Foreigners can buy land in Kefalonia, and the island is not one of the Greek border areas that need a special purchase permit. The question that decides almost everything is buildability: outside the town plan, a plot generally needs at least 4,000 m² and frontage on a road. PlotX, based in Argostoli, lists 878 plots on the island.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your own lawyer and engineer confirm every point for the specific plot you want to buy.
Can foreigners buy land in Kefalonia?
Yes. Greek law (Article 24 of Law 1892/1990) requires a special permit for purchases in designated border areas, and Kefalonia is not one of them. So no additional purchase permit is needed for land on the island.
What you do need is the same paperwork as any buyer in Greece: a Greek tax number, a lawyer, and a way to pay through a bank.
What do you need before you start?
You need a Greek tax number (AFM), your own lawyer in Greece, and a bank transfer route for the payment. If you cannot be in Greece for every step, you can give your lawyer a power of attorney.
- Greek tax number (AFM). Required for any property purchase. It is free, and you can get it without travelling in one of two ways: your lawyer applies on your behalf with a power of attorney, or you apply yourself by video call through the tax authority's myAADElive service, showing your passport on camera. The call is in Greek or English, and the AFM certificate is sent to you by email. Ask the tax authority or your lawyer whether any of your documents need an Apostille and a translation.
- A tax representative is optional. Since May 2024, if you live abroad you do not have to appoint a tax representative in Greece, provided you accept that the tax authority sends its notices to the contact details you have declared: your email, your full address abroad and your foreign tax number. The rule is the same for EU and non-EU residents. You can still appoint a representative, such as an accountant in Greece, if you prefer.
- A lawyer. Your lawyer checks the title and represents you up to the contract. Choose your own: on PlotX, buyers always pick their own lawyer, notary and engineer.
- Payment through a bank. Greek property contracts must record that the price was paid through banking methods, and cash payments are not accepted. Ask your lawyer whether you need a Greek account or can pay by transfer from abroad.
- A power of attorney, if you will not sign in person. It can be signed at a Greek consulate, or in front of a local notary in your country with an Apostille.
How do you know if a plot is buildable?
First check whether the plot is inside the town plan or the limits of a settlement. If it is not, it generally needs at least 4,000 m² and frontage on a road to be buildable. A smaller plot outside the plan can be built on only under a narrow exception that ends in 2027.
Countryside in Kefalonia. Photo: Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
Inside the town plan or settlement limits. These plots are smaller and more expensive per square metre. What you can build on them depends on the local building terms, such as the building coefficient and the share of the plot you may cover. Your engineer confirms these for the specific plot.
Outside the plan. The general rule is a minimum of 4,000 m² plus frontage on a road.
The exception for smaller plots ends soon. Plots below 4,000 m² outside the plan that relied on the older exceptions can still be built on only if an application was submitted by 9 December 2022 and the building permit is issued by 30 June 2027 (Article 133, Law 5317/2026). If you are looking at a smaller plot outside the plan, ask the seller for proof of that application before anything else.
What the PlotX data shows
The difference between the two kinds of plot is clear in asking prices. In our Q4 2026 Kefalonia Land Price Index, plots declared inside the plan or settlement limits ask more than twice as much per square metre as the rest, and they are about a quarter of the size.
| Plot group (Kefalonia, Q4 2026) | Plots | Median asking price | Median plot size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside the town plan or settlement limits | 396 | €76/m² | 1,147 m² |
| Other plots | 482 | €30/m² | 4,965 m² |
| Explicitly listed as outside the plan | 123 | €32/m² | 5,000 m² |
These are asking prices, not sale prices. "Other plots" are plots whose listing does not declare them inside the plan. Most are outside it, but not necessarily all, which is why we also show the smaller group explicitly listed as outside the plan.
We explain the two categories in more detail in inside vs outside the town plan. You can browse every plot by area on the Kefalonia land for sale page.
What should your lawyer and engineer check?
Your lawyer checks who owns the plot and whether it can be sold cleanly. Your engineer checks whether you can actually build what you want on it. You need both checks.
| Check | Who | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Title and Land Registry (Ktimatologio) entry | Lawyer | Confirms the seller owns the plot and can sell it |
| Co-owners and heirs | Lawyer | Older family land is often held by several heirs, and every owner must take part in the sale |
| Forest maps | Engineer | Land classed as forest cannot be built on |
| Seashore and beach zone | Engineer | Plots by the sea have extra restrictions |
| Road frontage and access | Engineer | Required for buildability outside the plan |
| Building terms | Engineer | What size of house the plot allows |
| Water and electricity | Engineer | Not every rural plot has a connection nearby |
How does the buying process work, step by step?
Most purchases follow five steps: checks, agreement on the price, payment of the transfer tax, signing at the notary, and registration in the Land Registry.
- Choose a plot and run the checks above before you commit any money.
- Agree the price and the terms with the seller, in writing, through your lawyer.
- Pay the property transfer tax of 3.09% before the contract is signed.
- Sign the contract in front of a notary, in person or through your lawyer under a power of attorney. The price is paid through the bank.
- Register the contract in the Land Registry.
On PlotX, everything up to the signing happens online: you can view a plot by video call, talk to the seller and follow each step digitally. Only the site visit, if you want one, and the contract signing happen in person. PlotX charges a 1% platform fee, paid by the buyer only. Sellers pay no fee.
How much does it cost in total?
On top of the price, budget for the 3.09% property transfer tax and the 1% PlotX platform fee, plus the fees of your notary, lawyer, engineer and the Land Registry.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Property transfer tax | 3.09% |
| PlotX platform fee (buyer only) | 1% |
| Notary, lawyer, engineer, Land Registry | Vary: ask each for a written quote before you start |
What do plots cost in Kefalonia?
The median asking price across the 787 priced plots on PlotX in Kefalonia is €47/m² (Q4 2026). Plots inside the plan in Argostoli have the highest median of the seven areas in our index, at €89/m².
Location, size and sea view move prices the most. The full breakdown by area, with ranges and sample sizes, is in the Kefalonia Land Price Index, updated every quarter. All figures are asking prices from listings on PlotX, not completed sales.
Can you buy without travelling to Greece?
Yes. You can view plots by video call, have your lawyer and engineer run the checks, and sign through your lawyer under a power of attorney. You can also get your Greek tax number by video call, as described above. For land, we still recommend at least one visit before you commit: a plot looks different on the ground.
What is specific to buying land in Kefalonia?
Kefalonia is an earthquake zone, it has protected forest and a national park, and water supply varies between areas. Each of these affects what you can build and where.
- Earthquakes. The 1953 earthquake destroyed most of the island's buildings, and the 2014 earthquakes hit the Paliki peninsula. New buildings follow Greek anti-seismic standards. If the plot has an old structure on it, ask when it was built.
- Forest and Mount Ainos. Mount Ainos has been a national park since 1962, and forest maps cover large parts of the island. Check both before you fall in love with a view.
- Water. Supply depends on the area and on whether the plot is near the network. Ask early.
- Holiday rentals. If you plan to rent out a home you build, short-term rentals need a registration number (AMA). Since 1 October 2025 they must also meet minimum safety standards (Law 5170/2025), and letting three or more properties counts as a business activity for tax. Read more in our guide to holiday rental rules in Kefalonia.
Ruins of old Valsamata, a village destroyed by the 1953 earthquakes. Photo: Dimitris Theodoropoulos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
Fir forest in Mount Ainos National Park. Photo: Michael Xanthakis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
Explore the island area by area: Leivathos · Argostoli · Skala · Paliki · Pylaros · Sami · Erissos
Where to go next
- The cost of buying land in Greece: every tax and fee, with a worked example.
- Inside vs outside the town plan: what you can build, with asking prices by area.
- Building a house in Kefalonia: the permit, size limits and the steps to completion.
- Holiday rental rules in Kefalonia: registration, standards and taxes for short-term rentals.
- The Greek Golden Visa in Kefalonia: thresholds, land and the rental ban.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build on a plot smaller than 4,000 m² outside the town plan? Only if an application under the older exceptions was submitted by 9 December 2022 and the building permit is issued by 30 June 2027 (Article 133, Law 5317/2026). Otherwise the general minimum of 4,000 m² with road frontage applies.
Is Kefalonia a border area for property purchases? No. Kefalonia is not one of the border areas of Article 24 of Law 1892/1990, so no special purchase permit is required.
What is the transfer tax on land in Greece? The property transfer tax is 3.09% and is paid before the contract is signed.
Can I pay part of the price in cash? No. Greek property contracts must record that the price was paid through banking methods.
Are PlotX prices asking prices or sale prices? Asking prices. The Kefalonia Land Price Index uses the prices sellers list on PlotX, not completed sales.
Sources
- Greece enforces cash ban in property transactions — To Vima
- Power of attorney at a Greek consulate — Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- AFM by video call, myAADElive FAQ, version 2.4, 26 June 2026 — AADE (in Greek, PDF)
- Tax representative optional, decision A.1069/2024 — AADE (in Greek, PDF)
- Kefalonia Land Price Index, Q4 2026 — PlotX
