A person can require legal services of inheritance lawyers in Greece in any of the legal matters arising from aspects prescribed by the inheritance regulations applicable in this country. Here, we refer to signing a will, being the heir of a Greek inheritance, disputes arising between heirs, litigation cases and numerous others. Our Greek lawyers specialized in inheritance cover all areas of law; our team has dealt with numerous cases and has provided legal representation to clients.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Legislation regulating inheritance in Greece | The Greek Civil Code |
|
Types of wills |
Holographic, sealed, public, extraordinary |
|
Who can inherit assets and property in Greece |
Spouse/civil partner, children, adopted children, grandchildren, the parents of the deceased, siblings,half-siblings, grandparents and/or great-grandparents of the deceased, other relatives, the Greek state |
| Inheritance tax (yes/no) | Yes |
| Classes of legal heirs |
There are 6 classes of legal heirs. |
| Types of succession in Greece |
Intestate succession and inheritance following the provisions of a will. Our inheritance lawyers in Greece can assist heirs involved in any of the 2 types of succession. |
| Entities involved in drawing a will |
The testator (the person drawing the will), the notary public, our inheritance lawyers in Greece, the Greek courts |
| Can a person renounce inheritance in Greece? |
Yes, it is possible to renounce assets and properties inherited in Greece. |
| Deadline to renounce inheritance in Greece |
4 months since the death of the testator (or 4 months since the publication of the will) or 1 year, in the case of non-resident heirs |
| Inheritance tax rates | 0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% or 40% (The rates are applied based on the value of the inheritance and the heir class – the closer to the testator a heir is, the lower the tax rate is). |
| Can the heir inherit debts associated with the inheritance? |
Yes, heirs can inherit assets and properties that have debts and other liabilities. |
| How to renounce inheritance |
Renouncing inheritance is done by addressing the Magistrates Court where the testator had his/her last residence. Our inheritance lawyers in Greece can help you prepare the necessary paperwork. |
| How to accept inheritance |
For the acceptance of inheritance, the heir must sign acceptance documents, pay the inheritance tax and submit the tax declaration and address the Land Registry Office. |
| Can a testator disinherit legal heirs? |
In general, it is possible to disinherit any heirs. However, heirs such as parents, spouses or children can be disinherited only in a few situations and even then, these categories of heirs will still be allowed to claim certain inheritance rights. |
| Legal actions that can be taken in case of disinheritance | The disinherited heirs such as parents, children and spouses can claim inheritance rights through the provisions of the forced inheritance share. |
Please mind that if you are not a Greek citizen, but you will be the owner of an inheritance in Greece, our lawyers can provide legal advice as well. For more details, you can address to our team of Greek lawyers.
Table of Contents
How can our lawyers in Greece help in inheritance matters?
The concern for inheritance can appear in the case of an elderly person who wants to make sure that his or her properties will be divided amongst heirs according to his or her wishes and in accordance with the requirements of the Greek inheritance law. In this case, our law firm in Greece will advise the person on how to draw and sign a will that is recognized under the local legislation.
Although a person can draw his or her own will, it is best to receive legal advice prior to signing the document, in order to make sure that the stipulations of the document follow the applicable regulations. This is highly advised, as through this, the testator (the person signing the will) will be sure that his or her personal belongings will be divided as written in the document.
Besides this, the procedure will also minimize the possibility of entering various litigation procedures once the inheritance will be divided and thus, reducing the possibility of conflict between family members and other parties claiming inheritance in Greece.
Our Greek lawyers specialized in inheritance can also provide legal advice and representation (out-of-court and in-court) to those who are the recipients of an inheritance. We invite you to watch a short video on the services of our inheritance lawyers in Greece:
Even though conflicts and litigation amount heirs will not apply, the recipients of the inheritance in Greece will have to conduct specific legal steps. For instance, those who inherit real estate properties will have to sign documents or they may have various tax and financial obligations and our team of Greek lawyers can be of assistance in these matters.
Of course, our team can be of assistance to foreigners who inherited assets in Greece. Our team of lawyers in Greece has an in-depth experience in handling cases where an inheritance is disputed by the heirs for a long period of time, as well as in any other legal issues that pertain to the Greek inheritance law.
Is there an inheritance tax in Greece?
Yes, the Greek inheritance law imposes the obligation to pay the inheritance tax to certain types of properties left by the testator to the heirs. The obligation to pay the inheritance tax is imposed to the persons who will become the heirs of the respective assets and it is payable when the transfer of ownership is made. Below, you can find out the current tax requirements:
- the inheritance tax can be charged from a rate of only 1% to a rate of 40%, depending on the value of the assets and the relation between the testator and the heirs;
- for persons who are close family members to the deceased person, the inheritance tax ranges between 1% to maximum 10%;
- there is a tax exemption from the payment of this tax in the case in which the assets have a value of maximum EUR 150,000, calculated at the market price of the assets in the day in which the testator died and in accordance with the rules of the Greek Ministry of Finance;
- there are 3 categories of taxes, based on the relation the testator had with all family members (Category A – spouse, children, grandchildren, Category B – great-grandchildren, great-grandparents, brothers and sisters, and Category C – other relatives);
- for the Category A, a tax of 1% is charged for properties with a value above EUR 150,000 and maximum EUR 300,000.
For the Category B, there are different thresholds with different tax rates, as follows: a tax exemption for assets with a value of maximum EUR 30,000, while properties with a market value above this sum can be charged with tax rates of 5%, 10% or 20% depending on their value. For the Category C, one can pay the inheritance tax charged at rates of 20, 30% and 40%.
A tax exemption is applied for an inheritance in Greece with a value of maximum EUR 6,000 for the latter category. If you need more details on claiming inheritance in Greece, please address our Greek law firm for legal advice and for personalized assistance tailored to your case.
What are the classes of heirs in Greece?
Inheritance procedures in Greece are completed based on the family tie an heir has with the testator. Based on this family tie, the respective heir can have the right to inherit specific assets and a given proportion of these assets. The class a person is included in also influences the value of the inheritance tax.
It must be noted that certain heirs have an automatic right to inherit a certain proportion of the assets, regardless of the presence or the absence of other heirs (which can be the case of a surviving spouse and the children of the family). In the list below, our attorneys in Greece invite you to discover the 6 classes of heirs:
- the 1st class is represented by the testator’s children and surviving spouse, according to the Article 1813 of the Civil Code;
- the 2nd class is represented by the testator’s parents and his or her siblings, along with their children and grandchildren, according to the Article 1814 of the Civil Code;
- in the 3rd class, according to the Article 1816, are included the testator’s grandparents and/or their children and grandchildren;
- the 4th class refers to the great grandparents of the testator (Article 1817);
- the 5th class is represented solely by the testator’s spouse, who can have the right to the entire inheritance, as long as there are no legal heirs that can be included in any of the first 4 classes (Article 1821);
- the 6th class refers to the Greek state, which can inherit the assets as long there are no surviving heirs in any of the first 5 classes.
Please mind that the spouse has inheritance rights in connection to any of the first 4 classes mentioned above. The share is established in accordance with the rights granted to the other heirs and the category in which they can be included.
Considering that the rules on establishing the inheritance share are amore complex and must be established on a case-by-case basis, we invite you to learn more about this from our lawyers in Greece.
For instance, the spouse has the right to inherit ¼ of the properties, when the division of the assets is done with the 1st class of heirs. When the division is done with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes, the spouse is entitled to 50% of the inheritance. Our inheritance lawyers in Greece can offer further assistance.
Once you are the rightful heir of a Greek inheritance, the next step is to accept or to renounce the inheritance rights. It is perfectly legal to renounce an inheritance received in Greece, regardless of its type, but please know that there is a deadline to submit a written declaration.
Besides our legal services on inheritance and wills, our team can provide real estate services. Therefore, foreigners who want to buy a property in Greece are invited to address our team of Greek lawyers. We can also present you with the most suitable deals based on your desires – location of the property, its type, size, etc.
Please contact us for more information on our real estate services and the services offered by our inheritance lawyers in Greece.