Inheriting Property in Greece from Australia

3 Mar

Somewhere in Greece, there is probably a house with your family’s name attached to it. Maybe it’s a stone cottage on an island that your grandparents left decades ago. Maybe it’s an apartment in Athens that your parents inherited but never dealt with. Maybe it’s a plot of land in a village you’ve only visited twice, measured not by surveyors but by the distance between olive trees.

If you’re a Greek-Australian, there is a very good chance this applies to you. An estimated 70% of Greek-Australians have some connection to property in Greece, and a significant number don’t even know it’s theirs. The property sits there, taxes accumulate, paperwork gathers dust, and eventually it becomes a problem that lands on someone’s desk at the worst possible time.

This guide covers all of it. Not just the inheritance process after someone dies, but what you can do right now, while everyone is still alive, to make sure the property is handled properly. It covers wills, tax-free transfers, forced heirship rules, deadlines, the professionals you’ll need, and the traps that catch Greek-Australians every single time.

And it answers one of the most common questions people forget to ask: do you even need to be a Greek citizen to inherit?

Do You Need to Be a Greek Citizen to Inherit Property in Greece?

No. You do not need Greek citizenship to inherit property in Greece. Any person, regardless of nationality, can inherit Greek real estate. This applies equally to Australian citizens with no Greek heritage at all.

Greek inheritance law applies to property located in Greece based on the principle of lex situs (the law of the place where the property sits). If the property is in Greece, Greek inheritance law governs its transfer, regardless of your citizenship or where you live.

That said, your citizenship status does affect a few things. If you are a Greek citizen, you can enter Greece freely on your EU passport, stay as long as you want, manage property without visa restrictions, and skip the ETIAS and Schengen 90-day limits that apply to Australian passport holders. You also avoid the border region restrictions that occasionally affect non-EU buyers in areas near Turkey, Bulgaria, or the eastern Aegean islands.

If you are not a Greek citizen and you’re inheriting property, you will still need a Greek tax number (AFM), a Greek bank account, and potentially a tax representative in Greece. The inheritance process itself is the same.

For those who are eligible, getting Greek citizenship by descent before dealing with property matters can simplify things. But it is not a prerequisite.

Planning Ahead: What You Can Do While Everyone Is Still Alive

This is the section most people skip and later wish they hadn’t. The single most effective thing a Greek-Australian family can do is sort out property transfers before anyone dies. Greek law offers several tools for this, and the tax advantages of doing it early are significant.

Parental Grants and Gifts

Greek law allows parents to transfer property to children (and grandchildren, spouses) through a goniki parohi (parental grant) or dorea (gift). Since October 2021, transfers between Category A relatives (spouses, parents, children, grandchildren) are tax-free up to €800,000 in total value. This is a cumulative lifetime threshold per recipient. Any amount above €800,000 is taxed at a flat 10%.

To put that in perspective, most family properties in Greece, particularly on the islands and in regional areas, fall well under this threshold based on their objective (government-assessed) value, which is typically lower than market value. A family apartment in a mid-range Athenian suburb, a house on a smaller island, a village plot: most of these can be transferred completely tax-free.

The process requires a notary (symvolaiografos), a civil engineer’s report, registration with the Ktimatologio (land registry), and a tax declaration filed with the local tax office (DOY). It can be managed from Australia through a Power of Attorney granted to a Greek lawyer. The akinita.gov.gr digital platform has streamlined parts of this process since 2025, though it still requires professional coordination.

Why a Greek Will Matters

If your parent (or you) owns property in Greece, an Australian will alone may not be enough. Greek real estate is governed by Greek law regardless of what any foreign will says. Under EU Regulation 650/2012 (which Greece adopted in 2015), the default rule is that succession is governed by the law of the country where the deceased habitually resided at the time of death. For a Greek-Australian who lived in Australia, that means Australian law would generally apply to the overall succession.

However, Greek forced heirship rules (see below) may still apply to Greek real estate. And practically speaking, a Greek will drafted by a Greek lawyer and held at a Greek consulate or notary’s office makes the inheritance process vastly simpler. It avoids translation issues, probate delays, and the common problem of an Australian will inadvertently revoking a Greek one.

The recommendation from every Greek lawyer working with diaspora clients is the same: have a separate Greek will for Greek assets, coordinated with (but not revoking) your Australian will. This can be drafted at the Greek Consulate in Sydney, Melbourne, or Canberra.

Greek Inheritance Law: The Rules That Override Everything

Forced Heirship (Nomimi Moira)

Greek inheritance law includes a concept that does not exist in Australian law: forced heirship. Under the Greek Civil Code, certain close relatives cannot be fully disinherited, regardless of what a will says. These “forced heirs” are entitled to a minimum share (nomimi moira) equal to half of what they would have inherited under intestacy.

Forced heirs include the deceased’s children (and their descendants), the surviving spouse, and, if there are no children, the deceased’s parents. If a will attempts to leave everything to one child and nothing to another, the excluded child can challenge it and claim their forced share under Greek law.

For Greek-Australian families, this creates a real tension. Australian succession law gives testators broad freedom to distribute their estate. Greek law does not. If there is Greek property involved, the Greek rules will apply to that property, even if the rest of the estate is distributed under Australian law.

Intestacy: When There Is No Will

If the deceased left no valid will (or no Greek will covering Greek assets), the estate is distributed under Greek intestacy rules. The order of succession follows classes of heirs. The first class consists of children and the surviving spouse. If there are children, they share equally, with the surviving spouse receiving one quarter. If there are no children, the estate passes to parents and siblings (second class), then grandparents and their descendants (third class), and so on. If no heirs can be found, the property passes to the Greek state.

EU Regulation 650/2012: The Rule That Changes Everything

This is where it gets interesting for Greek-Australians, and where most guides get it wrong. Since 2015, EU Regulation 650/2012 (sometimes called Brussels IV) has governed cross-border succession within the EU. The default rule is that the law of the country where the deceased habitually resided at the time of death applies to the entire succession. For a Greek-Australian parent who lived in Melbourne for 40 years, that means Australian succession law would govern their estate by default, including Greek property.

Australian law does not have forced heirship. A testator in Australia has broad freedom to leave their estate to whoever they choose (subject to family provision claims). This means that if Australian law applies, the Greek forced heirship rules described above would not automatically bind the Greek property. A parent could, in theory, leave their Greek house to one child and nothing to another.

However, there are complications. Greece may apply a public policy exception to override foreign law that conflicts with fundamental principles of Greek inheritance (including forced heirship). And the regulation allows individuals to choose the law of their nationality to govern their succession. A Greek-Australian with dual citizenship could explicitly choose Greek law in their will, which would then apply Greek forced heirship to all assets, including property in Australia.

The practical advice: if your family has property in both countries, the choice-of-law question is critical and should be discussed with lawyers in both jurisdictions. Do not assume that your Australian will automatically controls what happens to the Greek house.

Border Region Restrictions

A brief note for Greek-Australians who are not Greek citizens: under Law 1892/1990, non-EU citizens face restrictions on acquiring property (including through inheritance) in designated border regions. These include parts of Thrace (Evros, Rodopi, Xanthi), northern Greece near the Albanian and North Macedonian borders, and certain eastern Aegean and Dodecanese islands near Turkey, including Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, and parts of Crete. A special permit from the Decentralised Administration Authority (formerly the Prefecture Council) is required, involving a security background check that typically takes two to six months. Permits are generally granted for legitimate heirs, but the requirement adds time and complexity. Greek citizens and EU citizens are not affected by these restrictions.

When Someone Dies: Deadlines That Will Catch You

Greek inheritance law imposes strict deadlines, and they run regardless of what you know or don’t know. Missing them can have serious consequences.

The Four-Month Renunciation Window

Under Greek law, you have four months from the date you become aware of the death (or the will’s publication) to formally renounce the inheritance. For heirs living abroad, this extends to twelve months. If you do nothing within this period, the inheritance is automatically deemed accepted. This means you inherit not just the property, but any debts, unpaid taxes, or liabilities attached to it.

This is not theoretical. Plenty of Greek-Australian families have inherited properties with years of unpaid ENFIA (property tax), outstanding utility bills, or even bank debts secured against the property. If you’re not sure what you’re inheriting, you can file for a conditional acceptance (apodohi me to euergetima tis apografis), which limits your liability to the value of the inherited assets. This is highly recommended when the full picture of the estate is unclear.

The Tax Filing Deadline

Heirs must file an inheritance tax declaration within six months if they reside in Greece, or twelve months if they live abroad. The clock starts from the date of death or, if there is a will, from the date of probate. Late filing results in penalties and interest, and non-compliance can prevent the property from being legally transferred to your name.

Accept, Reject, or Accept with Conditions

When you inherit in Greece, you have three options:

Unconditional acceptance means you take everything: the property, any income it generates, and any debts. This happens automatically if you do nothing within the renunciation period, or if you act as though you’re the owner (for example, by collecting rent or paying property taxes).

Conditional acceptance (with benefit of inventory) means you accept, but your liability is capped at the value of the inherited assets. This protects you from inheriting debts that exceed the property’s worth. It requires a formal declaration and is particularly important when the estate’s financial position is uncertain.

Renunciation means you walk away entirely. This is sometimes the right call. If a property has large tax arrears, structural problems, or is entangled in a co-ownership dispute that will cost more to resolve than the property is worth, renouncing is a legitimate option. It must be done formally through a court or consular declaration within the deadline.

What If Nobody Dealt with It? The Late Inheritance Problem

This is probably the most common scenario for Greek-Australians, and the one nobody else writes about clearly. Your grandfather died in 1995. Your father was supposed to deal with the house in the village. He never did. Your father died in 2015. Nobody filed anything. The house is still there. ENFIA has been accumulating. And now, in 2026, you want to know: can you still claim it?

The short answer: yes. Greek inheritance law does not impose a strict deadline for accepting an inheritance. Unlike the four-month renunciation window (which, once missed, results in automatic deemed acceptance), there is no time limit on formalising that acceptance through a notarial deed and registering the property in your name. Families can and do accept inheritances decades after the original death.

The complications come from everything else. Late filing of the inheritance tax declaration triggers penalties and interest charges. ENFIA has been assessed annually against whoever the land registry shows as the owner (or, in some cases, against the estate itself). Unpaid ENFIA creates a cascading problem: to execute the acceptance deed before a notary, you must present ENFIA clearance certificates for the last five years. If those years are unpaid, you need to settle them first.

Then there is the title chain. If your grandfather died and your father never formally accepted the inheritance, then your father never became the registered owner. When your father died, the inheritance passed to you, but the property is still in your grandfather’s name. To register it in yours, your lawyer needs to reconstruct the entire chain: acceptance of grandfather’s estate by father (posthumously, through his heirs), then acceptance of father’s estate by you. Each step requires its own tax declaration, notarial deed, and registration. With multiple generations and multiple siblings at each level, this can become extraordinarily complex.

The good news: it is still resolvable. Greek lawyers who work with diaspora clients deal with exactly these situations every day. The back taxes and penalties, while frustrating, are often smaller than people fear, particularly for low-value rural properties where the objective value (and therefore the ENFIA) is modest. The key is to start the process. The longer you wait, the more heirs are involved, the more ENFIA accumulates, and the greater the risk that the property is flagged as an orphaned estate under the new legislation.

Inheritance Tax: What You’ll Pay

Greece imposes inheritance tax on all property located in Greece, regardless of the heir’s nationality or residence. The tax is calculated on the property’s objective value (antikeimenikes axies), which is the government-assessed value, often significantly lower than market value.

Heirs are grouped into three categories based on their relationship to the deceased:

Category A (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents): tax-free up to €150,000. Rates from 1% to 10% on amounts above the threshold. A surviving spouse married for five or more years, and minor children, receive an enhanced tax-free threshold of €400,000.

Category B (siblings, grandparents, nieces/nephews, great-grandchildren): tax-free up to €30,000. Rates from 5% to 20%.

Category C (everyone else): tax-free up to €6,000. Rates from 20% to 40%.

There is also a primary residence exemption. If the inherited property was the deceased’s primary residence and the heir does not own other real estate in Greece, additional exemptions may apply: up to €250,000 for a surviving spouse, and up to €200,000 for children.

One critical note for Greek-Australians: there is no inheritance tax treaty between Australia and Greece. Greece has inheritance tax treaties with the US, Italy, Germany, and Spain, but not Australia. The practical impact is limited because Australia abolished inheritance tax in 1979, so there is no double taxation risk. But you will pay Greek inheritance tax on Greek property with no foreign tax credit to offset it.

ENFIA and Ongoing Tax Obligations

Once you own property in Greece, whether by inheritance or transfer, you are liable for ENFIA (Unified Real Estate Ownership Tax), an annual property tax calculated based on the property’s characteristics, location, size, and age. ENFIA applies to both residents and non-residents.

You will need a Greek AFM (tax number) and active TAXISnet/myAADE credentials to manage your tax obligations. Non-residents must also file an annual tax return in Greece, even if they owe zero tax. A tax representative (logistis or accountant) based in Greece can handle this for you.

Under Law 5246/2025, ENFIA has been reduced by 50% for properties in villages with populations under 1,500 (outside the Attica region), provided the property is a primary residence and its assessed value does not exceed €400,000. This is unlikely to apply to most Greek-Australians who use the property seasonally, but it’s worth knowing if your circumstances change.

The Ktimatologio Problem

One of the biggest headaches for Greek-Australians inheriting property is the Ktimatologio (National Land Registry). Greece is in the process of modernising its land registry system, transitioning from the old Ypothikofilakeio (mortgage registry) to a modern cadastral system. The project has been ongoing for decades and is still not complete in all areas.

The practical problem: many family properties were never properly registered. Boundaries were informal. Transfers were done on handshakes. Plots were “measured by throwing stones”, as one Greek Herald article memorably described it. If the property you’re inheriting was never registered in the Ktimatologio, you will need a civil engineer (michanikos) to survey it, a lawyer to verify the title chain, and patience.

Unregistered properties cannot be sold, transferred, or mortgaged. If you plan to do anything with the property, registration is the first step. Your lawyer can initiate this process, but depending on the region, it can take weeks to months.

Co-ownership: When You Inherit with Siblings

Under Greek inheritance law, when multiple heirs inherit a single property, they inherit undivided shares. This means nobody owns a specific room or floor. Everyone owns a percentage of the whole.

This creates practical complications. No heir can sell, renovate, or make major decisions about the property without the consent of all co-owners. If one sibling wants to sell and another wants to keep the family home, the dispute can only be resolved by agreement or, failing that, through a court-ordered partition (agogi dianomis). Court proceedings are slow and expensive.

Many Greek-Australian families are dealing with properties co-owned by four, six, or eight heirs spread across multiple generations and multiple countries. This is where proactive planning (particularly parental grants and clearly drafted wills) pays for itself many times over.

The Professionals You Need

Handling Greek property from Australia requires a team on the ground in Greece. The key players are:

Dikigoros (lawyer): Handles title searches, inheritance acceptance, court filings, Power of Attorney, and dealings with municipalities and tax authorities. For inheritance matters, you want someone experienced with diaspora clients and comfortable communicating in English. Expect fees of €1,000 to €5,000 depending on complexity.

Symvolaiografos (notary): Required for formal acceptance of inheritance (when real estate is involved), property transfers, and will drafting. The notary drafts the acceptance deed and registers it with the land registry. Notary fees are regulated and typically 0.8% to 1.2% of the property’s objective value.

Logistis (accountant): Handles your AFM registration, annual tax returns, ENFIA, and inheritance tax declarations. Essential for non-residents. Annual retainer fees range from €200 to €800.

Michanikos (civil engineer): Required for any property transfer to verify the building is legal, the boundaries are correct, and the property complies with zoning and planning regulations. Also required for Ktimatologio registration. Fees vary by property size and complexity.

Doing It All from Australia

The entire inheritance and property transfer process can be handled remotely from Australia through a Power of Attorney (plirexousio) granted to your Greek lawyer. This can be executed at the Greek Consulate in Sydney, Melbourne, or Canberra.

Since November 2025, Law 5221/2025 has introduced significant digital reforms to Greece’s inheritance and property system. Wills are now registered online through diathikes.gr. Notaries handle most non-contentious inheritance procedures directly, reducing court involvement. And some administrative steps can now be completed through gov.gr and myAADE without travelling to Greece.

That said, don’t expect a fully digital experience yet. Property matters in Greece still require in-person follow-up at municipalities, tax offices, and land registry offices. Your lawyer is your proxy for all of this. Budget for communication, coordination, and the occasional document that needs to be Apostilled by DFAT and NAATI-translated before it can be used in Greece.

What to Do with the Property

Once you’ve inherited or received the property, you have three broad options:

Keep it. Use it as a family holiday home. You’ll pay annual ENFIA, utility costs, and need someone locally to keep an eye on things. Many Greek-Australians maintain village houses or island properties for exactly this purpose.

Rent it out. Rental income from Greek property must be declared in Greece and is taxed progressively. If you rent short-term (Airbnb-style), note that Greece has introduced significant restrictions in central Athens and that all short-term rentals require registration. Long-term rentals may qualify for a three-year tax exemption under specific conditions.

Sell it. Capital gains tax on property sales in Greece is currently suspended until 31 December 2026. This means individual sellers are not taxed on profit from the sale during this period. After this suspension expires, a 15% capital gains tax will apply. If you’re considering selling, the current window is favourable.

Australian Tax Implications: What the ATO Needs to Know

Inheriting or owning property in Greece does not just create obligations in Greece. As an Australian tax resident, you have reporting and tax obligations to the ATO as well. This is the part most Greek-Australians overlook entirely, and it can create problems years down the line.

Declaring Foreign Assets

If you own or have an interest in assets located outside Australia with a total value of A$50,000 or more at any point during the financial year, you must declare this on your Australian tax return (Question 20: Foreign source income and foreign assets or property). This applies to Greek property regardless of whether it generates any income. The ATO receives and exchanges financial account information with participating foreign tax authorities, so non-disclosure carries real risk.

Rental Income

If you rent out your Greek property, that income must be declared on your Australian tax return as foreign source income. It is taxed at your marginal tax rate. All amounts must be converted to Australian dollars using the exchange rate at the time the income is received. You can claim deductions for expenses related to the rental (maintenance, insurance, management fees, interest on any loan used to purchase or maintain the property). If you also pay tax on rental income in Greece, you may be eligible for a Foreign Income Tax Offset (FITO) to avoid being taxed twice on the same income. Australia and Greece have a double tax agreement covering income tax, so this offset should apply.

Capital Gains Tax on Sale

If you sell Greek property, the capital gain must be reported on your Australian tax return. The gain is calculated in Australian dollars, using the exchange rate at the time of acquisition and the time of sale. Currency fluctuations can significantly affect the taxable amount. If you held the property for more than 12 months, you may be eligible for the 50% CGT discount. If you also pay capital gains tax in Greece (currently suspended until 31 December 2026, but 15% when active), you can generally claim a FITO for the Greek tax paid.

For inherited property, the cost base is generally the market value of the property at the date of death. Keep records of this valuation, as you will need it if you ever sell.

Impact on Age Pension and Centrelink

This is the one that catches people off guard. Centrelink assesses all assets you and your partner own, in Australia and overseas, when determining Age Pension eligibility. Greek property is not exempt just because it is overseas or because it was inherited.

Under the assets test, the market value of your Greek property (converted to Australian dollars at current exchange rates) is included in your total assessable assets. If you co-own the property with siblings, only your share is assessed. Under the income test, if the property is rented, Centrelink assesses the actual net rental income. If it is not rented and not generating income, only the asset value applies.

You must declare all overseas assets when you apply for the Age Pension. Failure to do so is considered fraud and can result in repayment demands, fines, or criminal prosecution. The same rules apply to aged care means testing: overseas property is included in assessments for residential aged care fees.

For Greek-Australians approaching retirement, this means that a family property in Greece, even one you never visit or earn income from, could reduce your Age Pension entitlement or increase your aged care fees. If you are gifting or transferring the property (for example, through a parental grant to your children), be aware that Centrelink’s gifting rules apply: you can give away up to $10,000 in any financial year and $30,000 over a rolling five-year period before the gifted amount is counted as a deprived asset and continues to be assessed for five years.

The intersection of Greek parental grants and Centrelink gifting rules is a genuine planning issue. A transfer that is tax-free in Greece (under the €800,000 threshold) may still trigger Centrelink’s deprivation rules in Australia if the transfer exceeds the gifting limits. Talk to an Australian financial adviser who understands cross-border assets before making any transfers, particularly if you or your parents are receiving or planning to apply for the Age Pension.

The Orphaned Estates Risk

In late 2025, Greece introduced draft legislation to create a new Foundation for the Management and Liquidation of Inactive Estates. Under this framework, properties where no heir has come forward or where ownership records are outdated may be classified as “orphan estates” (scholazouses klironomies) and potentially liquidated.

This is not the Greek state seizing property from families. But it does mean that if your family has property in Greece and nobody has updated the civil records, registered the inheritance, or maintained contact with the municipality, that property could be flagged as inactive. Once that happens, recovering it becomes significantly more difficult and expensive.

The message is straightforward: if you know there is property in Greece connected to your family, act now. Update civil records at the consulate. Verify ownership at the land registry. File outstanding tax returns. Do not wait for a crisis to force the issue.

Digital Tools for Managing Greek Property from Australia

gov.gr – Central government services portal for certificates, declarations, and digital ID.

myAADE – Tax authority portal for ENFIA, tax returns, AFM management, and property declarations.

akinita.gov.gr – Digital platform for property transfers, parental grants, and donation declarations.

diathikes.gr – Online will registration system (effective since November 2025 under Law 5221/2025).

ktimatologio.gr – National land registry. Search property records and check registration status.

MyConsulLive – Appointment booking for Greek consular services in Australia.

Step-by-Step Checklist: Inheriting Property in Greece from Australia

1. Determine your situation

Are you planning a transfer while everyone is alive, or has someone already passed away? Are you a Greek citizen or not? Answers shape the process.

2. Assemble your Greek team

Engage a dikigoros (lawyer), logistis (accountant), and if needed, a symvolaiografos (notary) and michanikos (civil engineer) in Greece. Look for English-speaking professionals experienced with diaspora clients.

3. Get your AFM

Apply for a Greek tax number through the Greek Consulate or via your accountant/lawyer in Greece. You need this before any property transaction.

4. Verify the property

Have your lawyer conduct a title search at the Ktimatologio or Ypothikofilakeio. Confirm boundaries, ownership chain, and any encumbrances.

5. Execute a Power of Attorney

Grant Power of Attorney at the Greek Consulate to your lawyer in Greece so they can act on your behalf.

6. If planning a transfer (alive)

Draft a Greek will at the consulate and/or arrange a parental grant (goniki parohi) through your notary. File the tax declaration for the transfer.

7. If inheriting (after death)

Decide: accept, accept conditionally, or renounce. File the inheritance tax declaration within 12 months. Execute the acceptance deed before a notary. Register the property at the land registry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Greek citizenship to inherit property in Greece?

No. Any person of any nationality can inherit property in Greece. Greek citizenship is not required, though it simplifies long-term property management and eliminates Schengen visa restrictions.

Is there a deadline to claim an inheritance in Greece?

Yes. You have four months (twelve months if you live abroad) from the date of death or will publication to renounce the inheritance. After this period, the inheritance is automatically deemed accepted, including any debts attached to it.

Can I inherit property in Greece if I live in Australia and never visit?

Yes. The entire process can be handled remotely through a Power of Attorney granted to a Greek lawyer. Since 2025, digital tools like myAADE and diathikes.gr have further reduced the need for in-person visits.

What is forced heirship and does it apply to Greek-Australians?

Forced heirship (nomimi moira) is a Greek law principle that guarantees certain close relatives a minimum share of the estate, regardless of what a will says. It applies to all Greek real estate, even if the deceased lived in Australia.

Can my parents transfer property to me while they’re still alive?

Yes. Through a parental grant (goniki parohi), parents can transfer property to children tax-free up to €800,000 in cumulative value. This is often the most tax-efficient way to handle family property.

How much inheritance tax will I pay?

It depends on your relationship to the deceased. Children of the deceased (Category A) pay 0% on the first €150,000 of objective value, then 1% to 10% on amounts above. Siblings (Category B) have a €30,000 threshold with rates up to 20%. Others (Category C) face rates up to 40%.

Is there a double tax treaty between Australia and Greece for inheritance?

No. Greece has inheritance tax treaties with the US, Italy, Germany, and Spain, but not Australia. However, since Australia abolished inheritance tax in 1979, there is no risk of being taxed twice on the same inheritance.

What happens if nobody claims the property?

Under new Greek legislation, unclaimed properties may be classified as orphan estates and potentially liquidated by a government foundation. Greek-Australians with family property in Greece should update their civil records and verify ownership now.

What is the Ktimatologio and why does it matter?

The Ktimatologio is Greece’s national land registry. Many older family properties were never properly registered. Without Ktimatologio registration, you cannot sell, transfer, or mortgage the property. A civil engineer and lawyer can initiate the registration process.

Do I need to file a tax return in Greece if I own property?

Yes. Non-resident property owners in Greece must file an annual tax return and pay ENFIA (annual property tax), even if no income is generated from the property. A Greek accountant can handle this for you remotely.

Should I have a separate Greek will for Greek assets?

Yes. Every Greek lawyer working with diaspora clients recommends a separate Greek will for Greek assets, coordinated with (but not revoking) your Australian will. This dramatically simplifies the inheritance process and avoids translation, probate, and forced heirship complications.

Will Greek property affect my Australian Age Pension?

Yes. Centrelink assesses all assets you own in Australia and overseas when determining Age Pension eligibility. The market value of Greek property (converted to Australian dollars) is included in your assessable assets. Rental income from the property is also assessed under the income test. If you are gifting or transferring the property, Centrelink’s gifting rules (up to $10,000 per year, $30,000 over five years) also apply, and excess gifts are treated as deprived assets for five years.

My parent died years ago and nobody dealt with the property. Can I still claim it?

Yes. Greek law does not impose a time limit on accepting an inheritance. You can formalise acceptance decades after the death. The complications are practical, not legal: you will face late-filing penalties on the inheritance tax declaration, accumulated ENFIA arrears, and the need to reconstruct the full title chain if prior generations also never formally accepted. A Greek lawyer experienced with diaspora cases can manage this process.

Does Australian or Greek law apply to the inheritance?

Under EU Regulation 650/2012, the default rule is that the law of the country where the deceased habitually resided governs the succession. For a Greek-Australian who lived in Australia, that means Australian law would generally apply, including to Greek property. This can bypass Greek forced heirship rules. However, the deceased could have chosen Greek law in their will, and Greece may apply a public policy exception. Dual citizens with assets in both countries should have coordinated legal advice.

The House Is Still There

Most Greek-Australian families have a version of the same story. There is a house somewhere in Greece that everyone knows about and nobody has dealt with. It comes up at Easter lunch. Someone’s uncle was supposed to sort it out. Someone’s cousin said they’d handle the paperwork. Years pass. The ENFIA bills pile up. The roof leaks a little more each winter.

The longer you wait, the harder it gets. More heirs, more co-owners, more bureaucracy, more expense. The time to deal with it is now, while the relevant people are still alive and the relevant documents are still findable.

Start with a phone call to a Greek lawyer. Get the title checked. Get the AFM sorted. Have the conversation with your family that everyone has been avoiding. The house is still there. It’s waiting for someone to claim it properly.

This article is based on publicly available information from Greek government sources and general legal principles. It is not legal advice. Greek inheritance law is complex, individual circumstances vary significantly, and laws may have changed since the time of writing (March 2026). Consult a qualified Greek lawyer (dikigoros) and accountant (logistis) before making decisions about property in Greece.