Building Permits in Greece
Issued, amended and — when the paperwork has vanished — retrieved. Licensed civil engineers, based on Samos, working across Greece.
A building permit in Greece is not a single document you collect from a counter. It is a file: a set of architectural, structural, mechanical and energy studies, submitted electronically through the e-Adeies system by a licensed engineer, checked against the planning rules that apply to your specific plot.
Whether you are building a villa from scratch, adding a room, converting a stone ruin or simply trying to prove that the house you inherited was legally built, the route runs through the same system — but the category, the studies required and the time involved differ enormously.
The three permit categories
Sensitive locations — archaeological zones, coastal or forest boundaries, traditional settlements, listed buildings. Requires pre-approval and clearance from the relevant authorities before the permit itself is processed.
The standard route for most new builds and substantial additions. Studies are submitted, checked and the permit is issued through e-Adeies.
Smaller works within existing legal envelopes. Issued automatically on submission of the complete file, with the engineer carrying full responsibility for its accuracy.
Which category you fall into is decided by the plot and the works, not by preference — and getting it wrong at the start costs months. On Samos this matters more than on the mainland: much of the island sits inside coastal zones, forest-map boundaries or traditional settlements, which pushes projects into Category 1 that would be routine elsewhere.
Small-scale works: when you do not need a full permit
Not everything requires a building permit. Repairs, internal partitions, external plaster and painting, fences, solar panels, small retaining walls and similar works fall under an approval for small-scale works — a lighter procedure with a shorter file and a faster turnaround.
The trap is the boundary. Owners regularly begin what they believe are minor works and cross into permit territory without realising it — the moment you touch the load-bearing structure, alter the building’s footprint or change its use, you are no longer in small-scale. Work carried out on the wrong basis becomes an unpermitted structure, and then it has to be legalised.
Before any work begins we tell you which of the two you are in, in writing. It is the cheapest hour of engineering you will ever buy.
Lost the old permit? That is a job in itself
One of the most common requests we get is not for a new permit at all. It is: “my house was built in 1978 and nobody can find the permit.”
This is not a lost cause and it is not unusual. Permits issued before the digital era live in the physical archives of the local planning office (ΥΔΟΜ). They can be found, copied and certified — it simply takes someone who knows how that archive is organised and is willing to go and sit in it.
We retrieve permit files, plans and approvals from the planning office, compare them against what is actually standing on the plot today, and tell you exactly where you stand. You will need this for a sale, for an Electronic Building Identity, for a mortgage, and for any inheritance that goes through a notary. On Samos the retrieval typically takes a few weeks; we do the queuing.
How a permit project actually runs
- Plot check first. Planning zone, building coefficients, coverage, height limits, setbacks, road access, forest map status, archaeological or coastal constraints. This determines what can legally be built before a single line is drawn.
- Topographic survey. An EGSA ’87 plan is the foundation of the whole file. Nothing proceeds without it.
- Design and studies. Architectural, structural, mechanical, energy, and any specialist studies your category demands.
- Pre-approval where required. Category 1 files go to the relevant authorities before the permit is processed.
- Submission through e-Adeies and payment of the statutory contributions.
- Issue, then supervision. A permit is not the end. Construction has to be supervised and the works declared as they progress.
What drives the cost
We do not publish a price list for permits, and any engineer who does is quoting a project they have not seen. The scope is set by things nobody can guess from a phone call: the size and complexity of the building, the category, the number of specialist studies required, the state of the plot, whether pre-approval is needed, and whether there is existing unpermitted construction that has to be regularised first.
What we do instead: we look at the plot and the brief, and give you a fixed written fee covering the studies and the permit, itemised, before you commit. Statutory contributions and state fees are listed separately, because they are set by law and not by us.
Owners living outside Greece
Building or renovating in Greece from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK or anywhere else is entirely workable — it is a large part of what we do. Documents move electronically, we act under a power of attorney where physical presence is required, and you receive photographic and video progress reporting rather than a phone call once a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a building permit cost in Greece?
There is no standard figure, because there is no standard project. A permit for a straightforward single-storey house on a flat, unconstrained plot and a permit for a hillside villa inside a coastal zone are not the same work. We survey the plot, then quote a fixed fee in writing.
How long does it take?
Category 3 files are issued on submission. Category 2 depends on the completeness of the file and the workload of the planning office. Category 1 adds the pre-approval stage and is the slowest by some distance. We give you a realistic timeline at the start, not an optimistic one.
Where can I find an old building permit?
In the archive of the planning office (ΥΔΟΜ) for the area where the property sits. Older permits are paper-only and are not searchable online. We retrieve them on your behalf, including certified copies of the approved plans.
What happens if something was built without a permit?
It becomes an unpermitted structure and it will block any sale or transfer. Current law allows most cases to be regularised by paying a calculated fine — see our page on legalising illegal buildings in Greece. We identify it, calculate it and handle it alongside the permit work.
Do you supervise the construction as well?
Yes. We design, permit, build and hand over — see Samos construction. You can also engage us for the permit alone and build with your own contractor.