Property in Greece for Russians in 2026: how to buy legally, payment, sanctions, residency

Can a Russian citizen buy property in Greece in 2026?

Let us start with the most important point and put the main fear to rest. Yes, a Russian citizen can legally buy property in Greece in 2026. Greek law contains no direct ban on Russian citizens acquiring residential or commercial property. A foreigner's ownership rights are protected in exactly the same way as a Greek citizen's: you become the full owner, the property is registered in your name, and you can use it, let it on a long-term basis, pass it on by inheritance and sell it.

Proposals for an EU-wide ban on property purchases by Russians have been debated since 2022, but no common ban ever materialised - the initiative did not go through. So at the Greek level, sanctions hit not the sale itself but the surrounding processes: the movement of money and the checks on its origin. This is the key distinction to grasp from the very start.

In other words, property in Greece is available to Russians in 2026, but the road to it has become more bureaucratic: more paperwork, more checks, more time spent coordinating with the bank. All of this can be handled, but strictly legally - no grey schemes, no sanctions circumvention and no attempt to hide the source of the money. That is exactly how we run every transaction. It is worth checking your steps against the current market rules right away, using our guide on how a foreigner can buy property in Greece.

Property, Greece and sanctions: what exactly is restricted

To act calmly and with confidence, it is important to understand where the line runs between what is allowed and what is restricted. EU sanctions against Russia are not a ban on buying square metres but a set of rules for the financial system. Greek banks and notaries are obliged to comply with them, which is why all the checks pass through them.

What a Russian citizen is NOT barred from in 2026:

• The property purchase itself - residential or commercial, in an individual's name.
• Owning and disposing of the property - long-term letting, sale, inheritance.
• Obtaining an AFM tax number and opening the transaction before a notary.

What is restricted or complicated by sanctions:

• Direct bank transfers from Russian banks to the EU - many correspondent channels are closed, and a direct SWIFT transfer from Russia to Greece is usually impossible.
• Enhanced source-of-funds checks - the bank must establish where the money comes from and whether it is linked to sanctioned persons.
• New Golden Visa applications on a Russian passport - covered and in detail below.

One point deserves emphasis: we are talking about bona fide private buyers who are not on any sanctions list. If a person is under personal sanctions, the transaction is closed to them, and that is not up for discussion. For all other Russian citizens the task comes down to transparently demonstrating that the money is lawful and routing it through a permitted channel. The theme of property, Greece and sanctions sounds frightening, but in practice it is a matter of preparing the documents properly.

The main challenge: how to transfer money from Russia to Greece

If the purchase itself is permitted, then 90% of the real difficulties lie precisely here - in transferring the money. Since 2022, direct transfers from Russian banks to European ones have become far harder: correspondent relationships have shrunk, many EU banks block incoming payments connected to Russia, and the payment must be made in euros through the Greek banking system for the transaction to be transparent.

In practice, buyers use lawful routes for moving funds, for example:

• Accounts in friendly or neutral jurisdictions. Money already held outside Russia (in banks of countries that have not imposed restrictions) is transferred to Greece more easily than directly from a Russian bank.
• The buyer's personal accounts abroad. If you already hold an account in a third country and the funds arrived there lawfully, the transfer to Greece goes through as an ordinary payment by an EU non-resident.
• Proceeds from selling assets outside Russia. Money from the sale of foreign property, a business or securities with a clear paper trail.

What we categorically never do: we do not try to hide the source of the money, we do not split payments to evade controls, and we do not work with cash to bypass the banks. Any such scheme puts both the transaction and the buyer at risk. The Greek bank will request documents regardless, and an opaque history will lead to the funds being frozen. That is why the money is sent in advance, with time to spare for the compliance check, and accompanied by a full set of supporting documents.

Source-of-funds checks (AML): what to prepare in advance

The second most important issue after the transfer itself is proving where the money comes from. Greek banks strictly apply anti-money-laundering (AML) rules and the know-your-customer (KYC) principle, especially to large transactions and to payments linked to Russia. This is not a personal grievance against Russians - it is an EU-wide standard, set out among other places in Greek Law 4557/2018.

The bank wants an answer to one simple question: where did this money come from and is it lawful. To make that answer convincing, you assemble a documentary chain in advance:

• Proof of income - salary certificates, tax returns, documents on dividends or the sale of a business.
• Bank statements - showing how the funds accumulated and moved, rather than a large sum appearing out of nowhere.
• Documents on assets sold - the sale contract for an apartment, a car or a company stake, if the money came from there.
• Apostille and translation - Russian documents for a Greek bank are prepared with a certified translation and an apostille.

The clearer and more complete the money's history, the faster the check goes. The weak point in most do-it-yourself attempts is precisely the gaps in the chain: the money is there, but there is nothing to prove how it got there. That is why you start building the source of funds before entering the transaction, not at the moment the bank has already asked for explanations. This is the part of the job where professional support saves both nerves and money.

AFM tax number: the first practical step

Any property transaction in Greece begins with obtaining a tax number - the AFM (AΦM in Greek). Without it you can neither complete a purchase before a notary, nor open a local bank account, nor pay taxes. The good news for Russian citizens: the AFM is issued to non-residents too, without a residence permit and without any obligation to travel to Greece.

How it works in practice:

• Who is eligible. Any foreigner, including citizens of non-EU countries. A Russian passport is no obstacle to obtaining an AFM.
• Remotely, by power of attorney. If you are not in Greece, your lawyer or tax representative will obtain the number under a notarised power of attorney - your presence in person is not required.
• Documents. An international passport, and where needed a marriage certificate or children's birth certificates (translated into Greek and apostilled), an application form and a power of attorney for your representative.
• Timeframe. Usually 2-3 working days, sometimes a little longer when the tax office is busy.

The AFM is a technical but essential foundation for the transaction. Alongside it, a non-resident buyer usually opens a Greek bank account through which the settlement and tax payments will pass. This is the stage at which the bank begins its AML check, so it makes sense to arrange the AFM and the account in advance, before you even choose a specific property. You can verify the official requirements for obtaining the number on the government portal gov.gr.

Transaction stages and the nuances for a Russian buyer: a table

Let us bring the whole journey into a single table so you can see where a Russian buyer needs to allow extra time and attention. The sequence of steps for a Russian is no different from that for any other foreigner - only the level of scrutiny at the financial stages differs.

As you can see, on eight of the nine stages a Russian citizen acts just like any other foreigner. Special attention goes to the two financial rows (the source of funds and the money transfer) and to the final row on residency, which we will address separately and .

The path to residency via a second passport and other visas

Since a new Golden Visa application on a Russian passport is currently difficult, a Russian who wants to legally stay and live in Greece still has alternative - but entirely lawful - routes. To be clear: alternative in the sense of other grounds, not in the sense of circumventing sanctions.

Workable options in 2026:

• A second passport. Citizenship of a Caribbean country, Turkey or another non-sanctioned jurisdiction removes the restriction - on such a passport the applicant applies for the Greek Golden Visa on the standard terms.
• The national D visa and other residence permits. For actually living in the country, non-investment types of status are used instead.
• The digital nomad residence permit (Digital Nomad) - for those working remotely for a foreign employer with income of roughly 3,500 euros per month or more.
• The financially independent person residence permit (FIP) - on the basis of stable passive income.

These statuses are not tied directly to a property investment, but they allow you to live legally in Greece - an EU and Schengen country - while the Golden Visa question is resolved through a second passport or as the restrictions ease. Which route is more realistic for you depends on your source of income, whether you hold a second citizenship and your goals. We set out the overall logic of the residency options in our guide on Greek residency for Russians.

Choosing a property and verifying the deal is clean

Once the financial side is thought through, you reach the stage everyone understands - choosing the property and checking it legally. Here a Russian citizen is no different from any other foreigner, but precisely because banks pay such close attention to the money, it is important not to make mistakes with the property itself.

What is examined during due diligence:

• Clean title. The seller really is the owner, the property is not mortgaged, and there are no inheritance disputes or encumbrances.
• Debts on the property. No arrears on ENFIA tax, utility bills or service charges.
• Permits and the legality of the buildings. Especially for houses and properties on the islands - whether there are any unauthorised extensions.
• Border zones. In a number of border and island areas, a foreigner needs special permission to buy - this is checked in advance.

The Greek market is liquid: Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, Corfu and Halkidiki are all areas with steady demand and clear pricing. Before the transaction it is worth benchmarking your budget against our overview of property prices in Greece in 2026. Thorough due diligence protects your money and reduces risk at the bank's AML stage, since a clean deal raises fewer questions.

The new Real Estate Owners Registry from 2026

From January 2026, Greece is introducing an important change that affects all owners, foreigners included. A state Real Estate Owners Registry is being launched - a modern automated system that tracks data on properties, rental arrangements and payments in real time.

What this means for a Russian buyer:

• Greater transparency. The state sees who owns a property, how it is used and what payments run through it. This is part of a broader trend towards digitalisation and market oversight.
• Rentals under scrutiny. Letting a property, short-term letting in particular, is recorded in the system - which tightens control over the declaration of income.
• Tax discipline. The registry is linked to tax data, so under-reporting or hiding rental income becomes practically impossible.

For a bona fide owner this is more of a plus: a clean, transparent history of the property makes both a future sale and any dealings with a bank easier. Any attempt at grey schemes with rentals or under-declared taxes, however, quickly comes to light under the new conditions. The logic is the same as for the whole transaction: legally, transparently, with the right documents - and then the new registry works for you, not against you.

Taxes on buying and owning property

The financial picture does not end with the price of the property - taxes are added on top, and a Russian citizen pays them on the same basis as any other owner. It is worth building them into your budget in advance so the final figure comes as no surprise.

The main taxes and fees:

• Property transfer tax - 3.09% of the property's value when buying resale housing. Paid once, at the transaction.
• The annual ENFIA property tax - calculated from the cadastral value and characteristics of the property, and paid every year.
• Rental income tax - if the property is let, the income is taxed on a progressive scale; it is tracked through that same new registry.
• Associated costs - notary, lawyer, registration and document translation; typically a few per cent on top of the price is set aside.

One point to note separately: merely owning Greek property does not make a Russian a tax resident of Greece - residency is determined by actual presence (as a rule, more than 183 days a year) and the centre of one's vital interests. So for most non-resident buyers it is a matter of taxes on the property itself, not of taxation on worldwide income. The exact calculation always depends on the specific property and how it will be used, and it is best done individually before the transaction.

Common mistakes Russians make when buying, and how to avoid them

Our experience of supporting these transactions shows that Russian buyers are tripped up not by rare mistakes but by ones that recur time and again. Let us go through them so that you lose neither money nor time.

• Sending the money at the last minute. The bank's AML check takes time; the funds must be transferred in advance, with a margin to spare, or the transaction collapses on timing.
• The source of funds is not ready. The money is there but there is nothing to prove how it got there - so the bank freezes the payment. The documentary chain is assembled before the transfer.
• Trying to circumvent sanctions. Splitting payments, using cash, hiding the source - a direct route to frozen funds and trouble. Lawful routes only.
• The Golden Visa illusion. Buying a property expecting automatic residency by investment - when a new application on a Russian passport cannot currently be filed. Your residency goal must be talked through before the transaction.
• Cutting corners on due diligence. Hidden debts, illegal buildings and title problems surface only after the money has been paid.

The general principle is simple: a transaction for a Russian citizen in 2026 calls not for cunning but for orderly paperwork and time for the checks. Whoever prepares in advance and acts transparently comes through calmly. Whoever tries to cut corners is usually the one who loses money.

Golden Visa and residency: the truth about the sanctions restrictions

This is where the most common trap of false expectations lies, and we will say it plainly. Many Russians buy property in Greece expecting to obtain a Golden Visa automatically - residency by investment. In 2026, on a Russian passport alone, that generally will not work.

The real picture is as follows:

• Buying property is permitted - the mere fact of acquiring a property is lawful and unrestricted.
• New Golden Visa applications from Russian citizens holding only a Russian passport have been suspended since 2022 because of EU sanctions. In other words, you can buy an apartment, but you cannot file a new application for investment residency.
• Renewal of previously issued Golden Visas for Russians and their family members has recently resumed - those who obtained the status before the restrictions can maintain it.
• A second passport opens the door. If the applicant holds citizenship of a country not subject to the restrictions, they apply for the Golden Visa with no sanctions obstacles.

It is important to understand this BEFORE buying. If your goal is Greek residency right now, buying property on a Russian passport will not by itself deliver it. But if your goal is to own property and/or lay the groundwork for the future (as the rules ease or via a second passport), the transaction makes perfect sense. A detailed breakdown of the visa side specifically is kept in our guide on the Greece Golden Visa for Russians.

How we run a transaction for a Russian client: an expert's view

Let me describe what a safe purchase looks like in practice for a client with a Russian passport, so the logic is clear. The first thing I begin any consultation with is a conversation about the goal. If someone wants residency right now, I explain straight away that a new Golden Visa application on a Russian passport is currently suspended, and that you have to either go through a second passport or consider other visas. Better to hear this at the outset than after the purchase. Second is the source of funds: in advance, before any transfer, we build a clear and documented money history with apostilles and translations, because this is exactly where most do-it-yourself attempts fall apart. Third is the payment route: lawful only, through accounts in non-sanctioned jurisdictions, in euros, via a Greek bank, with no splitting and no cash to bypass controls. And only then comes choosing and checking the property. This order works because property in Greece is fully available to Russians - it is purely a matter of discipline and transparency.