Building permits

Extensions and what applies

A legislative regulation was recently passed in Parliament (Government Gazette Issue A' 231/12.12.2025) extending for two (2) years – until December 31, 2027 – the validity of all building permits that expired on December 31, 2025.

Extensions of one or two years are also granted for various categories of building permits, such as permits for buildings whose load-bearing structure has been completed, in order to finish the facades or the roof.

This concerns permits issued under the provisions of Law 2831/2000 (Article 26) for the modernization or extension of buildings under the building conditions in force at the time of approval of the derogation, but also older permits and revisions that had been issued up to March 2012 or up to 2017 on the basis of older decrees and laws, etc.

– What are the current regulations regarding the completion of unfinished buildings?

– Extension of building permits "indefinitely", provided that by the expiry date of the permit or its revision, the load-bearing structure, the facades of the building and the roof of the building, where this is mandatory, and provided that the owner and the supervising engineer of the project submit a signed progress schedule for the execution of the project to the competent YDOM (Urban Planning).

– Restarting construction with notification. This concerns unfinished construction projects where, in order to continue work on any phase, the owner is required to notify the Town Planning Department in writing before any work begins or continues.

– Execution of additional works with notification. This concerns a building for which the building permit is valid and the owner wishes to carry out additional works or additions that are not included in the building permit. In this case, the notification statement is submitted electronically and recorded in the electronic file of the permit before the start of the work. The notification lists all the additional work to be carried out and, within two months, a complete supplementary study is submitted.

In any case, this study must be submitted before the date of the on-site inspection by the engineer inspector provided for in the building permit application inspection procedure, in accordance with the new urban planning law. If the notification of additional work is not submitted on time, such additional work is recorded as unauthorized or as urban planning violations, depending on the category to which they belong, and construction work is suspended.

– What is the validity period of building permits?

Depending on the category, the following applies:

Pre-approval of a building permit Pre-approval of a building permit is usually valid for 1-2 years, and within this period, a complete application for the issuance of the building permit must be submitted, otherwise it may be canceled. If there are changes to the approved details, a review may be carried out within the period of validity.

The building permit is valid for four (4) years from the date of issue.

Specifically for large buildings with a total surface area greater than five thousand (5,000) square meters, it applies for six (6) years.

Permits for demolition, excavation, filling, landscaping, and tree cutting are valid for one (1) year from the date of issue.

Permits for the legalization of unauthorized constructions, for which no construction work is planned, are valid without time limitation.

The Small-Scale Works Permit is valid for one (1) year from the date of issue.

– When is a building permit reviewed for validity after it expires?

a) for four (4) years from its expiry date and in accordance with the provisions in force at the time of issuance of the revision act, if the building's load-bearing structure has not been completed by the expiry date of the permit

b) for four (4) years from its expiry date and in accordance with the provisions in force at the time of its issue, if the building's carrying organisation has been terminated by the time the licence expires.

c) Approvals for small-scale works for one (1) year.

– By when must owners complete the facades of their buildings?

a) within four (4) years of the completion of the load-bearing structure, as evidenced by the findings of the building inspector for structures located in city centers, traditional parts of cities, in traditional settlements, in areas of outstanding natural beauty, in archaeological sites, and in historical sites.

b) within six (6) years of the implementation of the load-bearing structure, as evidenced by the findings of the building inspector for structures located in all other areas.

–What happens when owners are unable to complete the work?

In the event that the facades cannot be completed, the owners must notify the Town Planning Department in writing and submit a relevant study to the Architectural Council regarding the construction work that must be carried out in order to cover the building. The study includes a technical report with a description of the construction, accompanied by indicative facades.

These structures may be made of any material deemed appropriate, such as wooden panels, perforated sheet metal surfaces, composite structures with uprights and gaps filled with wood, tarpaulin, or any other material deemed appropriate by the Architectural Council:

a) is aesthetically harmonized with the environment

b) aesthetically enhances the surrounding area,

c) has a structural design that ensures the safety of citizens.

All of the above constructions must be completed within the specified time frame after the study has been submitted, so that the facades of the building are covered.

–What happens when the owner is indifferent and leaves his unfinished building in public view?

In the event that the owner fails to submit a study or implement it, an annual maintenance fine shall be imposed, the amount of which, the procedure for imposing it, and any other related matters shall be determined by decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy.