What paperwork is involved when BUYING property on the island?
When buying a piece of property, the buyer needs to issue and submit
the following papers:
* Note that when buying a property, a transfer tax must be paid to the Tax Office. This tax is calculated based on the price of the property as stated in the contract and must be settled when all the following paperwork is submitted to the tax office.
1.
First of all, the notary public has to ensure the authenticity of the buyer's signature.
2.
Then, the buyer has to submit 3 copies of the declaration of the transfer tax indicating the exact amount of the taxes being paid. These declarations are submitted along with another special form, showing the estimated (assessed) value of the property to be purchased. (Note that all these forms are written with the help of the notary public.)
3.
Under certain circumstances, when the purchaser buys the first real estate property on his name, he/she may not have to pay the Transfer Tax. If this is the case, along with the declaration for the transfer tax, he/she needs to provide:
 
i.
A legal liability declaration of the Greek Law 1599/86, stating that he/she doesn't have any other real estate property registered to his/her name.
ii.
A copy of the family state certificate.
iii.
A legal declaration issued at the Town Planning Office, stating that the particular piece of land is actually a building plot, under the current building regulation of the area.
iv.
A topographic plan of the land.
4.
When signing the contract, the buyer must also sign several other procedural declarations, for example a confirmation that the property is not too close to the sea shore or a stream etc.
5.
After signing the contract the buyer or the notary public has to take a copy of the contract to the Mortgage Registry Office in order to get a certificate of conveyance for the property.
6.
In some cases, your legal representative will have to assist you in acquiring some necessary approval documentation from the Ministries of Forestry and/or Archaeology and from local communities.