Greek Wills After Law 5303/2026: Handwritten Wills, Notarial Wills and Foreign Owners

Kyveli Zahou
May 23
10 min read

Greece’s new inheritance law does not only affect heirs after someone dies. It also affects people who are alive today and need to plan properly.

If you own property in Greece, live abroad, have heirs in more than one country, or are married to a non-Greek spouse, your will is not a detail. It is the document that may decide whether your family receives a clean inheritance — or a legal mess.

Law 5303/2026, published in the Government Gazette on 22 May 2026, modernizes major parts of Greek inheritance law, including the rules on wills, publication of wills, handwritten wills, notarial wills, consular involvement, and inheritance contracts.

The main reforms apply to inheritance cases where the deceased dies on or after 16 September 2026.

For Greek expats, foreign residents in Greece, international couples, and foreign owners of Greek property, the message is simple:

Do not wait until your heirs are already fighting to discover whether your will works.

Why wills matter more when Greek property is involved

A Greek inheritance is rarely just “one document.”

It may involve:

a will made in Greece;
a will made abroad;
handwritten notes kept at home;
Greek property registered in the Cadastre;
heirs living in different countries;
a spouse or partner who is not Greek;
children from a previous relationship;
forced-heirship claims;
tax filings and notarial deeds after death.

This is why a will for Greek property should not be treated like a standard template.

A will that works perfectly in the UK, US, Canada or Australia may still create practical issues in Greece if it does not deal clearly with Greek assets, Greek procedure, translation, apostille/legalisation, applicable law, or forced-heirship issues.

The goal is not just to “have a will.”

The goal is to have a will that can actually be used in Greece.

1. Handwritten wills in Greece are still valid

Let’s kill the biggest misunderstanding first.

Handwritten wills in Greece are not abolished.

A handwritten will, known as an ιδιόγραφη διαθήκη, remains valid if it is written entirely by hand by the testator, dated, and signed by them. The date must show the day, month and year.

That means a person can still write their own will by hand without going to a notary, provided the legal requirements are met.

But here is the problem: legality is not the same as safety.

A handwritten will can still trigger disputes about:

whether the handwriting is genuine;
whether the date is correct;
whether the testator had capacity;
whether someone pressured the testator;
whether pages were added or removed;
whether the will was hidden or found late;
whether foreign heirs were properly informed.

For a simple estate with no conflict, a handwritten will may work.

For expats, foreign owners and families with Greek real estate, it is often a risky choice.

2. The new Wills Registry makes publication more structured

The reform places greater emphasis on the proper publication of wills.

A notary who has a will must publish it without undue delay once they learn of the testator’s death. Publication now takes place through the electronic “Μητρώο Διαθηκών”, the Wills Registry kept by the notarial associations.

Anyone who holds a handwritten will must also present it to a notary for publication without undue delay once they learn of the death.

This is a major practical development.

Why? Because one of the classic problems in Greek inheritance cases is the “missing will.”

Someone says there was a will. Someone else says there was not. A relative claims they found a handwritten document years later. Another heir claims it is fake. Meanwhile, the property cannot be transferred cleanly and the family dispute grows teeth.

The Wills Registry should make the process more organised and more traceable.

But it does not solve everything.

If a handwritten will is kept abroad and nobody knows where it is, the Registry cannot magically find it.

Planning point: if you make a will, make sure the right people know where it is and how it can be published after death.

3. A notarial will is usually safer for Greek property owners

A public notarial will in Greece is made before a notary, with the required witnesses or second notary. Under the new law, the public will continues to be made by declaring the testator’s last wishes before a notary, with either two witnesses or a second notary and one witness.

For many people with Greek assets, this is the safer option.

Why?

Because a notarial will gives more structure around:

identity of the testator;
capacity;
formalities;
wording;
witnesses;
storage;
publication after death;
reduced risk of the will being lost or hidden.

This matters especially where the estate includes Greek real estate.

A badly drafted will can create years of problems over one apartment, one island property, one plot of land, or one family house.

The question is not: “Can I write a will myself?”

The better question is: “Will my heirs be able to use this will in Greece without a fight?”

For many expats and foreign owners, the answer points toward a notarial will.

4. Foreign owners who do not speak Greek must be properly protected

Foreign residents and non-Greek owners should pay special attention to language.

If the notary finds that the testator does not know Greek, or if the testator states that they do not know Greek, an interpreter must be appointed. The interpreter must translate the deed before signature into the language used by the testator.

This is not a small formality.

A will decides who receives property after death. If the testator does not fully understand the document, the will may become vulnerable to future challenge.

For example, a foreign national who owns a home in Greece should not sign a Greek will after receiving a vague summary from a friend, spouse or real estate agent.

That is not estate planning. That is a future dispute waiting politely in a folder.

Planning point: if you are not fluent in Greek, use a proper notarial process with interpretation. Your will should be clear to you when you sign it and clear to your heirs after death.

5. Wills abroad and Greek consulates

Many people connected to Greek property live outside Greece.

A Greek expat may live in Australia. A foreign owner may live in the UK. Heirs may live in Canada, Germany, South Africa or the US. The will itself may be kept outside Greece.

The new law recognises this reality.

If a will is held by a Greek consular authority, the consular authority must publish it after learning of the death, following the publication procedure.

If the person holding a handwritten will lives abroad, they may present it for publication to the head of the Greek consular authority.

This can help with the first step.

But let’s be blunt: it does not complete the inheritance process.

Greek property still usually requires Greek legal, tax, notarial and Cadastre work after death. A consulate can help publish a will in certain circumstances. It does not magically transfer a house in Greece to the heirs.

Planning point: if your will is abroad, make sure your heirs know whether it must be handled through a Greek consulate, a Greek notary, or both.

6. Should foreign owners make a Greek will?

Often, yes.

Not always. But often.

If you own property in Greece, a Greek will dealing specifically with your Greek assets can make the Greek part of the inheritance much easier to handle.

This is especially true if:

you own real estate in Greece;
you live outside Greece;
your main will is in another country;
your heirs do not speak Greek;
your spouse or partner is not Greek;
you have children from different relationships;
you want one person to receive the Greek property;
you want to reduce disputes between heirs;
your foreign will does not clearly mention Greek assets.

A Greek will can be limited to Greek assets. It does not necessarily need to cover your entire worldwide estate. But it must be carefully coordinated with any foreign will.

Bad planning creates contradictions.

For example, one will says “I leave all my property to my spouse.” Another later will says “I leave my Greek house to my children.” Which document controls what? Was the first will revoked? Was the second intended to apply only to Greece? Which law applies?

These are not theoretical questions. They are the questions heirs fight about.

Planning point: if you have assets in more than one country, do not create separate wills without coordinating them.

7. What about forced heirship?

A Greek will cannot be reviewed in isolation from forced heirship.

Greek law protects certain close family members through νόμιμη μοίρα, or forced heirship. Under the new framework, descendants, parents and the surviving spouse may have a forced-heirship claim. The claim is mainly monetary, equal to half the value of the intestate share.

This is important for planning.

The change may make it easier to leave a specific Greek property to one person without automatically creating co-ownership with forced heirs. But it does not mean close relatives can simply be ignored.

If the will leaves everything to one person and excludes protected heirs, there may still be claims.

For foreign owners, the situation can become even more complex because European succession rules, nationality, habitual residence and choice of law may also matter.

Planning point: if you want to leave Greek property to one heir, a spouse, a partner, or someone outside the family, forced-heirship advice is essential.

8. Spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners: do not assume the default rules are enough

The new law strengthens the position of spouses and civil partners in several ways.

Where there is no will, if the deceased leaves a spouse and one child, the spouse now receives one third of the estate. If there are two or more children, the spouse receives one quarter.

Civil partners under a σύμφωνο συμβίωσης are treated much more closely to spouses.

The law also recognises, in limited circumstances, rights for a person who lived with the deceased in a stable unmarried relationship. This may apply where there is no spouse and the couple lived together for at least the last three years before death, or in certain cases involving common children.

But do not confuse “some legal protection” with “a proper estate plan.”

If you want your partner to receive your Greek property, say so in a valid will.

If you want your children from a previous marriage protected, say so.

If you want your spouse to remain in the Greek home, say so.

Default inheritance rules are not a strategy. They are what happens when you do not make one.

9. Special care for vulnerable testators

The new law includes protective rules for people receiving care in health or social-care facilities.

A handwritten will made by a person receiving care in such a facility, during that care or within three months after it ends, is invalid to the extent that it benefits persons connected with the facility, their relatives, spouse or civil partner, unless those persons would already be intestate heirs.

The purpose is obvious: to reduce exploitation of vulnerable people.

This matters for elderly property owners, people in nursing homes, people in long-term care, and families worried about undue influence.

If an elderly parent owns Greek property and suddenly signs a handwritten will benefiting a carer or someone connected with a facility, the new law may treat that disposition very differently.

Planning point: if capacity, illness, dependency or care facilities are involved, do not rely on informal handwritten documents. Use a careful, documented legal process.

10. Inheritance contracts: a new planning tool

Law 5303/2026 introduces inheritance contracts upon death.

A person may enter into a notarial inheritance contract to appoint an heir, make a legacy, impose obligations or choose the applicable law for their succession. The contract must be made before a notary with the personal presence of the parties.

This can be useful in more complex family planning.

For example:

one child takes over the family business;
a parent wants certainty before transferring control;
a second spouse and children from a first marriage need clear arrangements;
one family member manages the Greek property from abroad;
heirs want to avoid future co-ownership disputes.

Inheritance contracts are powerful because important parts cannot be freely revoked like an ordinary will.

That is also what makes them dangerous if used casually.

Planning point: inheritance contracts are not for DIY planning. They can be useful, but only after careful review of family, tax, property and cross-border issues.

11. Common mistakes foreign owners make with Greek wills

Here is where many people go wrong.

They assume their foreign will automatically solves everything in Greece.

They write a handwritten will and tell nobody where it is.

They make a Greek will that accidentally contradicts their foreign will.

They leave Greek property to one person without checking forced heirship.

They forget about a spouse, partner or children from a previous relationship.

They assume the heirs can “sort it out later.”

They do not check whether the Greek property is properly registered.

They ignore tax, Cadastre and notarial procedure.

They use a template will for a cross-border estate.

Each of these mistakes can turn a simple estate into a long and expensive inheritance file.

Good estate planning is not dramatic. It is boring on purpose. It makes sure the right people can act, the right documents exist, and the property can be transferred without unnecessary war.

12. What a good Greek will review should check

If you already have a will, review it.

A proper review should answer:

Does the will clearly cover Greek assets?
Does it conflict with any foreign will?
Does it identify heirs and assets clearly?
Does it consider forced-heirship claims?
Does it protect the spouse, civil partner or intended partner?
Does it account for children from previous relationships?
Is the will easy to publish and use in Greece?
Does the testator understand the language of the will?
Is the Greek property correctly registered?
Are there tax or debt issues that should be considered?
Do the right people know where the will is?

If the answer to any of these is unclear, the will needs attention.

Final takeaway

Greek wills after Law 5303/2026 require more careful planning, especially for expats and foreign owners of Greek property.

Handwritten wills still exist, but they are not always the safest option.

Notarial wills usually offer better structure and stronger practical protection.

Foreign owners who do not speak Greek need proper interpretation.

Wills kept abroad must be handled correctly, often through Greek consular or notarial procedures.

Greek property should be planned with forced heirship, spouses, partners, foreign wills, tax and Cadastre issues in mind.

The goal is not just to leave instructions.

The goal is to leave instructions that work in Greece.

Need help preparing or reviewing a Greek will?

At Expat Law, we assist Greek expats, foreign residents, international families and overseas property owners with Greek wills, inheritance planning, probate, property transfers and cross-border estate issues.

Plan your Greek inheritance before your heirs have to solve it.