• the full price is paid before you apply for the permit;
• payment is only by bank transfer, crossed bank cheque or card payment through a Greek payment provider, into an account at a bank in Greece;
• the payer is you, your spouse or a relative up to the second degree, such as a parent, child or sibling;
• the payer and the payment details are declared before the notary and recorded in the deed.

Cash does not qualify, and nor do payments from friends, companies you do not own or other unrelated people. Circular 1/2026 (Clarification 23) treats money returned to a buyer before or after a purchase, and misleading promises about price or payment, as grounds for referral to the tax, police and anti-money-laundering authorities and for revocation of the permit. Keep the bank's confirmation of every transfer, showing the payer's name and account.

If you pay from another currency, the euro amount that arrives must cover the full price, so allow for exchange-rate moves and bank charges. Your home country may add its own rules: India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme, South Africa's exchange-control allowances and China's foreign-exchange rules all affect how, and how fast, you can send €250,000 plus costs. See the notes by nationality, and agree the route with your bank and lawyer before you reserve.

KYC and source-of-funds documents

Banks, notaries, lawyers and estate agents in Greece are obliged entities under anti-money-laundering law. Each verifies who you are and where the money comes from, and each may ask again. Prepare in advance:

• your passport and recent proof of address;
• evidence of your tax residence and your home tax number;
• statements for the account that will pay, usually covering several months;
• evidence of the source of funds: salary slips and tax returns, sale contracts for property or shares, company accounts and dividend records, or inheritance and gift documents;
• if a spouse or relative pays, proof of the relationship.

From 10 July 2027 the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 applies. It adds enhanced due diligence for customers seeking residence rights in exchange for investment, so expect more questions, not fewer.

The notary, your lawyer and the engineer

In Greece the notary is a public official. The notary drafts the deed, checks that the documents and tax certificates are in order, confirms that the transfer tax has been paid, records the payment details and issues the certificate used in the Golden Visa file. The notary is neutral and does not act for you.

Your own lawyer does. Choose an independent Greek lawyer, not one introduced by the seller, to review the title and permits, negotiate the terms and run the application. An engineer checks the building and its permits; for a change-of-use property, the engineer's report certifying the conversion is a required document.

The one trip: biometrics in Greece

Your lawyer can file the application before you arrive. You then travel to Greece for an appointment to give fingerprints and a photograph, and family members applying with you attend too. If your passport needs a visa for the Schengen area, you need one for this trip. Book flexible travel, because the authorities set the appointment dates.

Most international visitors fly into Athens. Patras is about 215 km from central Athens by motorway, around 2 hours 40 minutes by car, and Araxos airport, about 45 minutes from Patras, has seasonal flights from May to October. If you can add a day, visit the property and meet your lawyer in person.

Buying an MVR 19 residence from abroad

We work with buyers remotely. We send the price list, floor plans and legal pack, and answer questions on a video call in English or Greek, while your own lawyer checks the documents and acts for you. The full price, €250,000 as recorded in the deed, is paid into the seller's account at a bank in Greece by one of the methods the law allows. We never ask for cash, cryptocurrency, or payment to a personal, foreign or third-party account.

One date is outside anyone's control today. MVR 19's change-of-use permitting act is still to be issued, and a Golden Visa application can be filed only after the conversion is completed. You can prepare the power of attorney, tax number and bank account now; the timeline guide shows how the other steps fit.

How the €250,000 change-of-use route works

Compare the 19 residences