Egypt vs Greece: how buying actually differs
The question worth asking first is not which market returns more. It is where your money sits between the day you sign and the day the building exists, because that single difference decides what can go wrong and what recourse you have if it does.
Egypt and Greece both sell Mediterranean second homes to international buyers, and both are routinely presented through the same photography. Underneath, they are structurally different transactions. This guide sets out how each one physically works — what you sign, when money moves, who is watching the developer, and how ownership ends up in your name.
Where your money sits
That is the heart of it. In Greece the balance is generally tied to completion and the transfer runs through a notarial deed, so a great deal of the protection sits in the timing and in the legal check performed before you pay. In Egypt instalments are paid to the developer under the contract, across a schedule that commonly runs five to eight years and often past handover. Neither arrangement is inherently safer — but they put the burden of diligence in completely different places.
Side by side
How it works Egypt Greece Your instalments Paid to the developer under the contract Staged against build progress; the notarial deed is executed at completion Who supervises No dedicated off-plan regulator A notary is mandatory for the deed — but acts for the transaction, not for you Protection on your money Contract terms and developer standing Independent legal due diligence before any deposit is paid Typical entry payment ~5% on reservation, ~5% within months Reservation fee of roughly €5,000–10,000, then 30–40% on the private contract Plan length Commonly 5–8 years, often past handover Short — the balance falls due at completion Registering ownership Shahr Aqari Notarial deed, then the land registry / cadastre Extra steps for a foreign buyer Permitted, per our foreigners’ guide Non-EU buyers need a Greek tax number (AFM) and bank account; military approval applies in some border areas
The row that surprises people most is the entry payment. Greece asks for comparatively little to reserve and then a substantial 30–40% on the private contract; Egypt asks for roughly 10% in total across two early payments and then spreads years of quarterly instalments behind it. If your capital arrives gradually rather than in a lump, that structural difference matters more than any headline price.
Sources, small print: Spain — Ley 20/2015 of 14 July 2015, in force from 1 January 2016, replacing Ley 57/1968, requiring advance payments on new-build homes to be secured by a bank guarantee or insurance policy. Greece — notarial deed required for transfer; non-EU purchasers require a Greek tax number (AFM) and bank account, with military approval in designated border areas. Dubai — project escrow supervised by RERA within the Dubai Land Department. Egypt — registration through Shahr Aqari; payment-plan structures from KÂMO’s own developer unit data, August 2026. Mechanisms are summarised for orientation and are not legal advice; take local counsel in any market before you pay a deposit.
What each one is good at
Greece offers EU-market legal machinery, a notarial transfer, and a shorter commitment — you are largely paying at completion for something you can see. The costs are a higher entry payment early, extra administrative steps for non-EU buyers, and far less of the extended-plan flexibility Egypt is built around.
Egypt offers the long developer payment plan as its structural advantage — five to eight years, quarterly, with roughly a tenth down. The costs are that your money is with the developer rather than escrowed or guaranteed, and that delivery risk is carried by contract terms and developer standing rather than by a regulator. That is precisely why our diligence concentrates on the developer.
For the Egyptian mechanics in full, see what off-plan means in Egypt and how the payment plans work. To weigh Egypt against the Gulf instead, see Egypt versus Dubai.
Common questions
Is buying off-plan safer in Greece than in Egypt?
They protect you differently rather than one being simply safer. In Greece much of the protection sits in the notarial transfer at completion and in the independent legal due diligence performed before any deposit. In Egypt instalments are paid to the developer under the contract with no dedicated off-plan regulator, so the protection comes from developer track record and contract terms — which is where diligence has to concentrate.
What does a foreign buyer need to buy in Greece?
Non-EU buyers generally need a Greek tax number (AFM) and a Greek bank account, and military approval applies to property in certain designated border areas. A notary is mandatory for the transfer, but the notary acts for the transaction rather than as your advocate, so independent legal counsel is standard.
Which has better payment terms, Egypt or Greece?
Egypt, structurally. Egyptian developer plans commonly run five to eight years with about 10% paid across two early instalments. Greek purchases typically involve a reservation fee, then 30–40% on the private contract, with the balance at completion. Egypt spreads the outlay much further; that flexibility is priced into the plan total.