Estate planning · Greece
Your estate planning lawyer in Greece, matched to your family
Greek succession law reserves part of your estate for close family and treats property transfers in a strictly formal way, so planning early protects the people you care about. Tell us about your situation and we will match you with a specialist who handles estate planning in Greece.
- Forced heirship and reserved portions explained
- Wills, gifts and Greek property handled together
- Cross-border estates under EU Regulation 650/2012
No obligation · Your details stay confidential
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Estate planning in Greece
Why estate planning in Greece needs local knowledge
Greek succession law is codified and leaves less room for improvisation than many clients expect. The Greek Civil Code reserves a fixed portion of the estate for your children, your spouse and, in certain circumstances, your parents, so a will that ignores them is not simply unfair — it can be reduced. Property adds a second layer: transfers of immovable assets require a notarial deed, and ownership passes only once that deed is registered at the Land Registry or Cadastral Office. If you live abroad but own a Greek house, or you are a Greek national with heirs in several countries, EU Regulation 650/2012 may let you choose which national law governs your succession. An estate planning lawyer in Greece reviews your family, your assets and your intentions, then structures wills, gifts and lifetime transfers so they hold up. We match you with a specialist free of charge.
Greek succession law in practice
How estate planning works in Greece
Greece follows the continental civil-law model, so the rules that shape your estate come from codified statutes rather than from binding judicial precedent. The Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) has a dedicated inheritance chamber but reviews only the legal correctness of lower-court decisions, not the facts. For families, the practical consequences are concrete and appear at three moments: writing the will, transferring property, and filing after a death.
Forced heirship (nómimi moíra)
Under Articles 1825-1846 of the Greek Civil Code, descendants and the surviving spouse — and the parents where there are no descendants — hold a reserved portion (nómimi moíra) equal to one half of their intestate share. The forced heir acquires that right automatically when the succession opens and takes part in the estate as a true co-heir, not as a creditor with a money claim.
Gifts added back into the estate
Lifetime transfers are not ignored. Gifts made in the ten years before death are added back to the estate when the reserved portion is calculated, so a generous donation to one child can be reduced if it infringes another heir’s nómimi moíra. Careful sequencing of gifts and testamentary provisions is therefore central to Greek estate planning.
Property: notarial deed and constitutive registration
In Greece, immovable property is transferred or encumbered by notarial deed, and ownership passes only when that deed is registered with the Land Registry or Cadastral Office — registration is constitutive, not declarative (Articles 1033 and 1192, Civil Code). A 3% Real Estate Transfer Tax is paid before signing. Only legal practitioners, bailiffs and notaries may search the registries and cadastral offices.
Cross-border successions and EU Regulation 650/2012
Greece applies EU Regulation No 650/2012, so the law of the deceased’s habitual residence governs the succession as a whole. A testator may instead elect the law of their nationality — a professio juris — which matters most to non-Greek nationals owning Greek real property, given forced heirship. Greece also recognises the European Certificate of Succession.
Who may practise, and how fees are set
Membership of a Greek Bar Association is compulsory to practise; under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 a practitioner is admitted after national bar examinations, a ministerial appointment published in the Government Gazette, an oath and entry in a Bar register. Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers places the profession under a public-functionary duty. Fees follow a written agreement (Article 58), otherwise the statutory scale, plus 24% VAT.
Inheritance tax returns and renouncing an inheritance
An inheritance tax return must be filed within nine months when the death occurred in Greece, and within one year when it occurred abroad. A beneficiary who does not want the estate — including its debts — must renounce it within four months, extendable to one year for those living abroad. Missing these windows has real financial consequences.
Key time limits — Inheritance, Probate & Wills
| Matter | Time limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Inheritance tax return filing | 9 months (death in Greece) / 1 year (death abroad) | The filing period depends on where the death occurred. |
| Renunciation (disclaimer) of inheritance | 4 months (extendable to 1 year if abroad) | Allows a beneficiary to refuse the estate together with its debts. |
Every figure on this page comes from official Greek and European sources — the Greek Ministry of Justice, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, the Greek Bar Associations and the EU e-Justice Portal — verified in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- Greek Ministry of Justice — Greek Civil Code
- Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations — the legal profession
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs of proceedings in Greece
- European e-Justice Portal — Succession and inheritance
- European e-Justice Portal — Divorce and legal separation in Greece
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) — Inheritance tax
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) — Tax obligations arising from loss of life
Common problems
What goes wrong without a plan
Three situations we see most often when families come to us after a death or before a major transfer.
Your will may be partly ineffective
In Greece children and the surviving spouse hold a reserved half-share, so a will that passes everything to one person, or to a partner outside marriage, can be reduced to respect the nómimi moíra.
Property abroad, heirs in several countries
If you own a Greek house while living elsewhere, two legal systems can collide. Greek registration rules, transfer tax and EU Regulation 650/2012 all shape what your heirs actually inherit, and how quickly.
Deadlines that run quietly
An inheritance tax return is due within nine months of a death in Greece, and renouncing an estate must happen within four months. Families who discover these periods later often lose options that were available.
How we help
What a matched specialist brings to your case
We do not advise you ourselves. We identify the practitioner whose practice fits your estate, your family and your country of residence.
Forced heirship mapped for your family
You describe your spouse, children, parents and past gifts; the practitioner checks them against Articles 1825-1846 of the Civil Code and shows where your intentions and the reserved portion meet.
Wills, gifts and property aligned
Testamentary clauses, lifetime donations and notarial deeds are examined together, because gifts made in the ten years before death are added back when the reserved portion is calculated.
Cross-border questions handled
Living outside Greece does not remove Greek law from your estate. We match you with someone who works with EU Regulation 650/2012, professio juris and the European Certificate of Succession.
Clear fees before work starts
Legal fees in Greece are freely agreed in writing under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, and the statutory scale applies where there is no agreement. You know the basis of the fee before you commit.
Cross-border estates
Where our clients come from
Many people planning a Greek estate no longer live in Greece. If your heirs, your property or your bank accounts sit in more than one country, the specialist we match you with will look at both legal systems at once.
Questions
Estate planning in Greece: frequently asked questions
What does an estate planning lawyer in Greece actually do?
They review your family, your assets and your intentions, then prepare wills, deed-based arrangements and lifetime transfers that operate within Greek succession law. Because Greece uses codified civil law rather than binding precedent, they rely on the Civil Code, the Code of Lawyers and, for cross-border cases, EU Regulation 650/2012.
Can I leave my estate to whomever I want in Greece?
Not entirely. Articles 1825-1846 of the Greek Civil Code give descendants and the surviving spouse — and the parents where there are no descendants — a reserved portion equal to half their intestate share. The forced heir becomes a true co-heir automatically when the succession opens, so a will can be reduced to protect that share.
Do gifts I made years ago still count?
Yes. Gifts made in the ten years before death are added back to the estate when the reserved portion is calculated. A large donation to one child can therefore be reduced if it infringes another heir’s nómimi moíra, which is why gifts and testamentary provisions should be sequenced together.
I live abroad but own property in Greece. Which law applies?
Greece applies EU Regulation No 650/2012, so the law of your habitual residence normally governs the succession as a whole. You may instead elect the law of your nationality — a professio juris — which is often decisive for non-Greek nationals owning Greek real property. Greece also accepts the European Certificate of Succession.
How are legal fees set for a Greek estate matter?
Under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, fees are freely agreed in writing with the client, covering the whole matter, part of it or specific acts. Without a written agreement, the statutory scale based on the value of the matter applies, and fees carry 24% VAT. Free legal aid is available under Law 3226/2004 for low-income applicants.
What deadlines should a family watch after a death?
An inheritance tax return is filed within nine months if the death occurred in Greece, and within one year if it occurred abroad. An heir who wishes to refuse the estate must renounce it within four months, extendable to one year for those living abroad. Both periods are strict.
Next step
Tell us about your estate — we will find the right specialist
Describe your family, your property and where you live. We review your request and match you with a Greek practitioner who handles estate planning, at no cost and with no obligation. You decide whether to instruct them.