In brief
Greece levies inheritance tax and gift tax on assets located within its territory, even when the deceased and the heirs are Israelis. Inheritance tax is calculated on the objective value of the property and according to family relationship. Children and a spouse are exempt up to EUR 150,000, and above that graduated rates of 1%, 5% and 10% apply. The law applicable to the succession is determined under the EU Succession Regulation, so an Israeli can choose in a will that Israeli law applies to it. A new Greek inheritance law, applying to deaths from 16 September 2026, changed important rules, so existing wills are worth reviewing.
Key takeaways
- 1Inheritance tax in Greece applies to assets in Greece regardless of the heir's citizenship. Children and spouses (Category A): 0% up to EUR 150,000, then 1%, 5% and 10% (as of September 2026, per PwC).
- 2The property is valued at its objective value on the date of death, not at market price.
- 3An Israeli can stipulate in a will that Israeli law, the law of his citizenship, applies to the entire succession (Article 22 of EU Succession Regulation 650/2012).
- 4Law 5303/2026 applies to deaths from 16.9.2026: the reserved share becomes mainly a monetary claim, the surviving spouse's share increases and inheritance agreements are recognised. Existing wills are worth reviewing.
- 5Heirs living abroad must file a Greek inheritance tax return within a year, and accept or renounce the inheritance within the periods fixed by law. Missing the deadline may be treated as acceptance.
Does Greece levy inheritance tax even when the heirs are Israelis?
Yes. According to the PwC tax summary, inheritance tax in Greece applies to assets located in Greece, real property and movables, regardless of the heir's citizenship. Real property is valued at its "objective value" on the date of death. Assets located outside Greece are not subject to Greek inheritance tax. From the standpoint of an Israeli investor, the apartment in Athens or on a Greek island will be taxed in Greece, and nothing else will.
The rate of tax depends on the family relationship between the deceased and the heir. Greek law divides heirs into three categories. Category A includes the spouse or civil partner, children and grandchildren, and parents. Category B includes, among others, siblings, nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts and more distant relatives. Anyone who is not in these categories belongs to Category C.
The property is valued at its objective value on the date of death, not at market price.
How much inheritance tax is paid in Greece?
| Category | Exempt amount | Tax brackets above the exemption |
|---|---|---|
| A - spouse, children, grandchildren, parents | EUR 150,000 | 1% up to EUR 300,000, 5% up to EUR 600,000, and 10% above EUR 600,000 |
| B - siblings, nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts and other relatives | EUR 30,000 | 5% up to EUR 100,000, 10% up to EUR 300,000, and 20% above EUR 300,000 |
| C - all others | EUR 6,000 | 20% up to EUR 72,000, 30% up to EUR 267,000, and 40% above EUR 267,000 |
Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, as of September 2026. Example: a child inherits an apartment whose objective value is EUR 250,000. The first EUR 150,000 is exempt, and the remaining EUR 100,000 is taxed at 1%. Total tax: EUR 1,000. By contrast, a nephew who inherits the same apartment will pay EUR 3,500 on the bracket from EUR 30,000 to EUR 100,000, and a further EUR 15,000 (10% of 150,000) on the balance. In total EUR 18,500. This gap between categories is one of the main reasons to plan in advance.
And what about a gift during lifetime?
On a gift of real property in Greece, including a "parental grant" to children, the same scales apply as for inheritance, by category, according to PwC. A cash gift is taxed at a flat rate of 10%, 20% or 40%, by category. For Category A there is a special regime: a gift or parental grant is taxed at 10% after a one-time exemption of EUR 800,000. The recipient pays the tax, and the tax return is filed with the Greek tax office before signing the gift contract.
| Inheritance | Gift during lifetime | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of taxation | After death, by the objective value on the date of death | At the time of the gift, by the objective value on that date |
| Tax scale on real property | By category | The same scale, by category |
| Control of the property | Remains with the owner until death | Passes to the recipient, unless a right such as a right of use is retained |
| Certainty | Depends on the will, the applicable law and the procedures for receiving the estate | High. Everything is concluded in a single notarial contract |
| Risk | A long procedure with many documents for heirs abroad | Early giving up of the property, and questions of equality among the children |
Which law applies to the succession of an Israeli who owns a property in Greece?
Greece is bound by the EU Succession Regulation (650/2012). Under the Regulation, as a rule, the law applicable to the entire succession is the law of the state in which the deceased had his habitual residence at the time of death. Under Article 20 of the Regulation, the rule applies even where the law is that of a state that is not a member of the Union. For an Israeli who lives in Israel, therefore, the starting point is Israeli law.
This starting point has qualifications, which is why the truly important tool is choice of law. Article 22 of the Regulation allows a person to choose that the law of the state of which he is a citizen, at the time of choosing or at the time of death, will govern his succession. The choice must be made expressly, in a declaration within a will. Where there is a choice of law, renvoi does not apply, so that the chosen Israeli law applies directly. An Israeli who wants certainty, and especially one who may in the future relocate his residence, can include such a clause in the will and prevent a dispute over where his "habitual residence" was.
Greek law includes a "reserved share" for certain relatives, which limits testamentary freedom. Israeli law has no such mechanism. Someone who wants, for example, to leave the property in Greece to one child and compensate the others with other assets needs to make sure that the law that will govern the succession allows this.
What changed in the Greek inheritance reform in 2026?
Law 5303/2026 was published in the Official Gazette on 22 May 2026, and its main provisions apply to estates of those who die on or after 16 September 2026, subject to transitional provisions. According to reviews by law firms in Greece, these are the main changes:
- The reserved share becomes mainly a monetary claim instead of a right in specific assets. This makes it easier to keep a property or a business in the hands of a single heir.
- The surviving spouse's share increases. For example, one third of the estate when inheriting alongside one child. Unmarried cohabiting partners were granted limited inheritance rights for the first time.
- Inheritance agreements are recognised under certain conditions, including the possibility of waiving future rights in advance, subject to strict formal requirements.
- The estate's debts will be paid mainly from the estate itself, and not automatically from the heir's personal assets. Even so, the decision whether to accept or renounce an inheritance still has meaning.
- A handwritten will is preserved, with improved authentication and registration protections.
Practical meaning for Israelis: a will made before 2026 that refers to a property in Greece is worth reviewing. It may rely on assumptions that are no longer correct, or it may not use tools that the new law allows.
What do the heirs do in practice after a death?
- A probate order or an order for the execution of a will in Israel, authenticated with an apostille and translated into Greek. In Greece, personal status documents will usually also be required, such as a death certificate and birth and marriage certificates, authenticated and translated.
- Handling the will in Greece: a will made abroad may be valid, but according to professional sources it requires additional steps, such as publication and a procedure before the authorities in Greece, before it can be relied upon.
- An AFM for each heir. Heirs abroad usually need a Greek tax number before the procedure can be completed.
- Checking for debts before acceptance: tax debts, ENFIA, loans and open accounts. According to professional sources, an heir who, or whose deceased, lived abroad can renounce an inheritance within a year of the day he learned of it. Missing the deadline may be treated as acceptance.
- Inheritance tax return: within nine months if the death occurred in Greece, and within one year if the deceased died abroad or the heirs lived abroad. Filing is done online.
- A notarial deed of acceptance of the inheritance and registration of the property in the heirs' names in the land registry. Without such registration the property cannot be sold later.
- Updating the E9 and ENFIA in the heirs' names according to their shares.
Most of the steps can be carried out from Israel by power of attorney to a lawyer in Greece. But where there are several heirs, each of them needs an AFM and documents of his own. Early coordination among the heirs saves months.
And what about the Israeli side?
There is no inheritance tax in Israel. The tax treaty between Israel and Greece applies, under its Article 2, to taxes on income only, and so it contains no mechanism for crediting the Greek inheritance tax. In practice, there is also no Israeli tax against which it could be offset. Inheritance or gift tax paid in Greece is a final cost.
In the context of income tax, a transfer without consideration by inheritance or gift is generally not a taxable event in Israel. The recipient "steps into the shoes" of the donor as to the date of acquisition and the cost of acquisition. When the heir, an Israeli resident, later sells the Greek property, Article 13(1) of the treaty will apply, under which the gain is taxed in Greece only. We expanded on this issue in our article on selling property in Greece.
What tools exist for early planning?
| Tool | What it provides | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| A will with a choice of Israeli law | Certainty as to the applicable law, and testamentary freedom | Express drafting under Article 22 of the Regulation, and coordination with an existing Israeli will |
| A separate will for property in Greece | A simpler procedure before the authorities in Greece | Make sure it does not inadvertently revoke the Israeli will, and vice versa |
| Joint ownership by spouses from the outset | Only part of the property passes by inheritance on each death | Implications also for rental taxation and for managing the property |
| A gift during lifetime to children | Certainty and tax known in advance | Loss of control. Consider retaining a right of use for the donor |
| An inheritance agreement under the new law | An arrangement agreed in advance among family members | Strict formal requirements. Suitable mainly for property governed by Greek law |
| Holding through a company | Transfer of shares instead of transfer of real property | Greek inheritance tax may also apply to shares of a Greek company. Such a structure requires a comprehensive review in both countries |
What to do before signing, and how we accompany the planning
The question of succession is worth asking already on the day of purchase, and not when it becomes a problem for the heirs. In whose name to register, in what share, whether to make a dedicated will and which law to choose are decisions that affect the tax, the time and family peace. We carry out the planning on both sides: we draft or review the Israeli will and the choice-of-law clause, coordinate with a lawyer in Greece on the local will and the new law, and when the moment comes, we accompany the heirs from Israel through all the stages of receiving the estate.
The information here is general information, as of October 2026, and is not legal or tax advice for a specific case. Succession and tax law in Greece has recently undergone reform, and its application to a specific case depends on the circumstances, including the date of death.
Frequently asked questions
How much inheritance tax is paid in Greece on an apartment passing to children?
Children, grandchildren, a spouse and parents are in Category A: an exemption up to EUR 150,000 of the objective value, then 1% up to EUR 300,000, 5% up to EUR 600,000 and 10% above that. For example, on an apartment with an objective value of EUR 250,000 the tax is EUR 1,000.
Can an Israeli stipulate that Israeli law will apply to his property in Greece?
Yes. Under Article 22 of the EU Succession Regulation, to which Greece is bound, a person may choose in a will the law of the state of which he is a citizen, and that law will then apply to the entire succession. The choice must be made expressly in the will.
Is a separate will needed for Greece?
It is not mandatory, but in many cases it simplifies the procedure before the authorities in Greece. A will made abroad requires additional steps before it can be relied upon in Greece. It is important that the two wills are coordinated and do not revoke one another.
Within what time must an inheritance tax return be filed in Greece?
Within nine months if the deceased died in Greece, and within one year if he died abroad or the heirs lived abroad at the time of death. It is advisable to start early, because an AFM is needed first for each heir, together with authenticated and translated documents.
Is there inheritance tax in Israel on a property received in Greece?
No. There is no inheritance tax in Israel, and receiving a property by inheritance is not a taxable event. The only tax is the Greek inheritance tax, which cannot be credited in Israel.
Read next · 9 min readSelling Property in Greece as an Israeli Investor: Capital Gains Tax and Its Suspension, Required Documents and the Sale ProcessSelling property in Greece as an Israeli resident: capital gains tax suspended to end-2026, Article 13 of the tax treaty, seller documents and remote sale.Read the guideSources
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries - Greece, Individual: Other taxes (inheritance, gift and parental grant tax)
- Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 (Succession Regulation), Chapter III - Applicable law
- Legal 500 - The new Greek inheritance law (Law 5303/2026): key reforms and timely estate planning
- Greek City Times - Inheriting property in Greece from overseas (July 2026)
- Convention between the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel for the avoidance of double taxation (1995), English text - Articles 2 and 13
- Elxis - Legal requirements for selling Greek real estate in 2026 (inherited property: acceptance deed and registration)
The information in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice on any specific transaction. Every transaction is assessed on its own facts.