31 May

Greek Inheritance Law 2026: Complete Guide to the New Inheritance Law in Greece

The publication of Law 5303/2026 marks the most significant reform of Greek inheritance law in decades. The new legislation introduces substantial changes to inheritance law in Greece, affecting wills, heirs, forced heirship rights, inheritance contracts, estate administration, and liability for inherited debts.

For Greek citizens, expatriates, foreign property owners, and international families with assets in Greece, understanding the new Greek inheritance law is essential. The reform creates new opportunities for estate planning while introducing important changes that may affect future inheritance disputes and probate proceedings.

This guide explains the most important developments in Greek inheritance law, when the new rules apply, and what heirs should know about inheritance rights in Greece.

1. Eligibility to Inherit

A person may inherit if alive at the time succession opens or if conceived before the deceased’s death. Children born through posthumous assisted reproduction may also inherit under specific circumstances.

2. Personal Execution of Wills

Wills must continue to be executed personally by the testator and in accordance with the statutory formalities prescribed by law.

3. Deposit of Holographic Wills

A testator may deposit a handwritten will with a notary public for safekeeping.

4. Digital Publication of Wills

Notaries who become aware of a testator’s death must publish wills through the newly established electronic Wills Registry. Individuals holding a handwritten will must submit it for publication without undue delay.

5. Bequests to the Poor

Where a will leaves property generally to “the poor” without further specification, the assets will typically pass to the municipality of the deceased’s last residence or, in certain circumstances, to the Greek State for charitable purposes.

6. Inheritance Contracts

Individuals may now designate heirs, create trusts-like arrangements, establish legacies, impose obligations, and select the law applicable to their succession through inheritance contracts.

7. Inheritance Contracts with Lifetime Consideration

Where succession rights are granted in exchange for obligations performed during the deceased’s lifetime, both parties may under certain conditions withdraw from the agreement if contractual obligations are not fulfilled.

8. Expanded Rights of the Surviving Spouse

The surviving spouse’s statutory share has been revised. In addition, spouses receive enhanced protection regarding household goods and the right to remain in the family residence for one year following the death.

9. Protection of Long-Term Cohabiting Partners

In the absence of a spouse, individuals who maintained a stable cohabitation relationship with the deceased for at least three years, or who had common children with the deceased, receive specific inheritance protections and occupancy rights.

10. Limitation of Heirs’ Liability

One of the most significant reforms concerns liability for estate debts. Under the new system, heirs generally do not become personally liable for obligations of the estate unless they expressly elect unrestricted management and disposition of inherited assets.

When Does the New Greek Inheritance Law Apply?

One of the most frequently asked questions about the new Greek inheritance law concerns its effective date.

Although Law 5303/2026 was published on 22 May 2026, the majority of the reforms concerning inheritance law in Greece become effective on 16 September 2026.

As a general rule, the new provisions of Greek inheritance law apply to individuals who die on or after 16 September 2026. However, several important transitional provisions affect existing wills, unpublished wills, estate administration, and inheritance procedures.

Because the transitional rules are complex, anyone dealing with a succession matter should obtain legal advice from experienced inheritance lawyers in Greece.

New Rules for Wills Under Greek Inheritance Law

One of the central aspects of the reform involves wills and testamentary succession.

Under the revised Greek inheritance law, handwritten wills may still be prepared by the testator personally. However, new procedures govern their safekeeping and publication.

The new legislation also introduces a digital system for the publication of wills through the national Registry of Wills. Notaries who become aware of the death of a testator are required to publish the will electronically without undue delay.

Importantly, wills executed before 16 September 2026 remain protected. Their validity will continue to be determined according to the legal requirements that existed when they were drafted.

This protection promotes legal certainty and prevents challenges to previously valid wills under the new inheritance law in Greece.

Inheritance Contracts Introduced for the First Time in Greece

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the reform is the introduction of inheritance contracts.

For the first time, Greek inheritance law allows individuals to enter into agreements regulating future succession rights. These agreements may designate heirs, create legacies, establish obligations, and in certain circumstances provide for the waiver of inheritance rights.

Inheritance contracts must be executed before a notary public and cannot be used before 16 September 2026.

The introduction of inheritance contracts aligns inheritance law in Greece more closely with several other European legal systems and provides additional estate planning tools for families and business owners.

Protection Against Inherited Debts

One of the most practical reforms concerns liability for inherited debts.

Previously, many heirs faced significant risks when accepting an inheritance containing undisclosed liabilities. Under the new Greek inheritance law, heirs generally do not become personally liable for estate debts unless they specifically choose unrestricted administration of inherited assets.

This change significantly improves protection for heirs and represents one of the most important developments in modern inheritance law in Greece.

Six-Month Opportunity for Existing Heirs

The new law also creates a valuable opportunity for individuals who inherited from a deceased person before 22 May 2026.

Until 22 November 2026, qualifying heirs may request an inventory procedure that can limit liability for inherited debts.

For many families, this transitional measure may prevent personal exposure to substantial liabilities and is one of the most beneficial aspects of the new Greek inheritance law.

New Rights of Surviving Spouses

The reform strengthens the position of surviving spouses under inheritance law in Greece.

The surviving spouse’s share of the estate has been adjusted depending on the number of children involved. Additional protections include rights to household property and the right to continue occupying the family residence for one year following the deceased’s death.

These changes seek to provide greater financial stability and housing security for surviving spouses under the new Greek inheritance law.

Rights of Cohabiting Partners

For the first time, long-term cohabiting partners receive enhanced protection under Greek inheritance law.

Where no spouse exists, a person who lived permanently with the deceased for at least three years before death—or who shared children with the deceased—may acquire specific inheritance rights and occupancy protections.

This reform reflects changing social realities and modernizes inheritance law in Greece.

New Rules for Estate Distribution

The legislation also changes how inherited property may be divided among heirs.

In certain circumstances, the new estate distribution rules may apply even to older estates if no court proceedings for partition have already been initiated.

This provision demonstrates how the new Greek inheritance law extends beyond future successions and may affect ongoing inheritance matters.

Why International Families Should Review Their Estate Planning

Foreign nationals who own property in Greece, members of the Greek diaspora, investors, expatriates, and mixed-nationality families should carefully review their estate planning arrangements.

Changes introduced by the new Greek inheritance law may affect:

– Wills concerning Greek property

– Succession planning for foreign nationals

– Family businesses

– Real estate inheritance

– Forced heirship rights

– Probate proceedings in Greece

– Cross-border inheritance matters

– Inheritance tax planning

Professional advice from experienced inheritance lawyers in Greece can help ensure that existing estate planning remains effective under the new legal framework.

Frequently Searched Questions About Greek Inheritance Law

What is the new Greek inheritance law?

The new Greek inheritance law is Law 5303/2026, which introduces major reforms to wills, inheritance contracts, forced heirship rights, estate administration, and heir liability.

When does the new inheritance law in Greece come into force?

Most provisions of the new inheritance law in Greece become effective on 16 September 2026.

Are old wills still valid in Greece?

Yes. Existing wills remain valid and are generally assessed according to the legal requirements that applied when they were executed.

Can foreigners inherit property in Greece?

Yes. Foreign nationals may inherit Greek property and assets, although professional legal advice is strongly recommended for cross-border inheritance matters.

What are inheritance contracts in Greece?

Inheritance contracts are legally binding agreements regulating future succession rights. They are being introduced for the first time under the new Greek inheritance law.

Transitional Right to Accept an Inheritance Under the Benefit of Inventory (Beneficium Inventarii) under Law 5303/2026 – A New Safeguard for Heirs Facing Inheritance Debts

The reform of Greek inheritance law introduced by Law 5303/2026 does not only apply to inheritances opening after the new provisions enter into force. One of the most significant innovations lies in its transitional provisions, which offer an important opportunity to heirs who had already become liable under the previous legal framework.

For the first time, Greek law allows certain heirs who had lost the right to accept an inheritance under the benefit of inventory to regain that right within a special transitional period.

This new provision may prove crucial for heirs who currently face claims from creditors or who risk becoming personally and unlimitedly liable for the deceased’s outstanding debts.

However, the new rule does not apply automatically. Each case requires a careful legal assessment, taking into account the date of death, the legal regime applicable when the inheritance opened, the heir’s previous actions or omissions, and any pending enforcement proceedings.

Below you can find out who may benefit from the transitional provision of Law 5303/2026, the legal requirements that must be satisfied, the applicable deadlines, and the practical steps that heirs should take to take advantage of this important new protection.

Conditions for Applying the Transitional Provision

The following requirements must all be met.

1. The deceased must have passed away before the new inheritance law entered into force.

The transitional provision applies exclusively to inheritances that had already opened under the previous legal framework. It does not apply to inheritances opening after the commencement of the new Book Five of the Greek Civil Code.

2. The heir must have already lost the right to accept the inheritance under the benefit of inventory

The provision is intended for heirs who are no longer within the ordinary statutory deadlines.

It primarily concerns individuals who:

allowed the statutory deadline to expire;
were deemed to have accepted the inheritance unconditionally;
are now personally liable for the deceased’s debts.

For these heirs, the law creates a new opportunity to initiate inventory proceedings during the special transitional period.

3. Compliance with the transitional deadline

The new right is available only for a limited period.

Law 5303/2026 provides a strict transitional period of six months from the commencement of the new legislation, during which the relevant declaration and legal procedure must be initiated.

The deadline expires on 22 November 2026.

Who May Benefit?

The transitional provision is expected to benefit, in particular:

surviving spouses who unknowingly accepted an indebted estate,
adult children who assumed the inheritance had positive value,
relatives who discovered substantial tax or banking liabilities years later,
heirs of business owners who subsequently became aware of corporate guarantees, creditor claims or significant litigation.

Who Is Not Covered?

The provision does not apply:

to persons who lawfully and timely renounced the inheritance;
to persons who never acquired inheritance rights;
to overturn final court judgments unrelated to the benefit of inventory;
to remedy procedural omissions unrelated to inventory proceedings;
as a general mechanism for eliminating inheritance debts.

Importantly, the provision does not cancel the debts owed by the estate or deprive creditors of their legal rights. Instead, it restores, where the statutory conditions are met, the limitation of the heir’s liability to the value of the inherited estate.

Practical Examples

Covered by the Transitional Provision?

I missed the statutory deadline years ago and creditors are now pursuing me for the deceased’s debts.

Potentially yes, provided the conditions of Article 33(8) of Law 5303/2026 are satisfied.

I lawfully renounced the inheritance.

No.

I am not an heir.

No.

The inheritance opened after the new legislation entered into force.

The new legal regime applies instead of the transitional provision.

I am still within the ordinary statutory deadlines.

The transitional provision is unnecessary.

Conclusion

The transitional provision introduced by Law 5303/2026 represents one of the most important reforms of Greek inheritance law. It offers many heirs a second opportunity to limit their personal liability for inheritance debts.

Nevertheless, eligibility depends upon the particular legal and factual circumstances of each case. For this reason, obtaining timely legal advice before the expiry of the transitional deadline is essential.

If you need assistance with Greek inheritance law, probate proceedings, wills, inheritance disputes, inheritance contracts, succession planning, acceptance of inheritance, renunciation of inheritance, or inheritance of property in Greece, contact Economou & Economou Law Office in Athens Greece.

Economou & Economou law office in Athens Greece is widely recognized as one the leading law firms in Greece, having the best inheritance lawyers who assists clients from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and around the world.

Economou & Economou Law Office

26 Asklipiou Str. Athens Greece 10679

Send us an Email at: econlaw@live.com

Give us a call at: (+30)2103603824

Website:http://www.econlaw.gr

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