Buying a home in Kefalonia from the UK means dealing with Greek paperwork, a Greek notary and Greek taxes, often from a distance. This guide walks through each stage of a purchase on the island, from getting a Greek tax number to signing the deed and registering it with the Hellenic Cadastre. If you are also thinking about residence, read our Golden Visa guide alongside this page.
Can UK citizens buy property in Kefalonia after Brexit?
Yes. British citizens buy homes in Kefalonia, and Greek law even has a residence route built around non-EU citizens buying property here, the Golden Visa under Law 5038/2023. Since Brexit, UK buyers go through the purchase as non-EU citizens. That status matters in three places: how you get your Greek tax number, which residence permit you need if you want to stay longer, and whether any extra permission applies to the property you choose.
Some parts of Greece have extra rules for buyers from outside the European Union. Your lawyer will confirm whether any of them apply to the property you want in Kefalonia, and you should have that answer in writing before you pay a deposit. Ask early, because the answer can change the timetable.
Owning a home here and the right to live here are handled separately. Our page on residency after Brexit covers the permits for British citizens.
How the purchase works, step by step
Most purchases follow this order.
- Get your Greek tax number (AFM). You apply online, and someone you authorise can file it for you. The next section explains how.
- Choose your own lawyer. Pick a lawyer who acts only for you, not for the seller or the estate agent, and who can explain each document in English.
- Agree the price and terms. Some sales start with a written offer, a preliminary contract and a deposit. Your lawyer will explain whether one suits your purchase and what it needs to say to protect you.
- Let your lawyer run the legal checks. Ownership, the Cadastre record, permits and debts are checked before you commit to anything binding.
- Arrange the money. Your lawyer will confirm how the price, the taxes and the fees should be paid, and whether you need a Greek bank account for this.
- Sign the deed before a Greek notary. You sign in person, or your attorney signs for you under a power of attorney.
- Settle the taxes and register the deed. The transfer tax (or VAT on a new building) is settled and the deed is registered with the Hellenic Cadastre.
Getting your Greek tax number (AFM) from the UK
The AFM is your number with the Greek tax authority, AADE. Non-residents apply for it online only, through the “TIN & Authentication Key” application on myAADE, which has an English version. AADE explains the process on its page for non-residents.
- You file the application yourself, or a person you authorise files it for you.
- You upload your passport. If you appoint a tax representative, you also upload the power of attorney or solemn declaration and the representative’s acceptance.
- AADE checks your identity at an appointment at a tax office or by video call through myAADElive.
- Your TIN certificate arrives by email.
Whether a UK resident must appoint a Greek tax representative is a point your lawyer will confirm for your situation. You can also authorise someone in Greece, such as your lawyer, to file it for you.
The legal checks before you sign
The checks are the part of the purchase that protects you most, so they come before any binding commitment. Before you sign, your lawyer should be able to give you clear answers to these questions:
- Who is the registered owner, and does the seller’s title run cleanly back through the earlier owners?
- Is the property recorded with the Hellenic Cadastre, and does the Cadastre extract match the land and buildings you saw?
- Is there a mortgage, a seizure or any other claim registered against it?
- Do all the buildings, extensions and pools match their building permits?
- Does any part of the land fall within a forest map or the seashore zone?
- If the seller inherited the property, have all the heirs’ shares been accepted and registered?
- For a plot, can you build what you have in mind, and is there legal access to it?
Ask for the findings in writing, in English, and do not sign or pay while any answer is unclear.
Buying remotely with a power of attorney
You do not have to be in Kefalonia to buy. A power of attorney lets a person you trust, such as your lawyer, apply for your tax number, deal with the paperwork and sign the deed for you. Clients who bought this way describe their experience on our testimonials page.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out the consulate process on its notarial deeds page:
- You sign at the Greek Consulate General in London. If you live in northern England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you go to the Consulate General in Manchester.
- Your Greek lawyer or notary usually prepares the draft, and it is emailed to the consulate in Word format.
- If you do not fully understand Greek, an interpreter must attend and sign with you.
- The certified copy needs no further legalisation or translation.
- The consulate’s fee depends on the number of pages.
Keep the powers specific. A good power of attorney for a purchase names the property and lists exactly what your attorney may do, such as getting your tax number, opening an account or signing the deed. Read the English version line by line before your appointment. If the consulate route does not suit you, ask your lawyer which other way of signing will be accepted for your deed.
Costs and taxes when you buy
Budget for the price plus the costs below. Each rate comes from the law or decision shown as its source, and your lawyer will give you a written estimate for your own purchase.
| Cost | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Property transfer tax (resale) | 3% of the taxable value, plus a 3% municipal surcharge on the tax, so 3.09% in total | Property Tax Code, Law 5219/2025, art. 27 |
| VAT on new buildings | Suspended until 31/12/2026 when the developer applies for it, in which case transfer tax is paid instead | Law 5246/2025, art. 12 |
| Notary fee | 0.80% up to €120,000, 0.70% from €120,000.01 to €380,000, 0.65% from €380,000.01 to €2,000,000, plus a €20 fixed fee | Joint ministerial decision 111376/2011, as amended in 2015 |
| Hellenic Cadastre registration | 0.5% of the value in the sale contract | Hellenic Cadastre decision 2/2026 |
| Your lawyer | Agreed with you in advance | Ask for a written quote |
| Estate agent, if you use one | Agreed with the agent | Confirm in writing who pays |
A worked example. On a resale home with a taxable value of €200,000, transfer tax is €6,000 plus a €180 municipal surcharge, so €6,180. The Cadastre fee at 0.5% of €200,000 is €1,000. Add the notary’s fee and your lawyer’s fee from their written quotes. Your lawyer will confirm which value the tax office uses, and the notary can give you a written estimate before you sign.
Plots and new builds
A new building changes the tax side of the purchase. New buildings fall under the VAT rules, but under Law 5246/2025 VAT is suspended until 31 December 2026 when the developer applies for the suspension, and transfer tax is paid instead. Ask the developer in writing whether they have applied, because it decides which tax you pay. If completion may slip past the end of 2026, ask your lawyer what that would mean for the tax.
For a plot, the main question is whether you can build what you want. Before you agree a price, ask your lawyer and a local engineer to look at:
- whether the plot can be built on, and how large a house is allowed;
- whether there is legal road access and how water and electricity will reach the site;
- whether any part of the plot falls within a forest map or the seashore zone.
When you buy from a developer before the house is finished, ask what guarantees they give in writing, when each payment falls due, and what happens if the work stops. Have your lawyer review the contract before you pay anything.
Owning the home: ENFIA and running costs
Once the property is yours, you pay ENFIA, the annual tax on property. It is charged on property you own on 1 January each year. The notice appears in your myAADE account, and you can pay at once or in 12 monthly instalments. In 2026 the first instalment was due by 31 March 2026, according to an AADE announcement of 15 March 2026. Your lawyer or accountant can estimate the amount for your property.
Other yearly paperwork depends on how you use the home. Ask your lawyer or accountant which tax declarations you need to file after the purchase. Arrange for the electricity and water accounts to move into your name, and keep a Greek contact who can collect post and deal with the property while you are in the UK.
If you plan to let the home to holidaymakers, ask before you buy which registration and tax rules apply.
Residency and the Golden Visa
The Golden Visa gives non-EU citizens a residence permit in return for a property investment. Law 5038/2023, as replaced by Law 5100/2024, sets three levels:
- €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants, for one property with at least 120 m² of main space;
- €400,000 in the rest of Greece;
- €250,000 for converting a commercial or industrial building into a home, for a single property, with the conversion finished before you apply.
A Golden Visa property cannot be let short term, for example on Airbnb, and cannot be sublet. Your lawyer will confirm which level applies to the property you have in mind. Our Golden Visa page explains the application, and the Brexit residency page covers the other permits for British citizens.
Downsides and common mistakes UK buyers make
The main downsides are time and paperwork in Greek, often handled from another country. These mistakes cause the most trouble:
- Paying a deposit before the checks. Once money is paid, it is harder to walk away from a property with a title problem.
- Budgeting only for the price. Transfer tax, the notary, the Cadastre, your lawyer and any agent all come on top.
- Assuming every building in the listing has a permit. Photos show what stands on the land, not what is legal.
- Signing a power of attorney that is too wide. Limit it to the purchase and the steps around it.
- Sharing a lawyer with the seller. Your lawyer should act for you alone.
- Planning residence or holiday lets after the purchase. Golden Visa rules and letting rules can rule out a property, so check them first.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- A new Property Tax Code. Law 5219/2025 (Government Gazette A 130, 18 July 2025) now sets the transfer tax at 3% plus the 3% municipal surcharge on the tax.
- VAT on new buildings. Law 5246/2025 (Gazette A 198, 11 November 2025) extended the VAT suspension for new buildings to 31 December 2026.
- Cadastre fees. The Hellenic Cadastre’s decision of 12 January 2026 (Gazette B 64, 13 January 2026) sets the registration fee for sale contracts at 0.5% of the value.
- The notary as a one stop shop. Law 5293/2026 (Gazette A 57, 7 April 2026) lets the notary handle documents, tax returns, escrow and Cadastre submission in one place, with a start date set region by region.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a house in Greece as a foreigner?
Yes. Foreign buyers, including British citizens, buy homes in Greece, and the Golden Visa under Law 5038/2023 is built around non-EU citizens buying property. You will need a Greek tax number, and your lawyer will confirm whether any extra permission applies to the specific property before you commit.
Can a UK citizen live in Kefalonia?
Yes, with the right residence permit. Owning a home and the right to live here are handled separately. The Golden Visa is one route for buyers who invest at the levels set by law, and our residency after Brexit page explains the permits for British citizens.
How much money do I need to buy a house in Greece?
You need the price plus the purchase costs. On a resale home, transfer tax is 3.09% of the taxable value and the Cadastre fee is 0.5%. The notary charges 0.80% up to €120,000, with lower rates above that, plus a €20 fixed fee. Add your lawyer’s fee and any agent’s fee.
What are the downsides of buying property in Greece?
The process takes time, the documents are in Greek, and problems with titles, permits or unregistered inheritance shares can delay a sale. Independent legal checks before you pay a deposit, and a clear written estimate of all costs, deal with most of these risks.
What to be careful of in Greece?
When buying property, be careful with deposits paid before the checks, buildings without permits, plots you cannot build on, and powers of attorney wider than the purchase needs. Check Golden Visa and letting rules before you choose the property.
Can I retire to Kefalonia?
Yes, if you hold a residence permit that allows it. British citizens need a permit to live here, and the right one depends on your situation. Our residency page explains the options, and we can advise on your case before you buy.
Which is the best Greek island to buy property?
There is no single best island. It depends on how you will use the home, how you will travel there and your budget. If Kefalonia is on your list, check the points that affect a purchase here, such as which Golden Visa level applies and whether the property has all its permits.
Talk to a lawyer in Argostoli before you commit
Tell us about the property you have found, or the area you are looking at. We will explain the next steps, the checks and the costs in plain English. Our office is at 27 Lithostroto, Argostoli, and you can call us on +30 2671027630.
Book a consultationRelated pages
- Greece Golden Visas ProgrammeInvestment levels and the application
- Residency after BrexitPermits for British citizens in Greece
- Property Lawyer in GreeceWhat we do for buyers and sellers
- TestimonialsWhat clients say about working with us
- Contact usAsk about your purchase
This guide is general information about buying property in Kefalonia, not legal advice for your case. Laws and rates change, so confirm the position with a lawyer before you act.
