Unlike the buyer, the seller is burdened with collecting the majority of the documents and certificates required for the transfer.
The process for selling Property in Greece is exactly the same for all property sellers, Greeks and foreigners. This process can be stressful as - unlike the buyer- the seller is burdened with collecting the majority of the documents and certificates required for the transfer. A new document must now be added to the seller’s checklist: the “electronic identity of the building”. Since January 1st, 2021, a new energy law in Greece, following EU norms, provides that no property transfer can be concluded unless the seller has this e-ID for his property, making your effort while selling Property in Greece even grander. But what is this e-ID exactly?
1. The Electronic Building ID
The e-id is an organized electronic file that contains all the elements (documents and plans) of the building. The Electronic Building ID Code describes the “as-built status” of property, what has been built on-site in terms of dimensions, square footage and usage permissions/restrictions of the building.
The Electronic Building ID Code translates into Greek as Illektroniki Taftotita Ktiriou
Information collected from building permits and drawings, the Greek Tax Authorities, the Hellenic Cadastre details, Declarations of Legality and Energy Performance Certificates will all be recorded on an electronic database.
All recorded details will be electronically linked to the Greek authorities, the Ministry of Finance and Public Power Corporation, securing access to the exact same property information.
The process is carried out by the civil engineer through a special electronic digital platform "Building Identity" developed by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), which is also the provider of electronic services to the Ministry, civil engineers, and citizens.
The civil engineer shall verify that everything is in order, in compliance with the ‘arbitrariness laws’ effective as of today.
Only then can the seller have a complete picture of the legality (or non-legality) of his building, including its energy and static condition, and the property will be considered as fully capable of being conveyed.
The aim of the e-IDs is to combat illegal construction and protect ownership. The Greek Government aspires to have an electronic database where all private and public buildings will be registered on and assigned a unique Electronic Building ID Code within the next few years.
Such a Code will lead to a new type of property certification, the “Certificate of Completion”, which will replace Certificates in effect and those required by law such as the Declaration of Legal Property Status - Law No. 4178/13 and Energy Performance Certificates.
Once completed and implemented, the Electronic Building ID Code will be the key tool in the Greek Real Estate Market providing detailed information for all registered property. Property transactions and title searches will be simpler, faster and most importantly more transparent. Obviously, if you are planning or already selling Property in Greece, obtaining expert support will significantly help you in the conveyancing process.
