Less than 13% of the approximately 90,000 private individuals who have encroached on public land — fewer than one in eight — have shown interest in purchasing the properties they occupy, despite generous discounts and interest-free installment plans offered under the relevant scheme. With the deadline of September 11, 2026 approaching, the numbers registered on the dedicated digital platform remain deeply disappointing. According to sources, approximately 12,000 applications have been submitted, and several of these have yet to be finalized.
The Ministry of National Economy and Finance had already extended the process by one year — having originally launched it in late September 2024 — in the hope that more encroachers would take the opportunity to settle their outstanding obligations with the state. The scheme offers discounts on the buyback price of up to 80%, depending on individual circumstances, with the total amount payable in up to 60 interest-free monthly installments. Despite these incentives, however, uptake remains limited.
Strict eligibility requirements, the extensive documentation needed, and the buyback cost — which, despite the discounts, is still considered high by many applicants — appear to have deterred widespread participation. According to officials, the low interest is also attributed to the fact that a significant number of private individuals, having already registered the properties in the Hellenic Cadastre, prefer to pursue legal ownership through the courts rather than proceeding with a state buyout.
Changes and extensions
Requests for a further extension of the buyback deadline have already been submitted to the Ministry of National Economy, with the Dodecanese Property Owners’ Association also calling for changes to the existing legislative framework. The Association points out that the unique property and land registry characteristics of the Dodecanese islands make the application of the current law extremely difficult — or in some cases outright impossible.
Among the key issues cited is the requirement for prior declaration of the property in the E9 tax form when no cadastral registration number (KAEK), independent cadastral file, or other necessary identification data exists. In this context, the Association is requesting a meaningful new extension, a special transitional arrangement for the Dodecanese, and an exemption from the mandatory prior E9 declaration where objective impossibility can be demonstrated. It is also proposed that long-term possession be provable by any appropriate means.
The application process
For the record, applicants access the platform through the Greek Tax Authority’s portal (aeda.apps.gov.gr) using their Taxisnet credentials, and applications may also be submitted by an authorized representative. A filing fee of €300 is required, which is offset against the buyback price or refunded if the application is rejected.
Along with the application, a series of supporting documents must be submitted, including: a topographic survey of the public property to be purchased with an attached engineer’s declaration, a sheet determining the objective value of the plot or land, a building regulation certificate from the relevant planning authority, a building permit (if applicable), title documents demonstrating possession along with an accompanying statement describing the nature of that possession, a statutory declaration regarding the extent of the public properties to be purchased, a document indicating the use of the public property, and copies of the E1 and E9 tax forms.
The fundamental eligibility requirement is that the applicant themselves — or their predecessors in title — must have exercised continuous, uninterrupted possession of the public property for: at least 30 years with a title deed, or at least 40 years without a title deed, provided the applicant uses the property as their primary residence or auxiliary space thereof, or for tourism, manufacturing, industrial, commercial, or agricultural purposes.
It should be noted that under the new framework, the requirement for an existing structure on the property has been abolished as a precondition for submitting a buyback application. However, buyback of a property with an unauthorized/illegal structure is not permitted.
Furthermore, the property must have been declared on the E9 tax form for at least five years prior to the application, in order to demonstrate that the applicants considered the property to be their own.
Once an application is approved by the competent committee, a certificate of acceptance is issued within five days and notified to the applicant. This certificate includes a description of the property being purchased (area and boundaries), the applicant’s details, the buyback price, and the amounts applicable for lump-sum and installment payments.
Price and discounts
The buyback price is calculated on the basis of the objective property values and social criteria (for vulnerable groups, large families, and persons with disabilities). Discounts of up to a maximum of 80% are applied to the buyback price, depending on the applicant’s personal and family circumstances.
The following discounts also apply:
– 50%, if the individual has been recognized as the property owner by a court of first instance.
– 50%, if the individual was listed as the owner in the initial cadastral registrations and a lawsuit has been filed by the state, or the deadline for filing such a lawsuit has not yet expired.
– 70%, if the individual filed an appeal against a court decision regarding the recognition of property ownership before December 31, 2022.
– 80% of the objective value, for a property that meets the housing needs of the applicant (or the original predecessor in title) as a result of the mass settlement of population groups prior to 1964.
The buyback price is settled either in a lump sum with a 10% discount, or in installments of up to 60 interest-free monthly payments, with a minimum monthly amount of €100.
