Two dates matter for land buyers in Kefalonia in 2027. By 30 June 2027, owners of smaller plots outside the town plan that rely on the old exceptions must file their building permit application. From 1 July 2027, a bill now before Parliament would raise the transfer tax on homes to 15% for buyers who are tax residents outside the EU, but plots stay at 3.09%.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. The tax changes below are in a bill, not yet in law, and can still change. It is part of our guide to buying land in Kefalonia.
What are the key dates for 2027?
| Date | What happens | Status (7 November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | Next edition of the PlotX Kefalonia Land Price Index | Planned |
| 30 June 2027 | Last day to file the building permit application for smaller plots outside the plan under the old exceptions | Law (Law 5317/2026) |
| 1 July 2027 | Transfer tax on homes rises from 3% to 15% for buyers who are tax residents outside the EU and EEA | Bill before Parliament |
| 31 December 2027 | Suspension of capital gains tax and of VAT on new buildings extended to this date | Bill before Parliament |
What happens on 30 June 2027 for small plots outside the plan?
It is the last day to file the building permit or pre-approval application for plots that rely on the old exceptions. After it, those plots fall back to the general rule.
Outside the town plan, a plot generally needs at least 4,000 m² and road frontage to be buildable. Smaller plots, for example of 750, 1,200 or 2,000 m², could be built on under older rules if they met conditions on when they were created, their frontage and their depth.
Those older rules now survive only as a transitional arrangement. It applies where the owner filed, within two years of 9 December 2020, either a request for a building pre-approval with the required studies or a request for a certificate from the local building service. In the certificate case, the building permit or pre-approval application must be filed by 30 June 2027. Law 5317/2026 (Article 133) moved this deadline from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2027, and it also extended pre-approvals that would have expired earlier to the same date.
Two practical points:
- The deadline is for filing, not for the permit itself. Your engineer still needs time to prepare the studies, so a purchase in spring 2027 leaves very little room.
- The arrangement also ends if a Local Town Plan is approved for the area first. Ask your engineer whether one is under way where the plot is.
If you are looking at a plot under 4,000 m² outside the plan, ask the seller for proof of the 2020–2022 filing before anything else. Without it, the plot is not buildable for a house under the general rule. Our guide to plots inside vs outside the town plan explains the two categories in more detail.
Will the 15% transfer tax apply to land?
No. Under the bill submitted to Parliament on 4 November 2026, the 15% applies only to the purchase of a home. Plots stay at the standard 3% transfer tax, or 3.09% with the municipal surcharge.
The higher rate would apply from 1 July 2027 when all of the following are true:
- the property is a home;
- the buyer is an individual, not a company;
- the buyer is a tax resident of a country outside the EU and EEA.
The test is tax residence, not citizenship. A UK resident, for example, is outside the EU. With the municipal surcharge, the total would be 15.45% instead of 3.09%.
The bill also exempts buyers who qualify for the first-home exemption, which in general requires living in Greece or settling there within two years. Recognised refugees and long-term residents in Greece are exempt too.
What does this mean if I plan to build a house on my plot?
If the bill passes as submitted, buying a plot and building your own house avoids the 15%, because the plot is taxed at 3.09% and building on land you already own is not a purchase. Construction has its own costs, including VAT on materials and services, so compare the total budget, not just the tax.
The plot still has to be buildable. Check the 4,000 m² rule and the 30 June 2027 deadline above before you treat a plot as an alternative to buying a home. Our guide to building a house in Kefalonia covers the permit and the steps.
When does the date of the purchase count?
Transfer tax is paid just before the final contract is signed at the notary, so in practice the signing date is the one to watch. If you are a non-EU tax resident buying a home and plan to sign around 1 July 2027, confirm the rule with your lawyer once the law is passed.
What else changes for property owners in 2027?
The same bill includes three more changes:
- Capital gains tax. The 15% tax on gains from selling property stays suspended until the end of 2027.
- VAT on new buildings. The suspension of 24% VAT on the sale of new buildings is extended to the end of 2027. This matters if you buy a newly built home rather than land.
- Annual property tax (ENFIA). From 2027, a main home in a settlement of up to 2,000 residents is exempt, for a taxable value up to €400,000. This applies only to a main residence, not to a holiday home.
What stays the same?
Most of the process does not change. You still need a Greek tax number, your own lawyer and engineer, payment through a bank, and the 3.09% transfer tax on land. The cost of buying land in Greece guide lists every tax and fee.
Prices are the other constant to track. The PlotX Kefalonia Land Price Index, published every quarter, shows asking prices per square metre by area. The next edition comes out in January 2027 on the Kefalonia Land Price Index page.
You can browse current plots by area on the Kefalonia land for sale page.
Could these changes still move?
Yes. The tax changes are in a bill that Parliament has not yet voted on, and the start date of the 15% has already moved once, from 1 January to 1 July 2027. National elections are also expected in 2027. Only the 30 June 2027 planning deadline is already law.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 15% transfer tax apply to plots of land in Greece? No. Under the bill submitted on 4 November 2026, the 15% applies only to homes. Plots stay at 3%, or 3.09% with the municipal surcharge.
Who would pay the 15% transfer tax? Individuals who are tax residents of a country outside the EU and EEA and buy a home in Greece from 1 July 2027, unless an exemption applies, such as the first-home exemption.
Can I still build on a plot under 4,000 m² outside the plan? Only if a qualifying request was filed within two years of 9 December 2020 and the building permit or pre-approval application is filed by 30 June 2027 (Article 133, Law 5317/2026). Otherwise the general rule of 4,000 m² with road frontage applies.
Is the 15% transfer tax already law? No. As of 7 November 2026 it is in a bill before the Greek Parliament and can still change.
Sources
- Bill with the 2026 Thessaloniki fair measures submitted to Parliament, 4 November 2026 — ERT News (in Greek)
- Exemption from the 15% transfer tax for first-home buyers — madata.gr (in Greek)
- Who the 15% transfer tax applies to: homes only, 15.45% in total — cretaone.gr (in Greek)
- Law 5317/2026, Article 133: text of the extension — michanikos.gr (in Greek)
- Outside-plan plots: extension to June 2027 for building permits — Naftemporiki (in Greek)
- Building permit extensions, Law 5317/2026 (Government Gazette A' 108/10.07.2026) — RE+D Magazine
- The 15% from 1 July 2027 for third-country tax residents — To Vima
- Start date moved to 1 July 2027 — IMI Daily
- Elections expected in spring 2027 — SKAI (in Greek)
- Kefalonia Land Price Index — PlotX
- Cover photo: Three Solitary Olive Trees.jpg, George Tekmenidis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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