The approvals, and what triggers each
| Approval | Triggered by | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Topographic survey | Almost any application | First — everything else builds on it |
| Κτηματολόγιο check | Any application, and any purchase | First — a discrepancy here blocks everything |
| Architectural design | Any permitted work | Early, and constrained by settlement rules |
| Structural engineering | Any structural work | With the design, not after it |
| Archaeological approval | Excavation | Before the design is frozen |
| Council of Architecture | Designated settlements | Before the permit |
| Building permit | Structural, external or new work | The main event |
| Legalisation | Existing unauthorised work | Before any new application |
| ΠΕΑ energy certificate | Sale, long lease, some works | At completion or at sale |
| Short-term rental compliance | Listing a property | Before listing |
| Tourist accommodation licence | Operating as accommodation | Before operating |
Why the order is the whole game
Approvals are not a set of forms to submit in parallel. Several of them constrain the design, and a design produced before those constraints are known is a design that gets produced twice.
- Cadastral and title first. A Κτηματολόγιο discrepancy or an unauthorised earlier addition will stop a permit application. Found at the start it is a task; found at submission it is months.
- Settlement designation next. If the property is in a designated settlement, the external appearance rules define the envelope before anyone draws an elevation.
- Archaeology before the foundation design. If the Ephorate requires investigation and finds something, the foundation design changes. Designing first means designing again.
- Then design, engineering and the permit file.
Who does what
These roles are set by Greek practice. You appoint the professionals directly; a contractor coordinates them and builds to what they produce.
- Architect (αρχιτέκτονας μηχανικός)
- The scheme, the elevations, and the case for approval in a designated settlement.
- Civil engineer (πολιτικός μηχανικός)
- Structural design and calculations, including seismic. Signs the structural file.
- Supervising engineer (επιβλέπων μηχανικός)
- Statutory supervision that the work follows the approved design.
- Surveyor (τοπογράφος)
- The topographic survey that underpins the application.
- Contractor
- Building it as designed, and coordinating the sequence between everyone above.
More detail in who does what on a Greek build.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a permit for internal work?
It depends what you touch. Purely internal, non-structural work with no change to openings frequently sits outside a full permit; anything structural, any new opening, and anything externally visible in a designated settlement does not. We tell you which side you are on before you commit.
Can you handle the whole approval process for me?
It gets coordinated, and the professionals are appointed by you directly so their responsibility to you is unambiguous. If you do not have an architect or engineer we will suggest people we have worked with.
How long does the whole thing take?
Months rather than weeks on almost any permitted project, and longer where archaeology or a designated settlement is involved. See the permit timeline tool for a sequenced view by property type.
What happens if I build without a permit?
You create an αυθαίρετο on your title. It surfaces at sale, at licensing and at insurance, and legalising it afterwards is more expensive and sometimes impossible. See legalisation.