What Is the Order of Succession in Greek Inheritance Law?

When a Greek citizen passes away without a will, or when a will does not cover all assets, Greek inheritance law determines who inherits and in what order. Greece uses a class-based system where heirs are grouped by their closeness to the deceased, with each class excluding the next. If there are no heirs in the first class, the estate passes to the second, and so on down the line until an heir is found or the estate passes to the Greek state.

The Six Classes of Intestate Succession

First Class: Children and Descendants The deceased's children inherit first, in equal shares. If a child has predeceased the deceased, that child's own children step into their place and inherit the share their parent would have received. Within the same class, closer relatives always exclude more distant ones, but if a closer relative has already died, their descendants inherit in their place rather than being skipped entirely.

Second Class: Parents, Siblings, and Their Descendants If no first-class heirs exist or all have renounced the inheritance, the estate passes to the deceased's parents, their siblings, and the descendants of any predeceased siblings. This class inherits together, with the surviving parents taking priority and siblings sharing equally alongside them.

Third Class: Grandparents and Their Descendants If neither first nor second-class heirs exist, the estate passes to the deceased's grandparents. If a grandparent has predeceased the deceased, their children and grandchildren step in to receive that grandparent's share.

Fourth Class: Great-Grandparents If no closer heirs exist, the estate passes to the deceased's great-grandparents or, if they have also died, their direct descendants.

Fifth Class: Long-Term Unmarried Partners Under Greece's landmark 2026 inheritance law reform, which took effect on September 16, 2026, long-term unmarried partners now have limited inheritance rights for the first time in Greek law. A partner who cohabited with the deceased in a stable relationship for at least three years is recognized in the fifth class of succession, provided no relatives up to the fourth degree exist. This is a significant modernization that acknowledges contemporary family structures.

Sixth Class: The Greek State If no heir from any of the above classes comes forward, the estate ultimately passes to the Greek state. With the new orphaned estates framework now active, this process is becoming more efficient than it has been historically, making it increasingly important for diaspora families to act before a property reaches this stage.

The Role of the Surviving Spouse

The surviving spouse does not fit neatly into the class system. Under the 2026 reform, the spouse's position has been strengthened. When inheriting alongside first-class heirs, the spouse is entitled to one third of the estate if there is one child, and one quarter if there are two or more children. The spouse is now also recognized as the sole heir in the third class if no first or second-class heirs exist. Additionally, the surviving spouse is entitled to exclusive use of the principal family residence for one year from the date of death, regardless of how the estate is divided.

Forced Heirship: What a Will Cannot Override

Even when a will exists, certain close relatives cannot be completely disinherited under Greek law. Children, parents, and the surviving spouse are entitled to a guaranteed minimum share of the estate known in Greek as the nomimi moira, or forced heirship share. This forced share equals half of what the heir would have received under intestate succession. A will that attempts to exclude a forced heir entirely is partially invalid to the extent it violates that right.

Under the 2026 reform, the forced share has been converted from a property right into a monetary claim. This means a protected heir who is left out of a will no longer automatically becomes a co-owner of specific real estate but instead receives a cash payment equal to the value of their share. This change was specifically designed to reduce the fragmentation of Greek properties among multiple co-heirs, which has been one of the most persistent sources of family disputes and legal complications for decades.

Why This Matters for Greeks Abroad

Understanding the order of succession is the foundation of any inheritance case. Knowing where you sit in the class system determines whether you have a claim at all, what your share is, and what your obligations are once you accept. If you are unsure of your position in a Greek estate, a Property Analysis Report from GetGreece is the starting point to understand exactly what you stand to inherit, what the estate carries in terms of obligations, and what your path forward looks like.