Greece’s new Tourism Spatial Framework (ΕΧΠ-Τ) became law on 7 August 2026, published as ΦΕΚ Δ’ 658/7-8-2026 following signature by the Ministers of Environment and Energy and of Tourism. Its spatial-development provisions took effect immediately on publication.
This is the first national strategic framework Greece has ever had for where and how tourism can develop, and it directly shapes the rules that will govern short-term rental going forward.
What does the framework actually do?
It sorts every municipal unit in Greece into five development categories based on the ratio of tourist beds to land area and permanent population, then attaches different building rules, minimum plot sizes and maximum bed counts to each category.
The five categories are Controlled Development Areas (Category A), the most saturated; Developed Areas (B); Developing Areas (C); Early Development Areas (D); and Special Development Enhancement Areas (E), aimed at niche tourism such as mountain, spa, or diving tourism. Islands outside Crete and Evia are further split into three size-based groups, with stricter landscape protection for the smaller ones.
Minimum plot size for new off-plan hotels, by category
| Category | New minimum plot size | Previous minimum (with exceptions) |
|---|---|---|
| A — Controlled Development | 16 acres (στρέμματα) | 8, exceptions down to 4 |
| B — Developed | 12 acres | 8, exceptions down to 4 |
| C / D — Developing / Early Development | 8 acres | 8, exceptions down to 4 |
| E — Special Development Enhancement | 8 acres, exceptions down to 4 | Unchanged |
On islands, Category A permits up to 100 beds for the first 16 acres of a site, then 6 additional beds per acre beyond that, up to the Category B ceiling. Category B islands allow up to 350 beds.
What changed for the coastline?
New construction of any kind is now banned outright in the zone from 0 to 25 metres from the shoreline, with exceptions limited to disability access, ambulance access, and specific works already provided for under Greece’s separate beach and coastline legislation.
This is a horizontal rule applying regardless of an area’s development category, and it is immediately applicable rather than something phased in through future local planning.
What does the framework say specifically about short-term rentals?
The law names four tools for regulating short-term rental going forward: conditions on letting a property short-term based on whether it is a primary residence, an annual cap on the number of days a property can be short-term let, geographic zones where short-term rental is banned or restricted, and limits on new short-term rental supply in high-pressure areas — explicitly including restrictions on newly built homes.
These are enabling powers rather than immediate mandates — the framework creates the legal basis for authorities to apply them, area by area, rather than imposing them nationwide on the day of publication. This is the same structure already used to freeze new registrations in central Athens and central Thessaloniki, now formalised into a general national tool rather than a case-by-case measure.
Do short-term rental beds count toward an area’s development category?
No — the core classification of a municipal unit into Categories A through E is based on hotel and other conventional tourist accommodation, and short-term rental beds are not included in that calculation.
They are, however, explicitly folded into the framework’s separate short-term rental toolkit described above — carrying capacity and pressure are factors authorities can weigh when deciding whether to impose the day-caps, zone bans or new-build restrictions on short-term rental specifically, even though they don’t move an area between Categories A and E.
What happens to projects already in progress?
Projects that had already obtained a specific approval, or had submitted a complete application file, before the framework’s publication date are not subject to the new rules and continue under the regime that applied when they started.
This transitional protection covers environmental approvals already issued or recommended, submitted environmental impact files, pre-approved special urban plans, building permits or pre-approvals already granted, and approvals already secured under development or funding programmes.
How does this connect to what’s already in force?
The framework confirms and formalises restrictions that were already running under separate legislation — the licence freezes in central Athens since January 2025 and central Thessaloniki since July 2026 remain in place under their own laws, and the 18 municipal units already reported as saturated, including Mykonos, Santorini, Skiathos and specific areas of Corfu, Zakynthos, Rhodes, Kos, Heraklion, Chania and Katerini, are formally designated Category A under this framework.
Frequently asked questions
Is Greece’s new tourism spatial framework in force?
Yes. It was published as ΦΕΚ Δ’ 658/7-8-2026 on 7 August 2026 and its spatial-development provisions apply from that date.
Does the framework ban new Airbnbs in Greece?
No. It creates legal tools — day caps, zone bans, new-build restrictions — that authorities can apply to short-term rental area by area; it does not impose a nationwide ban.
Do short-term rental properties count toward an area’s development category?
No, not for the core A–E classification, which is based on hotel-type accommodation. Short-term rental beds are considered separately when authorities decide whether to apply restrictions specifically to short-term rental.
Can you still build within 25 metres of the coast in Greece?
No. New construction is now banned in the 0–25 metre coastal zone nationwide, with narrow exceptions for accessibility and emergency access.
Are existing hotel or development projects affected?
Projects with an approval already issued, or a complete application already filed, before 7 August 2026 continue under the previous rules.
About this article
This article is based on the official questions-and-answers explainer on the Special Tourism Spatial Framework published by iEfimerida and republished by Flashnews.gr on 12 August 2026, following the framework’s signature by the Ministers of Environment and Energy and of Tourism and its publication as ΦΕΚ Δ’ 658/7-8-2026.
Related: Greece Airbnb Regulations 2026, Airbnb Regulations Athens 2026, Corfu Airbnb Market.
Greek BnB Data provides insights for property owners and investors across Greece. Brothers Consulting manages short-term rental properties in Porto Heli, Ermionida, Argolida and Thessaloniki, Greece.