Transferring money to Greece for a property: a traceable bank transfer, recorded in the deed.
// Short answer
The capital controls Greece imposed in June 2015 are reported to have been fully lifted. In practice the purchase price is paid by traceable bank transfer and the deed records how it was paid. Cash of EUR 10,000 or more carried into or out of the EU must be declared. Golden-visa files are checked closely for payment traceability.
Rules and rates as of September 2026. Several tax and letting changes were announced that month but are not yet law, so check the dated items again before you sign. Every figure links to its source.
On this page
Do I need approval to send money to Greece to buy property?
No approval was found. The capital controls imposed in June 2015 are reported to have been fully lifted in 2019, per a secondary source; confirm the exact date with the Bank of Greece. What matters in practice is that the price is paid by traceable bank transfer and recorded in the deed.
Buyers usually open a Greek bank account after getting an AFM, per buyer guides.
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How must the price be paid in Greece?
By traceable bank transfer, with the deed recording how it was paid. For golden-visa purchases, files are checked for payer, bank route, amounts and consistency with the deed, and a 2026 ministry circular stresses payment traceability.
Keep the full transfer records from your home bank. See foreign ownership in Greece, explained for the golden-visa rules.
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Can I bring cash into Greece to buy property?
Only with a declaration. Anyone entering or leaving the EU carrying cash of EUR 10,000 or more must declare it, under an EU regulation applicable since 3 June 2021.
A cash-carried sum still has to reach the seller in a traceable way.
Can I take the money out of Greece when I sell?
No capital controls are reported as in force, so sale proceeds can be transferred out. The tax on the way out, a 15% capital gains tax, is suspended until 31 December 2026. Cash of EUR 10,000 or more leaving the EU must be declared.
Detail: selling property in Greece as a foreigner.
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Should I borrow in Greece instead of transferring cash?
Plan without it. Some Greek banks lend to non-residents, but underwriting is conservative and no typical loan-to-value was found. The state Spiti mou programmes target Greek residents buying a first home, not foreign investors.
Buyer guides suggest assuming cash or home-country financing.
Sources
// Buying in Greece?
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See the $499 report, page by pageFrequently Asked Questions
Does Greece still have capital controls?
Do I have to declare cash I bring into Greece?
How do I pay for a Greek property?
Can I repatriate the proceeds after selling Greek property?
Header photo: George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.