The Ministry of Environment and Energy is introducing regulatory measures aimed at providing relief to thousands of owners of small off-plan plots.

According to “Oikonomikos Tachydromos,” the new regulation, currently under public consultation as part of a legislative bill, seeks to offer a final opportunity for property owners with out-of-plan plots smaller than 4,000 square meters to obtain a building permit, pre-approval, or a certificate application from the Town Planning Department.

The right to construct on plots smaller than four acres located outside city plans was officially rescinded in December 2022. At that time, individuals who successfully applied for a certificate of building conditions were granted the option to build, subject to strict deadlines for dossier submission, pre-approval, and subsequent permit issuance.

Since then, however, numerous extensions have been granted, as initial deadlines proved unattainable due to the complexities surrounding document collection, submission, and verification. These delays stemmed both from citizen procrastination and from increased workloads facing engineers, compounded by staff shortages within the Urban Planning Departments.

The validity of issued pre-approvals has now been extended until June 30, 2026, should they expire earlier. Further extensions are anticipated. As a senior official from the Ministry said that this decision addresses two primary issues: the ongoing complications related to off-plan construction and urban planning recognition of roads, and persistent administrative delays resulting from incomplete processing of required certificates due to heavy workloads.

Under the proposed regulation, the deadline for submitting applications for a written certificate from the competent Building Service—whether for building permit authorization or pre-approval submitted by December 31, 2024—is now extended to June 30, 2026.

Additionally, all issued pre-approvals will retain their validity until June 30, 2026, in cases where they would otherwise expire sooner.

Affected Plots
The extension concerns the so-called small off-plan plots, which were created with old partitions. In particular, real estate can be built which:

(A) They have a face on international, national, provincial, municipal and community roads, as well as in abandoned parts of them and on railway lines. Will must exist at 12^the/11/1962 with a minimum face of 10 meters, a minimum depth of 15 meters and a minimum area of 750 sq.m. on 12^the/9/1964 with a minimum face of 20 meters, a minimum depth of 35 meters and a minimum area of 1,200 sq.m.

(B) Those that have a face on a national, provincial, or municipal road, provided that they exist during the on the 17th^the/10/1978 and have a minimum face of 25 m., a minimum depth of 40 m. and a minimum area of 2,000 sq.m.

(C) They have a face on a national, provincial, or municipal road, if they exist at the time of the 17^the/10/1978, and have a minimum face of 25 m., a minimum depth of 40 m. and a minimum area of 2,000 sq.m.

(D) They are located within the zone of cities, towns and settlements and had during the 24^the/4/1977 and a minimum area of 2,000 sq.m.,

(E) They are even and buildable and are impaired as a result of expropriations or international, national or provincial roads, provided that after the impairment they have been the limits of completeness and the other necessary conditions of the previous case D.

(F) In cases of land consolidation, land created and given to beneficiaries in exchange for even and buildable land, provided that after the specific land consolidation have the limits of integrity and the conditions of the case D.

(G) They have a minimum area of 4,000 sq.m., when tourist buildings are erected on them. installations and

(H) Created by 17^the/10/1978 to 31^the/12/2003, day of entry into force of Law 3212/2003 (A ́ 308), with a minimum area of 4000 sq.m.

The solution is expected in mid-2026, with the Presidential Decree setting out the criteria for identifying roads that will ensure buildability in Off-plan properties.

Large off-plan plots over 4 acres have faced a standstill since March 2023 due to annulled building permits lacking access to legal communal roads. A solution is expected by mid-2026, with a Presidential Decree defining criteria for road identification to ensure buildability. The decree will be reviewed by the Council of State by year’s end. Two nationwide studies, costing €196 million, are determining which roadways grant building rights, aiming for completion by April 2026. Studies for the Aegean and Ionian islands are finished; tenders for mainland Greece, Evia, and Crete are complete. Ultimately, resolution will come with new urban plans that integrate communal roads based on the Presidential Decree’s criteria.