What is the National Cadaster in Greece? What documents are required? Where can I find the National Cadaster online? How does the registration process work? If you are buying a home in Greece, you may have many questions like this. In this article, we ask licensed Notary and past Elxis lawyer Kostas Chatzis to help explain in simple English.
Who is Kostas?
Kostas is a licensed Notary and past Elxis lawyer who has deep insight into the National Cadaster system in Greece. Prior to joining Elxis, Kostas worked with several National Cadaster offices across northern Greece, helping put together what is seen by many as being the biggest improvement to the country’s housing market in decades.
Nowadays, Kostas recently opened his own Notary Office in Thessaloniki, where he continues to share his unique expertise.
What is the Greek National Cadaster?
The National Cadaster (Ktimatologio) is the new digital property registry system of Greece.
“The Greek government has recently created a unified land registry system. Until a few years ago, every region of Greece had its own land registry system.” Kostas says. “Now, the situation has improved a lot.”
“Every owner of a property in Greece, no matter whether they have owned it for one day, a month or for 50 years, has to register themselves with the National Cadaster when their region is eligible for registration,” he says. Below is an image of The National Cadaster on the Greek government’s website, which is searchable by region.
What is The Difference Between the “National Cadaster” and “Land Registry?”
You might hear about a “Greek Land Registry.” Without confusing you with too many terms, the “Land Registry” was the old system in Greece. Each area of Greece had a small office (Ypothikofylakio) where you could register your property. As you can imagine, this system was inefficient.
The “National Cadaster”, which we talk about in this article, is a “modern version” that is replacing the old local Land Registry offices. Because the change is not complete yet in some areas of Greece, these small Land Registry offices are still involved in the process of registering your property.
In other areas, you only need to submit documents to the National Cadaster. This can be confusing if you do this process alone. One of the tasks of our legal experts is to check the status of the two systems and to register your property in the right way.
How Do I Read the National Cadaster Map Above?
This section is for those who want a deeper understanding of the Cadaster system in Greece, but it is not necessary to know this when making an application.
This is a photo of the current status of the Cadaster from all around Greece, taken on March 27th, 2024 from the Archive of the Hellenic Cadaster.
Orange: Registration Stage
This is where the Cadaster is currently collecting applications. So, the area is still under registration.
Green: Registration Review
These areas are where “proanartisi” (registration review) is happening. In brief, owners with homes in this area are asked to confirm the details of their registration applications.
Red: Registration Finalization
These areas are where “anartisi” (registration finalization) is happening. This stage comes after “proanartisi”. Owners have confirmed the details of their registration but can still edit any mistakes before the national Cadaster starts operating.
Dark Blue: Full Operation
This is where the cadaster operates fully.
Yellow: Outside of Cadastral Registration
These areas are outside of cadastral registration. So, you don’t need to register yet if your home is in this area.
Note that the above map’s contents are constantly changing. For any questions about cadastral maps, consult your lawyer.
Who Needs to Register with the Greek National Cadaster?
Greek law dictates that any person or legal entity with real estate property rights of any kind is obliged to register his/her ownership rights with the Greek Cadaster by submitting the relevant statements and documentation that include an application form, title ownership, land survey, and a Greek ID card or passport information.
Once completed, each property is assigned a 12-digit code number, the “KAEK” in reference to title ownership and location which helps guarantee and secure future property rights and claims.
Can I Do the Registration Process Myself?
When handled properly, the process can be done quickly and easily though there are potential pitfalls that homeowners need to be aware of.
“The most common problem we encounter is that many property owners are not aware of their obligation to declare their property before the National Cadaster. Failure to complete the process property can eventually result in the loss of the ownership after a number of years, since all ‘stray’ land parcels will be transferred to the Greek State,” said Kostas.
If you choose to do this process yourself, one hard part is “locating” the property under registration. Each property needs to be “spotted” on the cadastral map. It is important to be advised by an expert in this process.
What Happens in a National Cadaster Registration?
“The first thing that needs to be checked is whether the property is located in a region that is eligible for registration. Then, we need to check if the owner has already fulfilled their obligation. For cases where the owner has not fulfilled their obligation, a registration is made.”
There are two ways to make a registration: Online or in-person.
How Long Does Greek National Cadaster Registration Take?
The registration process lasts officially 1 year, and every property owner should declare his property within this period of time. New homeowners have a separate deadline, starting the day their purchase deed is registered before the local land registry office.
The Greek government offers a website where you can find the National Cadaster Office closest to you. Note that it is only available in Greek.
Does Elxis Help with National Cadaster Registration?
At Elxis, we have an in-house team of seven lawyers that can undertake the process, making sure that it is done right from the beginning. If you use our legal services for your purchase, our lawyer will make sure your property is registered in the National Cadaster, if this is available in your area.
Our experienced multi-lingual team of lawyers has helped hundreds of clients purchase their dream home. If you have more questions about the National Cadaster, feel free to contact us at contact@elxis.com.
