Inheriting Property in Greece Under the New Law: Spouses, Partners, Forced Heirship and Debts

Kyveli Zahou
May 23
8 min read

Inheriting property in Greece is rarely just a signature at a notary.

It can involve wills, tax filings, Cadastre records, co-heirs, debts, deadlines, foreign documents, powers of attorney and family disagreements. If the heirs live abroad, even a simple Greek inheritance can become slow, expensive and stressful.

Now, Greece’s new inheritance law changes some of the most important rules.

Law 5303/2026, published in the Government Gazette on 22 May 2026, reforms Greek inheritance law and affects wills, spouses, partners, forced heirship, estate debts and the handling of inherited property.

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

This guide is for Greek expats, foreign heirs, overseas family members and anyone dealing with property inheritance in Greece.

The key message is simple:

Do not treat inherited Greek property as “just real estate.” It is a legal, tax and family process — and the new law changes how that process works.

Inheriting property in Greece: what changed in 2026

The reform aims to modernise Greek inheritance law and reduce problems that have caused disputes for years: unclear wills, fragmented property ownership, inheritance debts, and family conflicts over houses, apartments, plots of land and businesses.

For property heirs, the most important changes are:

handwritten wills remain valid, but publication is more structured;
surviving spouses receive stronger rights in some cases;
civil partners and some unmarried partners may have protection;
forced heirship becomes mainly a monetary claim;
the law tries to reduce unwanted ex adiairetou co-ownership;
heirs receive stronger protection from automatic personal liability for estate debts;
heirs abroad must still watch renunciation deadlines.

This matters because many Greek estates are property-heavy. The main asset may be one apartment, one family house, one village home, one plot of land, or one rental property.

When that property is split badly, the inheritance can stay stuck for years.

Who inherits Greek property if there is no will?

If there is no valid will, Greek property passes under the rules of intestate succession.

The new law changes the surviving spouse’s share in some cases.

If the deceased leaves a spouse and one child, the spouse now inherits one third of the estate. If there are two or more children, the spouse receives one quarter.

This can make a real difference.

Example: a Greek expat dies after 16 September 2026 leaving a spouse, one child and a house in Greece. If there is no will, the spouse receives one third and the child receives two thirds.

That may sound simple. In practice, both may need to cooperate before the property can be sold, rented, transferred or properly managed.

If there are more heirs, or if heirs live in different countries, the process becomes more complicated. Each heir may need tax registration, documents, powers of attorney, translations or legalised foreign documents.

Practical point: before anyone talks about selling or keeping the property, first confirm whether there is a will, who the legal heirs are, and which succession rules apply.

Spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners

The new law better reflects modern family life.

Surviving spouses are strengthened in certain intestate cases, especially where there is only one child. Civil partners under a σύμφωνο συμβίωσης are also treated much more closely to spouses.

The reform 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.

This is important for international couples, foreign residents in Greece, and long-term partners who never married.

But “limited circumstances” means exactly that.

An unmarried partner does not automatically inherit every time. Proof may be needed. Useful evidence may include a shared residence, bills, tax records, children, bank records, witnesses and proof of a real common life.

The law also provides, in certain cases, a temporary right for the surviving partner to use the couple’s main home for one year.

Practical point: if you are a surviving spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner, get advice before assuming your rights are clear. If you are planning ahead and want your partner protected, use a proper will.

Forced heirship: protected heirs may now have a money claim

Greek law protects certain close relatives through forced heirship, known as νόμιμη μοίρα.

Under the new framework, descendants, parents and the surviving spouse may have a forced-heirship claim. The major change is that this claim is now mainly a monetary claim, equal to half the value of the intestate share.

This is one of the most important changes for inherited Greek property.

Under the old practical reality, forced-heirship disputes often created unwanted co-ownership. A house could end up split between several heirs, each owning a percentage. Nobody could sell easily. Nobody could manage properly. Everyone had rights, but nobody had a solution.

The new monetary approach may reduce that problem.

Example: a will leaves a Greek apartment to one child. Another protected heir may have a money claim instead of automatically becoming co-owner of the apartment.

That can help keep the property usable.

It may also help preserve the value of family homes, land, businesses and agricultural property. Instead of splitting one asset into small percentages, the property may remain with one person while other protected heirs receive compensation.

But forced heirship has not disappeared.

If a child, spouse or other protected person has a claim, it must be checked and calculated. There may also be disputes about the value of the property, estate debts, lifetime gifts, or whether payment should be immediate or structured.

Practical point: if a will leaves Greek property to one person and excludes others, do not assume the transfer is problem-free. Forced-heirship claims may still exist.

Co-owned inherited property in Greece: the “ex adiairetou” problem

One of the biggest inheritance problems in Greece is ex adiairetou ownership — undivided co-ownership.

This means several people own percentages of the same property, without a physical division of the property itself.

For example, two siblings may each own 50% of the same apartment. One wants to sell. The other wants to keep it. One lives in Greece. The other lives in Australia, Canada, the UK or the US.

On paper, both own the property.

In real life, the property may be stuck.

Common problems include:

one heir wants to sell and another refuses;
one heir uses the property without paying the others;
nobody pays taxes or maintenance;
repairs are ignored;
the Cadastre records are outdated;
foreign heirs cannot easily sign documents;
buyers walk away because the title is complicated.

This is exactly the type of problem the new law tries to reduce. A major practical goal of the reform is to limit fragmentation of family property and reduce long disputes over small percentages of the same asset.

Because forced heirship is now mainly a monetary claim, it may be easier in some cases for one heir to receive the property while others receive money instead of becoming co-owners.

This can be especially useful for:

a family home;
a Greek apartment;
a village house;
agricultural land;
a small family business;
property already used by one heir.

But co-ownership will not disappear.

It can still arise where there is no will, where several heirs inherit by law, where a will leaves shares to several people, or where heirs agree to share the property.

Practical point: if you inherit an undivided share of Greek property, deal with it early. Ex adiairetou ownership rarely becomes simpler with time.

Estate debts and renunciation deadlines for heirs abroad

The new law gives heirs stronger protection from estate debts, but it does not give permission to act carelessly.

Under the new framework, an heir is better protected from automatic personal liability for the deceased’s debts. In simple terms, the heir does not automatically risk their own personal property just because the estate has debts. However, that protection depends on careful handling of the estate.

Before managing estate property, heirs should check whether there are:

unpaid taxes;
loans;
business debts;
utility debts;
property expenses;
creditor claims;
obligations to other heirs.

Heirs should be especially careful before selling, renting, transferring or emptying estate property. If an heir mishandles estate assets or reduces the value of the estate through fault, creditors may still have remedies.

Not every inheritance should be accepted.

If the inheritance has more debts than value, or if the property creates serious problems, an heir may need to formally renounce it.

The general renunciation deadline is four months from the moment the heir learns of the inheritance and the reason they are called to inherit. If the deceased had their last residence abroad, or if the heir lived abroad when the deadline began, the deadline is one year.

This is critical for Greeks abroad and foreign heirs.

Living abroad does not stop the clock forever.

Practical point: if you inherit Greek property from abroad, check debts and deadlines before accepting, managing or transferring anything.

What to check before accepting or transferring Greek property

Before accepting or transferring inherited property in Greece, heirs should check the whole file — not just the family story.

A proper review should cover:

Is there a will?
Has the will been published?
Who are the legal heirs?
Are there forced-heirship claims?
Does a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner have rights?
Do any heirs live abroad?
Are renunciation deadlines running?
Are there estate debts or unpaid taxes?
Is inheritance tax due?
Is the property correctly registered?
Are there Cadastre issues?
Is the property co-owned?
Are powers of attorney needed?
Do foreign documents need translation or legalisation?
Can the property actually be sold, rented or transferred?

This is where many heirs make expensive mistakes.

They start with: “Can we sell the house?”

The better first question is:

Do we have the legal right, clean documents and safe debt position to do anything with the house?

A family may agree that one person should take the property. But if the will is unpublished, taxes are unpaid, the Cadastre is outdated, one heir is abroad, or a forced-heirship claim exists, the property is not ready.

Practical point: inheritance and property transfer are connected. Treat them as one file, not two separate problems.

Final takeaway

Inheriting property in Greece under the new law may be clearer in some ways, but it is not automatic.

Spouses may receive different shares where there is no will.

Civil partners and some unmarried partners may have stronger rights.

Forced heirship becomes mainly a monetary claim, which may reduce unwanted co-ownership.

The law may help prevent Greek homes, land and family businesses from being split into unusable small shares.

Heirs receive stronger protection from estate debts, but they must handle the estate carefully.

Expats and foreign heirs must watch renunciation deadlines.

Greek property still requires proper tax, notarial and registration steps.

The new law gives families better tools.

But tools only help when heirs use them early — before the property is stuck, the deadline is missed, or the family dispute has already started.

Need help with inherited property in Greece?

At Expat Law we assist Greek expats, foreign residents, international families and overseas heirs with Greek inheritance matters, probate, property transfers, renunciations, inheritance disputes, estate debts and cross-border succession issues.

If you have inherited, expect to inherit, or need to resolve property in Greece, early legal guidance can prevent delays, missed deadlines and costly family disputes.

Contact us to review your Greek inheritance matter before important decisions are made.