Inheriting an Estate in Greece From Australia

Inheriting in Greece from Australia usually means appointing a lawyer or relative in Greece under a power of attorney. You sign it in person at a Greek consulate, from a draft prepared in Greece, or before an Australian notary with a DFAT apostille. Your representative in Greece then handles acceptance and the inheritance tax return.

Key takeaways

• Greece's missions in Australia prepare powers of attorney for use in Greece, signed in person before the consular officer, with a draft prepared by a lawyer or notary in Greece.
• If you do not know Greek, an interpreter is needed; if you cannot read or write Greek, two witnesses must attend.
• An Australian notary with a DFAT apostille is the alternative, since Greece is a member of the Apostille Convention; the Greek side will need a translation.
• Relatives in Greece can ask Greece's Foreign Ministry whether a will was lodged at a Greek consulate and have it published.
• In Greece, a notarial deed of acceptance and an inheritance tax return through the tax authority's online system are usually part of the process.

Is there a will at a Greek consulate?

For many Greek-Australian families, the first question is whether the deceased left a will, and where. The Greek missions in Australia explain on their inheritance affairs page that when a Greek citizen or person of Greek origin dies abroad, relatives in Greece can apply to the Foreign Ministry's E3 Directorate to find out whether a will is held at the relevant Greek consular authority and, if one exists, to ask for it to be published, the formal step that allows a will to be used in Greece.

A will made in Australia before an Australian solicitor is a different matter: it will usually be part of the Australian estate, and the Greek professional will tell you whether and how it needs to be used in Greece, apostilled and translated.

Appointing someone in Greece

Most heirs in Australia do not travel to Greece to deal with a notary, the tax office and the land registry. They sign a power of attorney (plirexousio) for a lawyer, notary's office or trusted relative in Greece. There are two ways to sign it from Australia:

Route	How it works	Apostille	Language
Greek consulate	In person before the consular officer, from a draft prepared in Greece	Not needed for a consular deed	Greek, with an interpreter or witnesses where needed
Australian notary	Signed before an Australian notary public, then sent to Greece	DFAT apostille on the notary's certificate	A Greek translation will be needed in Greece

Which suits you depends on how close you live to a Greek post, whether your Greek professional has a preference, and whether you are comfortable with a document in Greek. If several siblings in different states are all heirs, each may sign at the post nearest them, or before a local notary, as long as the Greek side receives every signed original.

The consular power of attorney

The Greek missions' power of attorney page sets out the rules. The person giving the power of attorney must be legally capable: of sound mind and over 18. For someone with a condition that may affect mental capacity, such as dementia, the consular officer considers the circumstances before deciding. The power of attorney must be given in person, before the consular officer, with documents that establish identity beyond doubt.

The mission needs details of both people: full names, father's and mother's first names, place and date of birth, a Greek police identity card number or a Greek or Australian passport number, place of residence and, if applicable, the Greek tax number. For a power of attorney for a specific purpose, such as an inheritance, the page asks for the draft text from a notary public or lawyer in Greece, sent by email as a Word document or on a flash drive.

Interpreters and witnesses

This is the practical point for second-generation Greek Australians. The page says that if the person signing does not know Greek at all, an interpreter is required: someone who has the signer's full confidence, engaged at the signer's own expense, who interprets the document and signs it. It points to the lists of accredited translators and interpreters in each state and territory.

For someone who speaks and understands Greek but cannot read or write it, two witnesses are needed instead. They must not be related to the signer or to each other, must be able to read, write and speak Greek, and must bring a Greek or Australian passport or a Greek identity card. They confirm that the signer understands the document, and sign it too.

What to bring to the consulate

1. The application, signed at the consular authority.
2. Your Greek police identity card, or a valid Greek or Australian passport. Without a Greek identity card, bring a birth certificate to check details the passport lacks. The page warns that the officer may refuse if an identity card is old and there is any doubt about identity.
3. A copy of the passport or identity card of the person you are appointing, or their details on your responsibility.
4. The draft power of attorney from a lawyer or notary in Greece, in Word format.

Contact the Greek post nearest your permanent residence. The page notes that Victorian residents send an application form by post to the Consulate General in Melbourne first. There is a consular fee; check the current amount with your post. Ask for a certified copy as well as the original if more than one office in Greece will need to see it.

The Australian notary route

If a Greek consulate is far away, or your Greek professional prefers it, you can sign the power of attorney before an Australian notary public. The notary identifies you, witnesses your signature and attaches a notarial certificate. DFAT then places an apostille on the notary's certificate; in Australia, only DFAT issues apostilles, and Greece is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Check the HCCH status table on the day.

A power of attorney signed in English will need a Greek translation before Greek authorities rely on it. Agree with your Greek lawyer or notary how it should be translated, and whether a bilingual document signed here is acceptable. Our guides to notarising Greek documents and apostilles for Greece explain both steps.

What happens in Greece

Once your representative can act, the Greek side runs through a notary, the tax authority and, for property, the land registry. Greece's tax authority, AADE, explains in its questions and answers on the inheritance tax return, published in November 2025, that returns are now filed electronically. Where a notarial deed of acceptance of the inheritance is drawn up, the details are completed by the certified Greek notary preparing the deed, and the return is submitted by the heir or their legal representative using their own myAADE access. Returns lodged by a representative of an heir, or where the deceased had no Greek tax number, go through the tax office channel instead.

For an heir in Australia, two practical consequences follow. You will usually need a Greek tax number (AFM), and your power of attorney should allow your representative to deal with the tax authority on your behalf. Greek law sets a deadline for the inheritance tax return, which is longer where the deceased died abroad or the heir lives abroad; confirm the exact deadline for your case with your Greek lawyer or accountant as soon as you can.

Australian documents for the Greek file

The Greek professional will usually ask for documents that prove the death and the family relationships: the Australian death certificate, birth and marriage certificates linking the heirs to the deceased, and sometimes an Australian grant of probate or the will. Each is an Australian public document, so DFAT apostilles it directly; then it is translated into Greek. If the deceased was registered in Greece, the family's Greek municipal records may also be needed, which the Greek consulates can help obtain.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arriving at the consulate without a draft from a lawyer or notary in Greece.
• Not arranging an interpreter or witnesses when you cannot read Greek.
• Bringing an old Greek identity card, which may lead the officer to refuse.
• Forgetting the apostille on an Australian notary's certificate.
• A power of attorney too narrow to let your representative deal with the tax authority.
• Leaving the inheritance tax return until you are near the deadline.

In short

Inheriting in Greece from Australia usually runs through a representative in Greece. Sign the power of attorney in person at a Greek consulate, from a draft prepared in Greece, with an interpreter or two witnesses if you cannot read Greek, or before an Australian notary with a DFAT apostille and a Greek translation. Relatives in Greece can check with the Foreign Ministry whether a will was lodged at a Greek consulate. In Greece, a notary and the tax authority handle acceptance and the inheritance tax return. See our guide to overseas inheritance documents for the wider picture.

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If your Greek lawyer has sent a power of attorney to sign, send us the draft, and we will explain each step before you book.