In short
- The KAEK is the parcel's unique 12-digit number in the Hellenic Cadastre. Divided properties such as flats add two more numbers after slashes.
- The public map shows the parcel outline, area and KAEK without logging in.
- Ownership, mortgages and other encumbrances are on the cadastral sheet, which only owners and people with a legitimate interest can get.
- Draft cadastral data has been posted for about 99% of the country, but in 2026 not every area was yet fully in operation.
- Wrong areas or boundaries can be corrected, since September 2026 through an online platform with a certified engineer.
What the Hellenic Cadastre is
The Hellenic Cadastre (Ελληνικό Κτηματολόγιο) is the public register of land and property rights. Law 4512/2018 replaced the old mortgage registries (υποθηκοφυλακεία), which kept books of deeds with no map, with Cadastral Offices. The cadastre is organised by parcel: each parcel has a KAEK, a mapped outline and a record of its rights.
By May 2026 draft data had been posted for public checking for about 99% of the country, with full completion targeted for the end of 2026. Posted is not the same as operating: in April 2026 about 71% of registered rights were in the operating cadastre, and the rest were still at the posting stage.
How to read a KAEK
A KAEK has 12 digits, grouped from the largest area to the smallest:
- digits 1–2: the prefecture (νομός);
- digits 3–5: the municipality or community;
- digits 6–7: the cadastral sector (τομέας);
- digits 8–9: the cadastral unit (ενότητα);
- digits 10–12: the parcel number.
A divided property adds two numbers after slashes: the first for a separate building on the plot (vertical property), the second for a unit such as a flat (horizontal property). When you buy a flat, check that the deed, the cadastral sheet and the seller all refer to the same full code.
What you can see, and what you cannot
- Public, without login: the Cadastre's map (maps.ktimatologio.gr) shows the parcel outline, area and KAEK. Since March 2026 it also shows a summary of building terms where approved town plans have been digitised. That summary is an overview, not a certificate, and it does not cover out-of-plan land.
- Cadastral extract (απόσπασμα κτηματολογικού διαγράμματος): the parcel shown in its wider area, ordered online.
- Cadastral sheet (κτηματολογικό φύλλο): the rights, ownership shares, encumbrances and recorded lawsuits. Only owners and people with a legitimate interest, such as a lawyer, notary or engineer acting for a buyer, can get it.
The KAEK is not the same as the ΑΤΑΚ, the property number on the E9 tax return. Both can appear in a sale, so do not mix them up.
Common problems buyers meet
- The area or outline in the cadastre does not match the deed, the topographic plan or the fences. Since 18 September 2026 geometric corrections go through the metavoles.ktimatologio.gr platform, where a certified engineer uploads the plan and neighbours can object. Real ownership disputes still need a court.
- First registrations can still be corrected within a deadline that depends on when the local office started operating. Ask your lawyer whether that deadline is still running for the parcel.
- Some parcels are registered to an unknown owner (άγνωστος ιδιοκτήτης). The owner has to correct this through the courts before a clean sale.
What a public-data pre-check shows
The pre-check starts by confirming the cadastral parcel, for free: search an address, coordinates or a KAEK, and see the parcel outline and area from the Cadastre's 2 September 2026 snapshot. The paid report then checks that exact parcel against forest maps, flood zones, Natura 2000 and more.
What it cannot tell you
It uses the published parcel outlines only. It does not show owners, mortgages, encumbrances, lawsuits or whether a correction is pending. Those are on the cadastral sheet, which your lawyer obtains.
See a sample report →Questions for your lawyer or engineer
- 01Can you obtain the cadastral sheet and extract for this KAEK, and do they match the seller's title deed?
- 02Are the first registrations final, or still within their correction deadline? Is anything listed as unknown owner?
- 03Does the cadastral area match the topographic plan and the deed, and if not, which correction route applies?
- 04Are there encumbrances, lawsuits or pre-notations of mortgage on the sheet?
- 05For a flat or divided property, does the full KAEK match the deed that set up the division?
Greek terms
| Greek | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Κτηματολόγιο | Hellenic Cadastre | Public register of land and property rights. |
| ΚΑΕΚ | Cadastral code | The parcel's unique 12-digit number. |
| Γεωτεμάχιο | Land parcel | The mapped unit of land in the cadastre. |
| Κτηματολογικό φύλλο | Cadastral sheet | Record of rights, shares, encumbrances and lawsuits. |
| Απόσπασμα κτηματολογικού διαγράμματος | Cadastral extract | Map extract of the parcel in its area. |
| Άγνωστος ιδιοκτήτης | Unknown owner | Parcel registered without an identified owner. |
| Οριζόντια / κάθετη ιδιοκτησία | Horizontal / vertical property | A flat / a separate building on a shared plot. |