In 2025 Greece changed the building rules for villages with fewer than 2,000 residents. That covers every village on Karpathos except Pigadia. If you own a plot in or near a village, or you are thinking of buying one, these rules decide whether you can build on it. Below we explain what changed, what is still unclear and what to check before you buy.

This article reflects the situation in October 2026. The rules are set, but the new village boundaries for Karpathos have not been drawn yet. We update this page when that happens.

Why the rules changed

The building rules in Karpathos villages changed in 2025. Greece introduced new rules for all villages with fewer than 2,000 residents, and that covers every village on the island except Pigadia. If you own a plot in or near a village, or you are thinking of buying one, these rules decide whether you can build on it. Below we explain what changed, what is still unclear and what to check before you buy.

This article reflects the situation in October 2026. The rules are set, but the new village boundaries for Karpathos have not been drawn yet. We update this page when that happens.

What Presidential Decree 129/2025 does

Presidential Decree 129/2025  was published on 15 April 2025 (ΦΕΚ Δ' 194/15.04.2025). It sets one national method for drawing the boundaries of villages with fewer than 2,000 residents that existed before 1983. It does not draw the boundaries itself. That happens village by village in new urban plans.

The decree divides a village into zones:

• Zone A is the historic core, built before 1923. New buildings have to follow the traditional style of the village.
• Zone B is the built-up part of the village.
• Zone B1 is the more spread-out part around it.

In zones B and B1 a plot needs at least 10 m of frontage on a public road to be buildable. The minimum plot size is set per village, somewhere between 300 m² and 2,000 m².

The 2025 law: villages under and over 700 residents

During the review of the decree, the Council of State rejected the outer zone that older rules had added around villages. To fill that gap, Law 5215/2025 (July 2025) split villages into two groups, based on the 2021 census.

Villages with up to 700 residents can get a Settlement Development Zone (ZAO) between zone B1 and the old village boundary. A plot there is buildable if it is at least 500 to 2,000 m², depending on the village, and has at least 10 m of frontage on a public road.

Villages with 701 to 2,000 residents can get a Special Use Area (PEX) in that same outer ring. A plot there needs at least 2,000 to 4,000 m² and 15 m of frontage on a public road. Land in a PEX counts as outside the village plan.

The exact numbers for each village on Karpathos will be in the village's own plan.

On Karpathos almost every village falls in the first group. In the 2021 census Menetes had 638 residents, Arkasa 540, Olympos 530, Aperi 428 and Othos 264, and the other villages are smaller still. Pigadia is the exception. With 3,047 residents in 2021 it is too large for this decree, so other rules apply there.

Building rules in Karpathos villages: where things stand

The new boundaries for Karpathos come from the Local Urban Plan (Τοπικό Πολεοδομικό Σχέδιο) for Karpathos and Kasos. This plan is still being prepared. The alternative scenarios were presented on Karpathos on 13 October 2025. After that the plan still needs an environmental review, an opinion from the Council of State and a presidential decree before it applies. Until then nobody can tell you for certain on which side of the new boundary a plot will fall.

In practice this means that no new building permits are being issued on Karpathos at the moment. Only plots that already have a valid building permit can be built on.

Plots outside the village

Outside the village plan the general Greek rules for building in the countryside apply. In most cases a plot needs at least 4,000 m² and frontage on a road that the state officially recognises. Older plots can have exceptions, so this is something to check per plot.

That road is often the weak point. A dirt track that everyone uses is not automatically a recognised road. The Ministry of Environment is mapping which roads count, and the islands of the South Aegean, including Karpathos, are among the first. Forest land, archaeological sites and the coastal zone can never be built on, whatever the size of the plot.

[AFBEELDING 3: een onverharde weg naar een kavel buiten een dorp. Alt: Dirt road leading to an empty plot outside a village on Karpathos]

A plot with a valid building permit issued before the new rules can still be built on, as long as the permit stays valid.

What to check before you buy a plot

• Ask for a recent topographic survey (τοπογραφικό) made by a Greek engineer.
• Ask the engineer whether the plot lies inside or outside the current village boundary, and in which zone.
• Check the plot size and the frontage on a recognised public road.
• Ask whether the forestry office (Δασαρχείο) has checked the plot, and whether it is still buildable after that check.
• If there is a building permit, ask until when it is valid and what it allows.
• Never pay a deposit before a lawyer and an engineer have checked the plot and the agreement.

On Karpathos Houses we ask sellers of plots about the village boundary, the forestry check and the building permit. You find their answers in each listing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still build on my plot in a Karpathos village?

That depends on the zone your plot will fall in, its size and its frontage on a public road. The new village boundaries for Karpathos are not final yet, so ask a Greek engineer to check your plot against the current rules.

What is PD 129/2025?

Presidential Decree 129/2025 sets the method for drawing the boundaries of Greek villages with fewer than 2,000 residents. It was published on 15 April 2025 and was changed by Law 5215/2025 in July 2025.

How big does a plot outside a village need to be?

In most cases at least 4,000 m², with frontage on an officially recognised road. Older plots can have exceptions.

Is a plot with a building permit safe to buy?

A valid building permit is a good sign, but check until when it is valid and what it allows. Have a lawyer and an engineer check the plot before you pay anything.

This article is general information based on the rules as published up to October 2026. It is not legal advice. Always ask a Greek lawyer and engineer to check a specific property.