Yes. Americans can buy property in Greece in their own name, with the same ownership rights as a Greek buyer. You do not need residency, a visa or a Greek partner. The one legal exception is a special permit for designated border areas, and the main thing to plan around is a higher transfer tax for buyers who are tax resident outside the EU, from 1 July 2027.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules are changing this year, so confirm every point with your own lawyer in Greece and your tax adviser in the US.
Can US citizens buy property in Greece?
Yes. Greek law places no general restriction on foreign buyers, and that includes houses, apartments and land. You can buy as an individual, jointly with a spouse, or through a company.
What you need is the same as any buyer in Greece: a Greek tax number, a lawyer, and a way to pay the price through a bank.
Are there places where Americans need a permit?
Yes, in the designated border areas. Under Law 1892/1990, buyers who are not citizens of an EU or EFTA country need a permit before they buy there. The areas include parts of northern Greece and islands of the eastern Aegean, the Dodecanese among them. Your lawyer applies for the permit as part of the purchase.
Most of the country is outside these areas. Kefalonia is not a border area, and neither is Athens, so no permit is needed there.
What do you need before you start?
- A Greek tax number (AFM). It is required for any property purchase and it is free. You can get it without travelling: your lawyer applies with a power of attorney, or you apply by video call through the tax authority's myAADElive service, in English, with your passport.
- Your own lawyer in Greece. The lawyer checks the title and represents you up to the contract.
- Payment through a bank. Greek property contracts must record that the price was paid by banking methods. Cash is not accepted.
- A power of attorney, if you will not sign in person. You can sign it at a Greek consulate in the US, or before a US notary with an Apostille.
How much tax does an American pay when buying?
Today, the same as everyone else: a property transfer tax of 3.09% (3% plus a municipal surcharge), calculated on the higher of the contract price and the official tax value.
That changes for some buyers. On 13 November 2026 the Greek Parliament voted a measure that raises the rate to 15% for homes bought by individuals who are tax resident outside the EU and the European Economic Area. With the surcharge that is 15.45%. It applies to final contracts signed from 1 July 2027.
Four points to keep in mind:
- Until 1 July 2027 the rate stays 3.09%. What counts is the date of the final contract, not the date you agreed the price.
- It follows tax residence, not passport. An American who is tax resident in Greece or another EU country does not fall under it on that basis. An American living in the US does.
- It is about homes. The measure concerns the purchase of a home. If you plan to buy a plot and build, ask your lawyer how it treats land.
- There is an exception for a first home. Buyers who qualify for the Greek first-home exemption are outside the higher rate.
The vote took place on the day this guide was written, so ask your lawyer for the final text as published in the Government Gazette.
On a home with a taxable value of €400,000, the tax is about €12,360 at 3.09% and €61,800 at 15.45%. For the other costs of a purchase, see the cost of buying land in Greece.
Does buying property let you live in Greece?
No. Owning property gives no right to stay. As a visitor, a US citizen can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area, and days in other Schengen countries count towards the same limit.
To stay longer you need a visa or a residence permit. One route is the Golden Visa, a five-year renewable permit for non-EU citizens who invest in Greek real estate. The minimum is €800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki area, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents, and €400,000 elsewhere. See our guide to the Greek Golden Visa in Kefalonia.
Houses in Skala, in south-east Kefalonia. Photo: Matti, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Can an American get a mortgage in Greece?
Yes. Greek banks lend to non-residents, with lower limits than for Greek buyers: the published terms we checked were 65% to 70% of the property's value for non-EU buyers. See mortgage in Greece for foreigners.
What do you report to the IRS?
Buying a property abroad does not by itself create a US filing. The IRS comparison of Form 8938 and the FBAR lists foreign real estate held directly as not reportable on either form.
The bank account is a different matter. A Greek account is a foreign financial account, and it is reportable on the FBAR once your foreign accounts together pass $10,000. Rent you earn and any gain when you sell are part of your worldwide income on your US return. If you hold the property through a foreign company, the company itself is reportable. Ask a US tax adviser who works with Americans abroad before you buy.
How do you buy property in Greece as an American, step by step?
- Get your AFM and appoint a lawyer.
- Choose the property and agree the price.
- Your lawyer checks the title at the Land Registry or Cadastre. For land, an engineer confirms what you can build.
- Pay the transfer tax before the contract is signed.
- Sign the contract before a notary, in person or through your lawyer.
- The contract is registered at the Cadastre in your name.
Where do Americans buy?
In 2026, Americans have been the largest group of foreign buyers searching for property on the Greek islands, according to market data reported in August. If you are looking at the Ionian side, browse land for sale in Kefalonia and property for sale in Kefalonia, or read our guide to buying land in Kefalonia.
On PlotX, buyers pay a 1% platform fee and sellers pay nothing. You always choose your own lawyer, notary and engineer.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in Greece? Yes. There is no general restriction. Non-EU buyers need a permit only in designated border areas.
Do I need to be a resident to buy? No. You need a Greek tax number, not residency or a visa.
Is the 15% transfer tax for Americans in force? Parliament voted it on 13 November 2026, and it applies to final contracts signed from 1 July 2027. Until then the rate is 3.09%.
Can I buy without travelling to Greece? Yes, through a lawyer with a power of attorney.
Do I have to report a Greek house on the FBAR? The house, no, if you own it directly. A Greek bank account, yes, once your foreign accounts pass $10,000 in total.
Sources
- Legal restrictions on foreign buyers in Greece — European Land Registry Association
- Border areas under Law 1892/1990 — taxlaw.gr
- AFM by video call, myAADElive FAQ — AADE (in Greek, PDF)
- Vote in Parliament, 13 November 2026, Article 16 — flash.gr (in Greek)
- Article 16 and the tax residence criterion — SKAI (in Greek)
- First-home exception and final contracts from 1 July 2027 — editorial.gr (in Greek)
- Residence permits in Greece, an overview — Elxis
- Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR requirements — IRS
- Foreign buyers and Greek island property, August 2026 — Greek City Times
- Cover photo: Waterfront in Sami on Kefalonia.jpg, Abfab27 at English Wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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