Greek forest maps: what they mean for a property

Forest maps (δασικοί χάρτες) outline land that is forest, woodland or grassland protected by forest law, and separate it from all other land. They are governed by Law 3889/2010, amended many times since, and the definition of forest comes from Law 998/1979. The Forest Directorates prepare them under the Ministry of Environment, and the Hellenic Cadastre publishes them.

A forest map records the character of the land, not its owner. It can still matter for ownership: the Cadastre sometimes lists the State as owner of forest-coded land, and owners then have to correct that entry.

• Posting (ανάρτηση): the draft map is published and owners can file objections (αντιρρήσεις) online.
• Objection committees (ΕΠΕΑ): three-member committees, with a lawyer, an engineer and a forester, decide the objections.
• Ratification (κύρωση): land with no pending objection is ratified, in part or in full. After that, the map can only be changed through a reform (αναμόρφωση), for example after a court decision or an obvious error.

By the Ministry's last published figure (December 2022), maps had been posted for 95% of the country and ratified for 90%. More than 200,000 objections were still waiting for a decision in early 2026, so a plot's status can still change.

The codes compare aerial photos from 1945 with recent photos and field checks. On the ratified-map legend:

• Outside forest law: ΑΑ (other use in both the old and recent photos) and ΠΑ (a final characterisation act says non-forest).
• Covered by forest law: ΔΔ (forest in both), ΔΑ (cleared forest), ΑΔ (farmland that later became forest), ΠΔ and ΠΧ (a final act says forest or grassland), ΧΧ and ΧΑ (grassland variants) and ΑΝ (declared for reforestation).

One plot can carry several codes. A plot that is partly forest can only be built on if the non-forest part alone meets the minimum plot rules.

The Greek Constitution protects forests, and building homes on forest land is generally not allowed. The interventions that forest law does allow are limited to listed purposes and need a formal approval (έγκριση επέμβασης).

Selling is possible, with the right paperwork. Under Law 5299/2026, in force since 5 May 2026, a sale of land that a ratified map shows as forest-type is void without a certificate from the Forest Directorate confirming its character. Where an objection or reform was accepted, the deed attaches that decision instead. For land outside forest law, an engineer's sworn declaration is enough. The Cadastre must refuse deeds that do not comply.

Some relief exists: farmland that became forest (ΑΔ) can be farmed again under conditions, and the non-forest part of a mixed plot can be sold on its own. A 2025 law also lets owners correct Cadastre entries that wrongly list the State as owner, without going to court, if they hold qualifying documents.

The Hellenic Cadastre publishes two public viewers: one for ratified maps and one for maps still under posting. Search the area, turn on the forest layer and compare it with the parcel outline. Take note of every code that touches the plot.

Treat what you see as a signal, not an answer. The viewer may not show a pending objection, a recent fire or a reforestation declaration. The official answer for a sale is the Forest Directorate certificate or the engineer's declaration.