In these pages we hope to demistify the extensive red tape that exists in Greece. Greece is a country with very complicated and time-consuming procedures and being armed with the right info can help ease the process and get things done with the minimum of stress.

Your big fat Greek wedding
Planning to get hitched? If you want the wedding in Greece but aren't Greek you will have to comply with the following procedure
Under Greek law, foreign nationals may be married in either civil or religious ceremonies. While there is no residency requirement for foreign nationals wishing to marry in Greece, they should be in possession of a residence permit or a tourist visa. This does not apply to EU nationals.
The following documents are required by non-Greek brides and grooms who wish to obtain a marriage licence required for a ceremony performed in Greece:
* Valid passports or other travel documents.
* Certified copies of both parties' birth certificates with an official translation from the Greek foreign ministry.
* If applicable, a document verifying the termination of a previous marriage (death certificate or final divorce papers) with an official translation.
* Confirmation by their consulate in Greece that there is no impediment to the marriage; for instance, that there is no existing undissolved marriage and that neither party is under 18 years old.
* A copy of the local Greek daily newspaper in which the wedding notice was published 15 days to three months before the marriage ceremony. The announcement should be in Greek with names written in Greek characters. In small towns where daily newspapers are not published, notices are posted by the mayor or president of the community at the municipality or community office. After you've submitted all the necessary papers it may take several weeks before a marriage certificate is issued.

Civil marriages
The couple wishing to marry must personally submit all the documents listed above to their local municipality (dimarcheio) or to the president of their community (proedros kinotitas) to apply for a marriage licence. Marriage licences are issued seven days after the application is submitted and are valid for six months. Civil ceremonies may be performed anywhere in Greece.
The couple-to-be must submit another application to the mayor or the president of the community in which they wish to be married. This official then sets the wedding date. Two witnesses, provided by the couple, must attend the wedding ceremony. One of the witnesses may act as an interpreter. Witnesses must present official identification cards or passports.

Religious marriages
The documents listed above must be submitted to the priest who is to perform the ceremony. Foreigners also need to submit an official translation of their baptism certificate or other document showing they are of Christian faith. The priest will apply for and obtain the marriage licenses.

Registration of a marriage
All marriages, civil and religious, must be registered at the local vital statistics office (lixiarcheio) within 40 days of the ceremony. The marriage licence costs about 15 euros. If a marriage is not registered it is not legally valid.


There are a number of agencies that will make arrangements if you are coming over just for the wedding. Put "getting married in greece" into the google window at the top of this page to find companies that offer such packages.

Your Dream home in Greece
Once an agreement has been reached as to the price, a contract is normally drawn up and would include price, completion date and any other relevant information for the sale. A deposit can range from 10 - 30% and a mortgage can be secured by either a Greek Bank or an International Mortgage Broker. The contract is signed and an agreement is reached between completion before a Notary who will normally charge around 1-2% of the property value as his fee

Solicitor / Lawyer
Wherever possible, try to enlist the services of a local Lawyer or Solicitor to act on your behalf, preferably one who speaks English. They will be responsible for paying any taxes and registering the property with the land registry in Greece. They will normally charge between 1 - 2% of the sale value of the property.

Fees
Allow up to 18% for your fees just to be on the safe side as purchase tax is charged depending on the value of the property at between 9-11%. Land registry fees should be about 0.4% of the assessed value plus a small sum for stamp duties and certificates. Real Estate agent's fees are usually paid by the vendor.

Property Tax
Very good value and is normally around 0.25% of the property's declared value paid annually. This will cover local services. In addition, there is a community tax of around 3% of the property transfer tax which is paid to the local municipality for general public services.

Mortgages
Greece is slowly changing it's mortgage and lending criteria system which used to be quite difficult - to fall in line with other EU countries but beware as interest rates in Greece can be among the highest in the European Union. Some people have used their existing properties at home to raise finance to buy their Greek property outright thus saving on interest and hassle. Mortgages are available on residential properties through a couple of International Mortgage Brokers,

All EU citizens have equal rights concerning the purchase or sale of property in Greece. Non EU citizens are also free to buy property in Greece, however with some restrictions as described bellow. The documents required for signing a property-purchase contract are: a) Both the buyer and the seller must provide:
- A valid passport (or a legal identity card for EU citizens only) - A Greek fiscal number which is obtainable by non Greek citizens, within 5 working days by the Greek Tax Authorities. b) The seller should provide a "clean" B' Tax certificate issued by the competent Tax Authority, according to Law 1882/1990 proving that he has no outstanding debts towards the Hellenic Fiscus. c) An additional special permission is required for the purchase of properties close to the Greek borders. Such permission will be issued by the local Department Authorities and is not granted to non EU citizens.

According to the Greek law, the purchase contract, known also as a "Purchase Deed", is signed by the buyer and the seller in the presence of :
- A Notary Public
- A lawyer appointed by the buyer
- A lawyer appointed by the seller


The buyer's lawyer is liable to investigate that the property being bought is free and clear of any charge, lien, mortgage, and especially of estate taxes (viz. land property and inheritance) or municipal taxes, damages to neighboring owners and so forth. This investigation, held by the buyer? s lawyer, is the guarantee that the Title Deed of Ownership and the relevant certificates issued by the land registry, show that no third party claim or challenge of any kind exists.

Special attention must be paid to assure that the property is sold and will be delivered to the buyer, with the benefit of full vacant possession.

2. Additional cost when purchasing property
Additional costs for the purchase of property, come in the shape of :
1) 11% "property transfer tax" on the contract price, payable when buying only. The declared contract price cannot be less than the published government value which is usually far below the real cost.
2) 1-2 % lawyer's fees on the contract value, subject of agreement between the lawyer and his client.
3) expenses of 1,5% on the contract value , for the completion of the contract, like notary fees, registry etc.. All expenses for the conclusion of the final contract, including the relative tax of property transfer will be borne by the buyer. However, each contracting party will pay the fees of his legal representative who will be present at the signing of the contract, as is required by the Greek Law.

3. Commission payable to a Real Estate agent.
In Greece it is customary that both seller and buyer will contribute a commission payable to the real estate agent, for introducing the buyers to the owners.The exact amount of this commission is a matter of agreement between the real estate agent and his clients. It is understood that the agent's commission for his services, is due only in the event of a conclusive transaction

4. Annual taxes to be paid by property owners in Greece
There are no annual taxes to pay in Greece, if the total value of the properties owned by the same person, does not exceed the value of €200.000 . The valuation of properties, is carried out by the government, which provides published values, announced for every type of property. As already mentioned above, these values are usually far below the real cost.