13.06.2024
Greece’s newest safety phone app will go live on June 10th and will be primarily used by tourists. The app is called “mAiGreece,” and it is a digital travel assistant. The app is part of an initiative by the Greek Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, and the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou.
As the name suggests, it is based on AI and can be used in 31 languages. What exactly does this mean in practice?
It is possible to “talk” with the mAiGreece app in your native language, making it ideal for Dutch, German, Belgian, American, Canadian, and UK visitors to Greece. Visitors will be able to "talk" with mAiGreece by submitting questions in their language, written or verbally. The app will feature the 24 official EU languages and additional languages like Albanian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic, and Korean. The app will use GPS to answer certain questions that are based on your location.
For enhanced safety, mAiGreece will have an emergency feature with a 112 button (the emergency phone number in Greece) that sends a message with your location to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. You may see a text message from your phone provider (usually Vodafone or COSMOTE) to download the app when you arrive in Greece. The app will be free and available in the App Store and Play Store.
Greece received the best ranking possible for safety, according to the U.S. State Department. Greece is ranked as a "level-one destination," which is the same rank given to Switzerland, Japan, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark. For perspective, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany all received a rank of "level-two destination", which is considered less safe than Greece. The world Global Peace Index rankings also give Greece a strong ranking because of its low crime rate. Olivier Moutopoulos, from one of the largest Greek tour operators, Greeka, comments that: “If you are visiting the Greek islands, you really do not have to worry about anything.” Moutopoulos adds: “You will feel safe and at ease. If you are visiting Athens or another big city, I would just recommend the general safety tips that someone considers when traveling anywhere in Europe and the USA.”
Greece’s small islands are an ideal place to be in the summer, especially because they are a safe holiday destination. When we hear the words “Greek islands”, usually Santorini and Mykonos are the first to come to mind. Images of blue-domed Orthodox churches and whitewashed homes are brought to mind. Beyond these touristed destinations, there is in fact a great variety of other options. There are seven main groupings of islands in Greece: The Cyclades, the Sporades, the Dodecanese, the Saronikos islands, the North Aegean islands, the Ionian islands, and the Big Two (Crete and Euboia).
07.08.2026
Greece is taking an important step in environmental protection, becoming the first country in the world to deploy a national satellite system for wildfire detection and monitoring. First launched in May and expected to become fully operational in September 2026, the new Hellenic Fire System brings advanced space technology to Greece's efforts against wildfires.
06.08.2026
If you own a home in the Peloponnese or have been quietly thinking about buying one, there is some news you should be aware of: At the end of June, a 40-year concession for Kalamata International Airport "Kapetan Vasilis Konstantakopoulos" was signed by a consortium led by Fraport, together with the Kopelouzos Group's Delta Airport Investments and the Konstantakopoulos Group's PILEAS. According to the National Development Fund, which retains a 10% stake in the new company, the initial concession payment is 45 million euros, and the planned investment programme is expected to exceed 125 million euros over time.
In short: Kalamata's airport is set to roughly double its traffic by 2030, with a new terminal three times the size of the current one. For anyone with a house in the region, or an eye on one, that matters.
03.08.2026
A new regulation regarding the calculation of ENFIA (Eniaios Phoros Idioktesias Akineton/annual property tax) was announced by the Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance. The purpose of this regulation appears to be to address cases where property owners were previously taxed on more square meters than their property actually has. The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in the 2027 tax year, introduces the Electronic Building ID as a key factor in determining taxable floor area.
28.07.2026
As UNESCO recently announced, Mount Olympus – also known as the Home of Ancient Greek Gods, or Greece’s highest mountain – has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites. Of course, Greece welcomed the news with a wave of euphoria, as Mount Olympus is widely recognized for its cultural and natural significance.
23.06.2026
Moving your life to a new country brings enough to think about, including the costs. For those settling permanently in Greece, there is some welcome news on that front. Bringing your household belongings and even your car can come with relief from customs duty, VAT and vehicle registration tax. The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has recently set out clearer rules on how this works. It's important to clarify that this relief is not exactly new, but what has changed is a significant detail: a recent AADE circular (reference E.2027/2026) spells out the eligibility, the supporting documents and the procedure, with the aim of handling applications more consistently across customs offices.
14.05.2026
For many people who own, or plan to buy, a home in Greece, the journey is part of the experience. Some fly directly to Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, or Chania. Others prefer slower travel, combining trains, ferries, buses, and regional routes across Europe. Until now, however, planning a cross-border trip by train has often required patience, several booking platforms, and a healthy tolerance for uncertainty. A new proposal from the European Commission aims to make that process much simpler. The plan introduces a more unified system for booking cross-border journeys across Europe, especially train journeys involving more than one operator. The goal is clear: travellers should be able to search, compare, and book a complete journey through one platform, even when different transport companies are involved. For international buyers, second-home owners, and regular visitors to Greece, this could become an important step towards easier, more flexible travel across Europe.
07.05.2026
If you own property in specific areas of the Regional Unit of Rethymno in Crete, there is an important deadline to keep in mind. As of 30 April 2026, the posting of cadastral data begins for several areas in Rethymno, giving property owners the opportunity for the first time to review how their property has been recorded in the Hellenic Cadastre. This is an important stage in the cadastral process. It allows each owner to check the legal and technical details of their property before the records become final. In simple terms, this is the moment to confirm that your property has been correctly registered and, if something is wrong, to request a correction within the official deadline.
30.04.2026
Buying a home in Greece has always come with a long list of pleasures: sea views, sunny terraces, village squares, fresh fish by the water, and the small but serious joy of never being too far from a good bakery. Soon, for many destinations, there may be another reason to smile: better airports. Greece is preparing for a new wave of airport upgrades, with a major tender planned for 22 regional airports that are still under state management. The project is expected to mark the next chapter in the modernization of Greek aviation infrastructure, following the earlier upgrade of the 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece. For travellers, this means smoother journeys. For local communities, it means better connectivity. And for international property buyers, it could make certain areas of Greece even more attractive.
