How wills are published in Greece: the Register of Wills and the role of the notary
Greece has moved the publication of wills from the courts to notaries and an electronic Register of Wills. This article explains the current procedure under Law 5221/2025 and Law 5303/2026.
Why publication matters
Greek law does not know the common-law grant of probate. Instead, every will must be ‘published’ (δημοσίευση) after the death: its full text is recorded in an official deed so that heirs, creditors and third parties can rely on it. Publication is a matter of public policy; a clause in a will purporting to prevent it is void. Non-compliance with the publication rules does not, however, affect the validity of the will itself (Article 1765 of the Civil Code).
Who publishes, and how
Since 1 November 2025 publication is carried out by notaries, not courts, through the electronic Register of Wills (Μητρώο Διαθηκών) operated by the notarial associations (Article 1759 of the Civil Code; Article 808 of the Code of Civil Procedure). A notary who holds a will – a public will drawn up by that notary, a mystic will delivered by the testator, or a holographic will deposited for safekeeping – must publish it without culpable delay as soon as he or she learns of the death. Any person holding a holographic will must present it to a notary for publication. The notary draws up a deed reproducing the entire will and describing any external defects; the deed is registered in the Register of Wills and the original is kept in the notary’s archive. The validity of the will remains a matter for the courts.
Greek consular authorities publish wills held by them, and a holder of a holographic will who lives abroad may present it to the competent Greek consulate (Articles 1760–1761). Certified copies of wills published abroad may likewise be deposited with a Greek consulate, which forwards them to the Register of Wills, accompanied by a Greek translation (Article 808(4) of the Code of Civil Procedure). The deed of publication, or a refusal to publish, may be challenged by any interested person before the court of the succession.
Declaring a holographic will genuine
A published holographic will may be declared genuine (κήρυξη ως κυρίας) by a certified notary drawn from an annual list, on the sworn evidence of two witnesses or – where the will was not deposited with a notary and benefits neither descendants nor the spouse, or was published more than two years after the death – on the basis of a handwriting expert’s report (Articles 1762–1763 of the Civil Code; Article 808A of the Code of Civil Procedure). A holographic will that has been published and declared genuine is presumed authentic if not challenged in court within five years (Article 1764).
How we can help
We assist executors, heirs and foreign fiduciaries with the publication of Greek and foreign wills, the Register of Wills and the subsequent acceptance and registration of the inheritance.
Updated October 2026. This article reflects Law 5303/2026, applicable to successions opening on or after 16 September 2026, and is for general information only; it does not constitute legal advice.
* The information is accurate to the best of our knowledge as at the time of writing. We have no obligation to update it. We accept no responsibility against any third party who is not a client of the firm and has not signed the terms of our engagement.