gov.gr, KEP and TAXISnet: the toolkit for dealing with the Greek state as a resident owner
Almost everything the Greek state asks of a home owner now runs on one login. What the TAXISnet codes unlock, why a Greek mobile number matters more than it should, the solemn declaration and authorisation you can issue yourself on gov.gr, the signature certificate that replaces a trip to an office, AMKA, the KEP citizen service centres, myAADE, myPROPERTY and e-EFKA, and where English runs out, as checked in November 2026.
Dealing with the Greek state is no longer a matter of queues. It is a matter of one login, and the hard part for a foreign owner is getting it, not using it. Once you hold a tax number, TAXISnet codes and a Greek mobile registered with the state, most of what used to take a morning in an office takes minutes: a solemn declaration, an authorisation, a certified signature, the ENFIA bill, a KEP appointment. Without them you depend on someone who has them. As checked in November 2026 against gov.gr, docs.gov.gr, the KEP list and the Mitos procedure register, AADE’s own guidance and e-EFKA.
I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. It describes how the state’s tools fit together; whether a particular digital document is accepted for a particular purpose is a question for the office or notary receiving it.
The Greek state online in one minute. The AFM and TAXISnet codes come first: requested online, then an identity check by video call (Greek or English) or at a tax office. The codes open myAADE, gov.gr and most portals. gov.gr’s documents need a mobile confirmed in the National Communication Register (ΕΜΕπ) for an SMS code; AADE’s keycode form takes a 10-digit number with no international prefix. On docs.gov.gr you issue a solemn declaration, an authorisation and a certified signature with the same force as one attested at an office (art. 11, law 2690/1999), checked by QR. KEP offices certify copies, attest signatures and file applications; book on gov.gr. AMKA is activated at a KEP or e-EFKA, in person, free, about 15–30 minutes. myPROPERTY carries the transfer-tax return; the E9 and ENFIA live on myAADE. AADE’s line is 1521; e-EFKA’s 1555, free, 24 hours.
The login comes first
Everything below assumes a tax number and TAXISnet codes. How the AFM is issued to a foreigner, and why it comes before the bank account, is in the tax number and the bank account. The short version: the request goes in online, and identity is confirmed either at a tax office or by a myAADElive video call. AADE’s own FAQ says those calls can be in Greek or English, interpreters are not allowed, only the person concerned can take part, and the original identity document has to be shown on camera; a copy or a gov.gr Wallet version is refused. A third-country national living in Greece shows the residence permit.
The same codes open almost every state portal. Treat them like a bank password: a lawyer or accountant who files for you should use their own credentials under your authorisation, not yours.
Why the phone number matters
The quiet obstacle is the mobile: gov.gr’s solemn declaration and authorisation pages require, for the TAXISnet route, that your mobile is registered and confirmed in the National Communication Register before you start, because each document is confirmed by a code sent by SMS. The other route is Greek web-banking codes, which needs a Greek bank. AADE’s keycode application takes exactly ten digits and rejects international prefixes, and AADE sends the keycode automatically only to someone with a Greek IBAN and a Greek mobile in their own name; everyone else confirms by SMS code. The register itself confirms a number through the mobile operator, a bank or, in person, a KEP employee, but a Greek SIM in your name is by far the easiest way to do all of this yourself.
Declarations, authorisations and signatures without an office
docs.gov.gr is the part foreign owners use most once they are set up. Three of its services matter most (a fourth certifies private agreements). The solemn declaration (υπεύθυνη δήλωση), the signed statement Greek offices ask for constantly. The authorisation (εξουσιοδότηση), which lets someone else collect a document or act for you in a routine matter. And the digital document certification, which certifies your signature on any document you upload; gov.gr’s procedure sheet says it has the same force as a signature attested at an office under article 11 of law 2690/1999, and since May 2022 it can be issued in English with your name in Latin characters.
Each document lands in your my.gov.gr inbox, with a code and a QR on every page that the recipient checks at docs.gov.gr/validate. The site showed no English version when checked. An authorisation is not a notarial power of attorney, and a purchase from abroad has its own rules, set out in the power of attorney. gov.gr can also be used to appoint a tax representative, but only with your own codes.
KEP: the office for everything else
The KEP citizen service centres are where the state still has a counter. Their published list runs to more than seventy procedures, many also marked as available through gov.gr or by video call: certified copies of documents, signature attestation (in person), applications to e-EFKA and other bodies, corrections to your AMKA details. Appointments are booked on gov.gr with TAXISnet codes, and myKEPlive offers a video appointment with a KEP employee. Without codes, the counter is the only route, and nothing official promises English there.
AMKA, e-EFKA and the property portals
The AMKA is the social-security number. Mitos, the state’s procedure register, says an EU citizen activates it at a KEP or a local e-EFKA office, in person only, free, in about 15 to 30 minutes, with proof of actual residence in Greece, such as AADE’s certificate of tax residence, and a residence document such as the EU registration certificate; non-EU citizens go to the same offices with an identity document and proof of residence. An AMKA is an identifier, not insurance, which is the point of healthcare in Crete for residents. e-EFKA’s own portal, myEFKA, holds the insurance record and contributions, and e-EFKA takes appointments online.
For the house itself, three tools matter. The transfer-tax return goes through myPROPERTY, and when it does, AADE says the property declaration (E9) is created automatically and both parties are emailed. The E9 is filed and the ENFIA bill checked on myAADE. And by July 2026 the gov.gr Wallet held a property file alongside the identity card, driving licence and vehicle information; the ministries’ release of that month lists Greek documents only and says nothing of residence permits. How all of this runs when you live elsewhere is in managing a Crete home from abroad.
Help, and how much of it is in English
AADE’s line is 1521, from Greece, Monday to Friday 07:00–20:00, and my1521 takes written questions at any hour but needs TAXISnet codes. The Ministry of Labour’s 1555 covers e-EFKA, DYPA and OPEKA; e-EFKA’s contact page still lists it as free and open around the clock. English is patchy: the gov.gr portal has an English version, myAADElive calls can be in English and the signature certificate can be English, but docs.gov.gr, most of the e-EFKA site and most procedure pages are Greek, and no official page read for this article promises English at a KEP counter.
The honest downside
The system is excellent for people already inside it and closed to people who are not. Every convenience above rests on TAXISnet codes and a Greek mobile, and getting those is the slow part. Without codes you cannot even book a KEP appointment online. The Wallet is built around Greek documents. The interfaces and the people behind them work mainly in Greek, interpreters are refused on the one video service that offers English, and a digital document that one office accepts another may query. Plan on a Greek-speaking helper for the first year.
Disclosure: Honest Crete does not sell or list property. Enquiries sent from this section go to a licensed estate agent, not to us; the full statement is below. Nothing in this article names a bank, a mobile operator, a lawyer, an accountant or any other business; AADE, e-EFKA, the KEP network, the Ministry of Digital Governance and the Ministry of Labour are named as the public institutions they are.
Worth it if you own in Crete or live here: an afternoon spent on the AFM, TAXISnet codes, a Greek SIM and the communication register turns most of your dealings with the state into short jobs you can do from anywhere. Skip it if you visit a few weeks a year and an accountant already files everything for you under your authorisation; then the toolkit is theirs to use, and the codes are one more password to lose.
What are TAXISnet codes and why do I need them in Greece?
TAXISnet codes are the username and password the Greek tax authority issues with or after the tax number (AFM). The same codes log you into myAADE, gov.gr and most other state portals, so they are needed to file a return, see the ENFIA bill, issue a solemn declaration or book a KEP appointment. They are requested online and issued after an identity check by video call or at a tax office.
Do I need a Greek mobile number for gov.gr?
In practice, usually. The gov.gr documents send a confirmation code by SMS to a mobile confirmed in the National Communication Register, which confirms numbers through the mobile operator, a bank or a KEP employee in person. AADE's keycode application accepts only a ten-digit number without an international prefix, and AADE delivers the keycode automatically only to people with a Greek IBAN and a Greek mobile in their own name.
What is a KEP in Greece?
A KEP is a citizen service centre where staff file applications on your behalf, certify copies of documents and attest signatures in person. Appointments are booked on gov.gr with TAXISnet codes, and some services are offered by video call through myKEPlive. AMKA activation for EU citizens is done at a KEP or an e-EFKA office, in person and free.
Can I sign a document electronically in Greece instead of going to a KEP?
Yes, with TAXISnet codes and a confirmed mobile. gov.gr's digital document certification lets you upload a document and certify your signature on it, in Greek or English, and it has the same force as a signature attested at a KEP under article 11 of law 2690/1999. The certified copy carries a code and a QR that anyone can check at docs.gov.gr/validate.
How do I get an AMKA as a foreign resident in Crete?
An EU citizen activates an AMKA in person at a KEP or a local e-EFKA office, free and in about 15 to 30 minutes, with proof of Greek tax residence from AADE and a residence document such as the EU registration certificate. Non-EU citizens activate it at the same offices, in person, with an identity document and proof of actual residence in Greece. The AMKA is the social-security number; it is not insurance by itself.
Is there help in English for Greek government services?
Some, unevenly. AADE's myAADElive video calls can be held in English, although interpreters are not allowed, and gov.gr's document certification can produce an English version. Most service pages, docs.gov.gr and most of the e-EFKA site are in Greek, and KEP staff speak whatever they speak, so bring a Greek speaker or an accountant for anything that matters.
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