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Selling Property in Greece: What Is the Electronic Building ID (ΗΤΚ)?
The one document every Greek property now needs before it can be sold — and how to sort it out early, even from abroad.
- The Electronic Building ID is now mandatory for any sale.
- A civil engineer prepares it — your presence in Greece isn't required.
- Starting early avoids delays once a buyer is ready to sign.
- Unauthorized construction, especially Category 5, can block the sale outright.
What Is the Electronic Building ID, and Why Does It Matter?
Selling a property in Greece while you live somewhere else usually means working through paperwork in a language you don't read, on a timeline you can't always see from a distance. One document now sits at the centre of every Greek property sale, and not having it ready is the single most common reason a transaction stalls: the Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτιρίου — the Electronic Building ID, pronounced roughly ee-lek-tro-ni-KEE taf-TOH-ti-ta kti-REE-ou, known for short by its Greek initials, ΗΤΚ.
It's the official digital file recording a property's technical, planning, and legal data. Established by Law 4495/2017, it has been mandatory ever since. Without a valid ΗΤΚ, no sale contract or parental donation can be drafted, and any transfer attempted without one is legally void — the notary is simply not permitted to sign.
The Strategy for Success: The best advice we can give as a notary office: contact an engineer the moment you decide to sell, not once a buyer has already made an offer. Under a power of attorney, the engineer and our office can prepare the Building ID alongside the rest of your dossier in the background, so the file is ready the day it's actually needed.
Technical Accuracy, Handled for You
Errors in the Building ID are one of the easiest ways to lose weeks at exactly the wrong moment — usually once a buyer is already waiting. Our office works consistently with experienced, qualified engineers, so the file is done right the first time.
Ask us about your propertyThe 4-Step Process
Engineer's Inspection
The engineer compares the property's actual condition against the officially approved planning blueprints — this visit doesn't require you to be there.
Legalizing Pending Issues
Where discrepancies turn up — a closed-in veranda, an altered layout — the engineer files a declaration to bring them into compliance.
Building ID Issuance
Once the digital plans are uploaded, the engineer issues the Certificate of Completeness (Πιστοποιητικό Πληρότητας ΗΤΚ) and sends it directly to the notary.
Final Contract
The notary carries out the legal review and signs the transfer contract — either with you present, or through your representative under power of attorney.
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Timeline & Transaction Management
The cost of the Building ID isn't fixed by the state — it depends on the property's size, age, whether blueprints already exist, and whether any unauthorized construction needs legalizing first, which is priced separately. You can request and pay for the quote remotely; it's the property that needs the site visit, not you.
Indicative timeline for a property transfer with a Building ID
Unauthorized Construction: What Can Stop the Sale?
During the inspection, the engineer often turns up discrepancies from the approved plans — a closed-in balcony, a shifted wall, a room that was never declared. Catching these early matters even more when you're managing the sale from abroad: your engineer can pull the property's full permit history from the local planning office on your behalf, so you know exactly where things stand before a buyer is even in the picture.
Minor discrepancies — internal layout changes, an enclosed veranda, a pergola — are normally legalized by paying the corresponding fine. Once that's done, the Building ID is issued and the sale moves forward as normal.
This covers entirely unauthorized structures or severe violations — over 40% excess in building density or coverage. The legalization platform for Category 5 is currently closed, which in practice means the property is banned from being sold.
The Risk of Incomplete Checks: Skipping a review of the Condominium Regulation, or leaving a violation unresolved, isn't just a bureaucratic delay — it can mean postponing the sale, or losing it altogether. A proper check upfront isn't a formality; it's what keeps your money and your time from getting stuck partway through.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
No. Under current law (4495/2017), the Building ID is mandatory. Any transfer made without the Certificate of Completeness is void.
Yes. The requirement covers every property, including vacant land — the engineer issues a simplified Certificate of Completeness confirming that nothing has been built.
The Certificate of Completeness the engineer issues for the contract is valid for two (2) months from its date of issue.
